Page 121 of Secrets of the Brother
Papà said, “Alfonso, maybe you could—”
Alfonso stood, reached for his beer and drained it, then set aside the empty glass before heading toward the outside door. “Not for a million euro.”
I tried to reason with him. “Come on, Alfonso. You’re the only one she listens to.”
He paused with his hand on the doorknob. “Nice try. I like my testicles attached to my body, thank you very much.”
He settled his cap on his head. “I’m headed to the stables to see what I can do about repairing the body damage to Cesare’s car.Buonanotte.”
I looked to Papà. “She’s already got myRiva Aquarama. I have nothing left she wants that I could bribe her with.”
He rolled his eyes. “Dammit. I’m going to have to give her the property in Sardinia, aren’t I?”
Cesare stared at me, frowning. “What the fuck did Alfonso mean—'repair the body damage to Cesare’s car'?"
I reached under the workbench for the whiskey bottle hidden there, pulled out the cork with my teeth, and pushed it toward him. “Yeah… about that….”
CHAPTER32
BIANCA
“Get your hands off me!”
I glanced up and looked through the marbled glass window to search for the source of the raised voices.
I was tucked up on a settee in a quiet corner of the library, in the older part of the villa.
The windows were smaller, some with old glass panes that resembled thick, melting sugar. I raised up on my knees to look through the windowpanes with modern glass.
My view was blocked by an ancient chestnut tree. Its massive canopy of copper leaves, heavily laden with mahogany clusters of nuts, obscured anything beyond. I settled back into my cushion against the armrest. It was just as well.
It sounded as if the voices were coming from the front courtyard and my view was from around the back.
I balanced the sketch pad on my knees and reached for a charcoal stick.
I drew a faint line, then smudged it with my middle finger. I cocked my head to the side, surveying my work before drawing another line to shadow the first. It was a realistic portrait of Enzo in profile. Well, mostly realistic. I had added a stylistic Roman Centurion helmet.
After the events of yesterday, I had woken feeling worn out, with a slight sore throat.
Enzo said it was because I had been working too hard and had burned myself out on the various side projects I had taken on as well as finishing my midterm schoolwork right before the funeral.
It was far more likely because I had screamed myself hoarse and then been stripped naked and fucked sideways in the middle of an ancient ruin in a primeval forest in November, but I didn’t want to start a fight.
Not when he was so concerned and being so nice… and boyfriend-y.
I still couldn’t believe he had kept all my drawings.Allof them. Even the crappy ones.
After I agreed to take it easy and rest today, I assumed he would just head off to the winery. Instead, he had lingered all morning taking care of me. He had even driven into town to pick up fresh art supplies for me to keep me entertained while he reluctantly spent a few necessary hours at the winery.
Now I was tucked under a cozy quilt with a steaming cup of linden flower and honey tea, quietly drawing after promising not to move an inch until he returned.
Amara Beneventi breezed in.
Her cheeks were bright red. She carried with her the cool autumn scent of the outside, that crisp mix of burning wood, dried leaves, and apple.
She was slightly out of breath. She pushed her hair away from her face and placed her hands on her hips. “I really hope you’re not going to get mad, but I just turned your mother away.”
I sat up straighter. “Claudia was here?”
