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Bruno spreads his hands. “Lucy, he’s wrong about you. In a lot of ways he’s wrong about us, too.”
Alessio offers, “But we’re ready to tell him so.”
Bruno takes it back up, “If we can turn back the page, you and us, we’re ready to move out if he can’t accept our choice.”
Choice?
Alessio says, “He wouldn’t be able to take the social injury, people watching his whole family walk out on him.”
“Well,” Bruno says, eyeing Alessio, “we’re prepared to tell him we’ll do that, anyway.”
Alessio stiffens again. “Look, I’ve got more to lose, more at stake in this than either of you. I’m volunteering to…”
“Easy,” Carlo’s voice is gentler. “Bruno’s just breaking your balls.”
Bruno is almost smiling. “Our brother the prince has a great sense of humor, as long as the joke is about anything but him.”
Carlo lightens up. “In other words, he has no sense of humor.”
Bruno says, “But he’s our brother.”
“Although, not really.” Seeing Carlo’s sense of humor reawaken gives me hope.
Bruno chuckles and pats Alessio’s shoulder. “But we love him.”
Alessio’s neck is darkening as Carlo keeps it up. “Kind of.”
“Mainly because it’s so easy to get him going.” Bruno kneads Alessio’s arm and jabs a dig in his ribs. The struggle on Alessio’s face is a picture.
Carlo drops one more crack. “And he’s so funny when he loses it.”
Bruno lets out a fraction of a grin. “Which is only all the time.”
Seeing them jostle and banter makes me want to squirm. The battle is not won, it’s hardy even started. I know that I have a lot to do, but just being with the three men makes me feel how good it is, and why I have to do it. I start to think of them as my three princes again. But I have to stop. I need to distract myself or I’ll well up.
If I have to fight for my three men, then I will fight. Whatever happens, whatever it takes, I have to do it. This is one battle I have to win.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
“We all missed you, principessa.” Bruno looks around. “Okay, I’ll just speak for myself. I’m fine with that. When you came into the house, it was like all the lights went on, like that place was lit properly for the first time. Like you just being there blew away the darkness that seeps out from the stones of this place.”
Even in this chilling old house, I’m happy to be back with the three men, my three princes. I don’t want to break the mood and bring us back to the serious business.
I’m watching Carlo watching me.
Bruno sees us and says, “We know you wouldn’t take us without him.”
Alessio adds, “We do wonder if you’d take him without us.” He’s trying to make it sound like he’s joking, but there’s a trip in his voice.
“Well, I’m not going to take Carlo without the two of you. You’ll have to be satisfied with that.”
We all breathe thick and hard, and our eyes blaze into each other’s. The air is charged. I know that I could dive into the powerful arms of the three men, and they could all jump straight at me right now.
The don’s voice rumbles from the dining room next door, and the moment is gone.
Carlo straightens up. “You go on into the dining room. Tell the don we’ll be there as soon as we can. There’s something we have to find upstairs.” He lifts an eyebrow. “Something I need to give you.”
“Oh, yes,” Bruno says with a dark chuckle. “We all want to give you something.”
