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Severio starts. “I’ve asked Cristina to marry me.”
“Actually,” I correct, “he told me to say yes to marrying him, and I did.”
“She barked.”
Corrado looks from me to Severio and back to me.
Severio and I smile. We have a joke, one between the two of us, one only we understand. It warms my heart.
Severio runs a hand over his cropped hair, then extends a hand toward Drago, who puts a few drops of something into his palm. Severio rubs it over his hair, face, neck, hands. I notice Severio is wearing black on black like Drago.
“The last time you two matched clothing was before you left my house,” I say.
“You saw us leave?” Severio asks.
“I wasn’t going to miss the view of you in a pilot’s uniform.”
He smiles, clearly pleased I said that. “I’ll wear it for you some other time.”
Heat warms my cheeks, and Severio bends and kisses me on the mouth again. “Wife.”
“You haven’t married her yet,” Corrado says.
“I have.”
“You have?” I ask.
Severio nods. “Since I forbade my uncle from marrying you, there was an empty slot for a name next to yours in the marriage register. I signed mine.”
I want to laugh, but my muscles hurt, so I produce a tiny chortling sound. “Only you, Severio Mancini, can think that practicing your signature in a marriage register is appropriate.”
He bows. “At your service, my queen.” He says this while he eyes his brother. He then pulls back his sleeve and shows us his tattoo. It’s the head of the red serpent, matching the body of the serpent around my neck. “The serpent is complete,” he says.
Corrado nods. “Very well.” He bends toward me and kisses my cheek, his cologne different, carrying some vanilla. “I’m happy to call you my sister-in-law, Cristina.”
“Thank you, Corrado.”
“Now tell your husband you need him by your side while I go with Drago to take care of whatever business needs doing.”
“Where are you going tonight?” I ask Severio.
Nobody answers.
“The island has been under siege from air and sea for days,” Drago says. “We’ll make international news if we don’t take care of all the loose ends tonight.”
“We’re holding the entire island captive?”
“Why not?” Severio pushes back. “Someone tried to kill my wife. They will pay for it, their associates will pay for it, everyone they ever knew will pay for it.”
“Oh, Severio, it was just my dad.” I swallow. “It was my daddy.”
Corrado curses and takes my hand. He holds it gently. “I’m sorry about that. Some dads are dicks.”
“Thank you. He’s had facial reconstructive surgery. You won’t recognize him.”
“We’re holding three men,” Drago says from the foot of the bed. He holds up his phone with an image, and since I gently shake my head no, I wince.
“Don’t shake your head,” Severio says.
