Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Then he stood up again and came to me. “Elio will be here later today. I let the staff know I’m back, so we’ll have our old routine.”
He meant we would be serviced and pampered like royals again.
“I know it’s not as spacious as my place in Rome—”
“Are you out of your mind?” It was a three-story villa just above the village of Taormina, a beautiful home like I could only dream of. “I love it here. I think I love it more, actually.” This village felt like home away from home, the place where I’d met him and his family, stepped into his world.
He smiled slightly. “Good. I love it too.”
I spotted Constantine outside, standing at the iron railing along the edge of his terrace. It was sunset, so the sky was a beautiful splash of pastel. He stood there in just his black sweatpants, the gauze still wrapped around his arm, his back covered in the ink that hid all the scars I would never know about.
I opened the glass door and stepped onto the terrace, an enormous patio that had a large pool along with a sitting area and a full dining table, like he entertained often. Strings of white lights were draped over the dining table and were illuminated, like he’d switched on the timer at some point.
His arms rested on the iron railing, and he looked out at the sea, a yacht parked near shore.
I came to his side, wearing a sweater because it was a bit chilly that evening. It was the end of June, almost July, and soon, the weather would be hot and humid . . . and a bit unbearable. My arms rested on the rail, my forearm touching his to let him know I was there.
He continued to look out at the water, his eyes sharp and guarded.
We’d been there for a few days, taking turns caring for Medusa, with the vet coming by for in-home visits to check on her. Elio took over the duties of the house, and our meals were prepared throughout the day. The floor below ground level was where the chef’s kitchen was located, along with the washer and dryer and guest rooms for Elio and the staff, so Constantine and I stuck to the second and third floor and had our privacy.
Constantine hadn’t mentioned what happened.
I didn’t either, wanting to give him time to process it.
But it’d been long enough now, and the guilt was eating me alive. “I’m sorry . . . for what happened.”
A sarcastic smirk moved on to his lips. “I’m the one who should be apologizing to you.”
“You did nothing wrong.”
“I let him outmaneuver me. I underestimated him. None of that would have happened if I hadn’t allowed it to happen.”
“You’re being hard on yourself—”
“I wasn’t there to protect you. And you have no idea what that man is capable of. When he found out his wife was sleeping with my brother, he killed them both. He’s not like me. He doesn’t respect or care for women.”
“I’m okay.”
“Thank god for that. But Medusa is hurt, and that kills me.”
My hand moved to his arm. “The vet said she’ll make a full recovery.”
“Doesn’t matter. She’s my baby girl, and I should have protected her.”
My hand moved up his arm to his shoulder, feeling the bandage there. “You saved her life.” He’d taken a bullet for her when most men would have let their dog die. But he treated her like a person, like a member of his family. “And she’ll be okay.”
He continued to stare ahead, his expression the same, as if my words didn’t have the desired effect. Everything I said bounced off him like heavy raindrops.
“I don’t want you to give everything up for me. I know what the Roman Republic means to you.”
“It’s already done.”
“Doesn’t mean you can’t—”
“Sweetheart.” He pivoted his body and looked directly at me. “Yes, I’m devastated that this has come to pass, but I have no regrets about my decision. You are the single most important thing to me. The Roman Republic may fall—but you’re my Roman Empire. I fight for you before I fight for anyone else.”
I was moved practically to tears, watching a man choose me without hesitation. Watching a man sacrifice his world because he loved me more. I didn’t know what to say. Didn’t understand what I’d done to earn such loyalty and commitment.
“It’s time for someone else to take up the torch. Someone else to fight for the Roman Republic. I’ve done my time.” He stared into my eyes with quiet confidence. He’d only been honest with me, so I believed he spoke the truth, not just what I wanted to hear so I’d feel better about the situation. “A part of me wonders if all this came to pass so I would find you. And then I would settle down here next to my family and we’d live a long and happy life by the sea. If that’s the ending to this story . . .” A smile entered his gaze as he looked at me before it started to reach his lips. “Then that’s just fine with me.”