“Thank you, Marcello.”
“I’m tired. Is it okay if Marcello takes me upstairs?”
Dad nodded. “Get your rest. Sean will be here in the morning.”
My heart dropped to my stomach. “So soon?”
“It’s time,” he said with a wicked grin. “He’s waited long enough.”
I took one last look at my father, who answered his cell phone as I walked away. “Yes, we have your wife. She’ll be ready to leave on schedule.”
I cringed at his words.
Of course, he wouldn’t let me get settled into my bedroom before he called Sean to take me back to Boston. The dickhead couldn’t wait to get rid of me.
Marcello followed me upstairs, down the long hallway toward the back of the house. I had Southern exposure on this side of the property, the sun beaming in through the curtains, bathing the room in golden light. A queen-sized bed with black sheets and pink accent pillows sat at the center of the room.
All the walls had my art on them. I mostly drew comic book characters and pinup-type models inspired by my favorite fandoms. Marcello’s eyes widened. We had a lot more in common than he cared to admit. While I drew familiar characters, he focused on his obsession with Greek mythology and the Underworld. The Iliad was his favorite book, and I could see the war and glory elements in his work.
Marcello was like a modern-day Achilles, strong and powerful and a God in his own right. A hunter, a warrior. He was exactly like the famous demigod, except for his inability to create his own path in life. If he were more like Achilles, he would tell his father to fuck off and be with me.
Maybe one day.
Marcello sat on the bed beside me, his gaze on the walls. “You won’t hear from me for a while,” he said with sadness in his tone. “The men who took Alex will bring the fight to Devil’s Creek. I’ll be busy with the Knights and trying to protect Alex.”
“Why can’t Luca protect her? Why do you always have to run to her aid?”
Marcello pursed his lips. “Jealousy isn’t a good look, Rhi. We’ve gone over this before. Alex is our Queen. It’s our job to protect her.”
“I know you have feelings for her.”
“I care about her, sure, but it’s familial love. Alex is marrying my brother this month. She will be a Salvatore, and we protect our own.”
“I wish I could have that with you.”
He shook his head. “Rhi, c’mon. You know my dad. He’d kill you before he let us be together.”
“Then why do we keep doing this to ourselves? Why have we wasted years of our lives sneaking around behind everyone’s back?”
He sighed, lowering his eyes to the mattress. “Because I can’t stay away from you. You’re a part of me.”
“My point exactly.” I grabbed his hand, and his eyes met mine. “The universe keeps pushing us together because we’re supposed to be together. After living in fear for days, wondering if I would ever see you again, I’m no longer afraid to tell you how I feel. I love you, Marcello. I have loved you since I was a girl with a crush. I have loved you for so long I can’t even remember a time I didn’t love you.”
“Rhi,” he groaned. “I want more with you. But you know I can’t.”
“Because of your family? I’m so sick of hearing your excuses. You’re a grown man, Marcello. Tell your dad that you want to be with me. That you’re sick of living under his thumb. He won’t even let you work on your art. He’s sucked all the joy from your life and forced you to follow his commands. It’s time to man up.”
Marcello shifted his weight, causing the mattress to dip, and I reached out to clutch his wrist. I could tell he was about to leave me. Whenever shit got hard, he always bailed. He could never commit to me the way he would have committed to Alexandrea Wellington, and I was fucking sick of it.
“Don’t go,” I pleaded. “I’m not ready to lose you.”
He surprised me by pulling me into his arms, his big hand rubbing my back in a soothing motion. It seemed like he needed this as much as I did. “I can’t stay much longer,” he whispered against the shell of my ear. “And you’re an engaged woman. You’re not mine to keep.”
Marcello had the magic touch. Whenever I needed him, he always seemed to know. That was his role within the Salvatore family. He was the protector, the white knight. I understood why Marcello and the Knights would risk their lives for Alex. She was too essential to their survival. I had to get over my irritation with the situation and enjoy these moments with him.
“Do you love me, Marcello?”