Chapter 33

Luca’s POV

“Can we stop and check on Marco and Timmy first please?”, Mara asked softly, tugging my hand. She had stopped in the hall at the junction where you would turn to go to the infirmary. Both of her hands enclosed my one. “Something doesn’t feel right”, she whined, bouncing on her toes. I nodded, my eyebrows crinkled in curiosity. “Lead the way, baby”, I uttered. She turned and headed toward the infirmary, dragging me along with her. I picked up my pace so that my steps were in sync with hers.

When we walked into the infirmary, Sergio looked up and made eye contact. “Sorella (sister), thank God. Timmy started running a fever an hour ago. I don’t know what could be wrong”, he explained. Mara walked up to Timmy and placed her hand on his forehead. “He has an infection. Did you give him a fever reducer?”, she asked. “Yes, an hour ago, when I noticed”, Sergio answered.

Mara nodded, “What antibiotics are in stock?”, she asked. “Is Timmy allergic to any medications?”, Mara side-tracked, looking at Carol. “No”, Carol answered. Mara peered back at Sergio. “Um, Amoxicillin, Penicillin, Doxycycline”, he named. “Start him on Doxycycline. Have you gone to sleep yet?”, Mara asked, looking over Serg’s tired face.

“Yeah, go eat. I know you made Luca come here first”, he laughed, as he gestured his head towards me with a smirk on his face. I know for a fact, that he just lied to her.This book has many missing chapters and scenes if you’re not reading it on [* . There is no way in hell that he has got any sleep yet. “Of course she did”, I answered, wrapping my arm around her waist. “Let’s go eat, bambina”, I muttered, leading Mara from the infirmary, before she called Sergio out on his lie.

Marabella chewed the inside of her cheek as we walked. Plus, she was uncharacteristically quiet. “What’s going through your beautiful mind, piccola?”, I questioned. She tilted her head, thinking quietly. I caught myself staring as her nostrils flared periodically. “The man who sent Timmy into battle was in the room last night. Timmy made eye contact with him”, she muttered. I nodded, “I figured that. But, I didn’t see who he looked at”, I said, looking over at her. “I did. We made eye contact too”, she smirked.

I smiled, “Then you and I have plans after lunch”, I said, pulling her closer. Mara wrapped her arm around my back and I wrapped my arm over her shoulders. When we walked into the kitchen, the staff was helping ma cook a large dinner. “Did I miss something, ma?”, I inquired, curiously, as Mara and I looked around in confusion. “Yes, we are holding the after party for the event this evening”, she answered, nonchalantly.

My eyes grew wide, “Oh, I was unaware”, I answered. “Obviously, there is food in the dining room for the both of you”, she waved us off. “Ookay”, I blew out, steering Mara in the other direction. “Is she mad at us?”, Mara squeaked, looking up at me. I chuckled, “No, bambina. You’ll learn that this is her way of dealing with what happened to Marco”, I explained, pecking her nose with a kiss. “Thank God”, she whispered with relief. I laughed, “Trust me, you would know if ma was mad at you. She would tell you”.

My Uncle Robert and his wife Claire were in the dining room. I feigned my irritation with surprise. “Uncle, what are you doing here?”, I asked, keeping my voice level, but subtly pulling Mara closer to my side. “We came to check on your brothers. We heard of the attack last night”, he answered coldly. “How?”, I countered, holding back the feral side of me. “Well, your mother called us, of course. How else?”, Claire chirped.

I find that hard to believe. These two aren’t exactly on my mother’s ‘first to contact’ list. Something doesn’t feel right here. “Of course, you were too busy with your new whore to notice”, Uncle Robert sneered. I growled, as I pulled Mara behind me. “Watch your fucking tongue, if you still want use of it. My WIFE is the only reason my brother is alive”, my voice was resounding. I knew I had said too much when Robert and Claire both seemed shocked. But Robert’s face contorted to something else. Anger? Remorse? Something is going on. “No one wants you here. Leave before I get back, or I will kill you”, I warned, as I turned around to lead Mara out.

I was fuming, as I led Mara out of the house, “Luca”, she whispered. We were almost to the car. “Yes, bambina?”, I asked. “Are you okay?”, she treaded carefully. “No”, I answered, opening the passenger side door. “Get in, piccola”, I rumbled. Mara quietly climbed into the seat. She reached for her seatbelt, but I got to it before she did. “You will let me spoil you, piccola. It helps me to feel better”, I murmured in her ear, as I reached across her chest to latch her seat belt. Mara leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on my cheek.

I stopped mid-movement for a split second. I glanced at Mara’s eyes, then her lips, as I clicked the belt into place. “Kiss me, Marabella”, I instructed gutturally. Her actions showed no hesitation, as she tethered her lips to mine. I let the primal side of me feed off of her kiss and the willingness she showed in obeying me. My fingers wrapped around her throat, as I kissed her harder, releasing my pent-up rage. She moaned when my fingers tightened, filling me with an immense amount of satisfaction. With that, I released her and closed her door.