Page 132 of When She Tempts (The Fallen)
When I wake up the following morning, getting out of bed feels like the hardest thing in the entire world, so I don’t. I tell Vale I’m going to skip breakfast when she comes to collect Sophia for her walk, and then I fall back asleep.
It’s my bladder that finally forces me to consider leaving my warm cocoon. My head slides out from under the duvet, and not a moment later, a wet tongue meets my cheek.
“Someone feels better,” I say, giving Sophia a rub. She laps at my face, and I laugh. “Your breath smells, girl. I’ve got to get you some doggy toothpaste.”
She cocks her head to the side, probably wondering what an earth I’m blabbering about.
The conversation with Giorgio last night scratches at the edges of my consciousness, but I don’t want to think about it. What’s the point? He’s made himself clear.
I trudge to the bathroom. In the mirror, I examine my bruises. There are a few peppered over my legs and torso, but they’re not painful unless I press on them. I wash my hair, blow-dry it, put some light makeup on, and venture downstairs.
I find Vale and Dem in the kitchen. They’re standing by the island, but they’re so absorbed with each other they don’t hear me come in. My brother is holding his new wife in his arms, gazing lovingly at her face as she whispers something to him. He plants a soft kiss on her lips and smiles.
The sight of the two of them makes my chest warm, even if I feel like I’m intruding on a private moment. Was my brother this happy when we were all in Ibiza? Probably. I was just too out of it to notice. Even their wedding is a blur. A bitter kind of longing slips under my skin. It hurts to be alone after knowing what it’s like to share yourself with someone.
Vale senses my presence and turns toward me. Her eyes widen, and she lets out an awkward laugh and slips out of my brother’s arms. “You’re up!”
I grin at them. “Sorry for interrupting.”
Vale gives me a quick hug. “Don’t be ridiculous. We were just talking about how we were going to drag you down to hang out with us if you didn’t come out soon.”
Dem leans against the island, plucks a green apple from a big fruit bowl, and takes a crunchy bite. “Where is that pup of yours?”
“Resting in the bedroom. Also, she’s Giorgio’s, not mine.”
Dem cracks a smile. “I think she likes you better.”
I am a bit surprised Sophia hasn’t tried to go to Giorgio, but maybe she senses I need her more than he does right now.
“So what’s the plan for today?”
Finishing his apple, Dem tosses the core into the garbage and wipes his hands on a towel. “Actually, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about, Mari.”
Valentina’s expression falls. “Give her time to settle in.”
Their eyes lock, and they stare at each other for a beat, engaged in silent conversation.
A sense of foreboding spreads through my lungs.
“Better sooner than later,” Dem says finally.
“What is it?” I ask, volleying my gaze between the two of them.
Dem places his palm on my back. “C’mon. We’ll talk in my office.”
Once we make it inside, I perch myself on the arm of a chair in front of his desk while he sits down across from me.
He doesn’t appear to be in any rush to say what he’s about to say, and his hesitation makes me nervous. My brother’s a straight shooter, always has been.
He scratches his cheek. Bites on the corner of his lip.
“Dem, you’re freaking me out,” I confess. “Just say it.”
He drops his palms on the desk and meets my gaze. “Do you recall meeting the Grassis?”
“Who?”
“They’re a family in the clan. You met them when you were… Well, about five or so.”
