Chapter Ten
Penelope
TWO THINGS COME TO mind as soon as I wake.
Firstly: I fainted.
And secondly: Cesare was right.
I did kill someone, and the thought has me flying off the bed. I barely make it in time, my knees crashing to the floor as I throw up in the toilet bowl.
I'm sorry, God, I'm sorry.
My brain is insisting I had no choice, but my heart believes things could've ended differently...if I hadn't so foolishly panicked.
I'm sorry, God, I'm sorry.
Maybe I'll get over this in time, but right now, the act of taking another person's life is weighing me down like a brick around my neck, and I feel like I'm about to drown in my guilt at any moment.
I've watched people killing other people all the time in action movies, and they all make it look so easy. Other people's deaths don't seem to bother them, and it's all because they're the good guys, and the ones they've killed are the bad guys.
I'm sorry, God, I'm sorry.
"Are you alright?"
A gentle hand carefully gathers my hair away as I vomit the last of my breakfast, and I feel weak and dizzy as I lean back against the wall.
I catch a brief glimpse of a girl with bubblegum-colored hair quickly leaving my side with the full skirts of her ankle-length dress swishing around her legs. When she comes back, it's to meticulously wipe off the puke from my face. "Feeling better?"
Her tone is calm and sensible, and the remnants of my shock eventually fade at the reassuring sound. "Uh...yes. T-Thanks."
She helps me back to my feet, and it's as we're walking out of the en-suite that I belatedly notice my surroundings. This... is definitely not the same bedroom I slept in last night, and I can't help feeling anxious. "Where am I?"
"One of the guestrooms in Cesare's penthouse."
The way she says his name with utter ease has me clumsily falling back on the bed, and a green-eyed monster starts messing with my brain as the other girl takes a step back from me.
She looks about my age, maybe a few years older tops, and so eye-catchingly attractive with her lilac-colored locks and the dramatic shimmer around her cat eyes. Even her outfit is an enthralling contrast: a vicious-looking pair of army boots... vis a vis her dark-gray apron dress that's made more prim and proper by the white-buttoned-up blouse underneath, with its round collars and long, billowy sleeves.
She kinda looks like Wednesday Addams dressed up as Harley Quinn for Halloween, or maybe it's the other way around?
Either way, I'm just praying she's related to Cesare by blood...or I'll have a huge problem in my hands, if this girl somehow turns out to be my rival.
"Do you need anything?" the girl asks. "A glass of water? Painkillers? A—-?"
"Are you also a Marchetti?" I blurt out.
"No way!"
Her aghast tone takes me aback...even as I start feeling a little sick again. I'm so, so dead if this girl is also after Cesare—-
"Or at least not yet," she adds with a roll of her eyes, "and if it were up to me, I won't be one... ever ."
I can only stare at her, now more confused than jealous and insecure.
"I obviously forgot to introduce myself," she says with a wrinkle of her nose. "I'm Sarica, you're Penelope, and in case you're wondering why I already know who you are - or what I'm doing here - I guess you can say we're in the same boat?"
My eyes widen. "You're...you're engaged to one of Cesare's brothers?"
"To Mr. Perfect himself, actually."
I have no idea who that is, but I'm more than a little curious with how she says the word 'perfect' like it's synonymous to 'pervert'—-
"Speak of the devil," Sarica mutters under her breath as the door swings open, and a man who strongly resembles Cesare in appearance comes striding in. Same dark coloring, same build and height, only this time the man looks slightly more distinguished with the faint hint of silver streaking through his hair.
Sarica waves to him, saying, "Penelope, meet Giancarlo, Cesare's oldest brother."
"Ciao , Penelope."
His accent is even more Italian than Cesare's, and I'm dying to know why that is.
"I'm sorry we have to meet under these circumstances. How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay." His concern makes me feel guilty and awkward. "I wasn't really injured or anything. I just fainted because..." My voice fades as I find myself unable to say the truth.
"Will you try to look at it another way, sorellina? " Giancarlo asks gently. "Because your actions also meant that you were able to save your life and that of my brother's."
"If you hadn't killed the other guy," Sarica adds gruffly, "then it would've been the other way around, and take my word for it: guys like those wouldn't have let you die a quick and easy death. They'd have raped and tortured—-"
"Sarica."
The other girl only shrugs at Giancarlo's exasperated tone. "I just wanted to drive the point home—-"
"You could have done so without being graphic—-"
I clear my throat, not wanting them to argue over me. "I'm, um, okay, and Sarica was - is - right. I got her point, and—-"
The door opens again, and this time it's Cesare himself who walks in, followed by La Strega and another man who can only be his brother as well.
"You're awake..."
Cesare is already cupping my face and kissing me hungrily as soon as he reaches me, and I can't think of anything to say by the time he lifts his head.
"How are you feeling?" he asks tautly.
"I'm fine. Nothing really hap—-" My words falter as he scoops me up to take my place on the bed...before settling me down on his lap.
Awkward... but I also can't think of any other place I want to be.
Cesare's grandmother comes forward then. "Cesare tells me you were very brave, bambina . "
"I'm sure what he really means is 'silly'—- "
"You are very new to famiglia business. Cesare should have taken more time to explain to you about the dangers of leaving our territory."
"I think I ended up being a little too lax because it was just the two of us. No bodyguards—-"
"That was unfortunately my choice."
Cesare frowns. "Nonna—- "
"We both know I am solely to blame for what happened today," La Strega says sharply. "I thought it would be safer and less conspicuous if you were to drive out of Boston without security. I also mistakenly assumed that they would not dare attack you in a neutral territory like Providence—-"
"Essato, " Cesare says. "What happened was not your fault. It happened because they were stupid enough to break the rules, and even more stupid to go after us without being able to finish the job."
The older woman looks at me. "I am sorry, bambina . Never again will you come into harm while under my watch—-"
I open my mouth to tell her that I'm not blaming her at all, but when she raises her hand in a halting gesture—-
Gotcha.
If she wants me to shut up, then I'm shutting up.
"It is what I owe you, bambina, and a Marchetti always pays his debts, you understand?"
"Yes, ma'am."
A faint smile touches her lips, and both of us share a moment of déjà vu.
Gosh.
I know it was just this morning I was nervously seated in her office, but those memories honestly feel like they happened a lifetime ago.
"Now, then..." La Strega glances at the others. "I assume you already know Giancarlo and Sarica?"
"Um, yes—-"
"Dare I hope she's introduced herself properly?"
Sarica makes a face. "We all know what you're really asking, signora, and to answer your real question—- yes, I did tell Penelope I'm Giancarlo's fidanzata ...for the time being."
I nearly choke at her daring...while the rest of the Marchettis are acting like they haven't heard anything out of the norm.
Huh.
Cesare's grandmother then motions to the only member of her family that I've yet to meet.
"Penelope, may I introduce you to another grandson of mine? Massimo is also twenty-eight like Cesare. Growing up, they were like twins, albeit of different mothers."
"Ciao, Penelope," Massimo drawls with a lazy smile. "It is nice to finally meet you, and if you have any second thoughts about Cesare, you may be pleased to know that we have one other brother—-"
"Fuck off, Mas," Cesare snaps, but this only has his brother smirking.
"What did I say, fratello ? I told you, didn't I? You're geloso—- "
I bite my lip hard.
No, no, no.
I'm pretty sure I've heard his brother wrong—-
Cesare tips my chin up. "Penelope?" The frown in his voice tells me he's somehow sensed the change in my mood. "What is it? Is something wrong?"
"Um..."
"You can tell me anything."
Well, in that case...
"Why did he call you...an ice cream?"
"Scusa?"
"He said you were 'gelato'—- "
Everyone in the room starts coughing, and the sound is all too annoyingly familiar.
Yeeeargh.
I make a face at them and throw my hands up in surrender. "It's not my fault I don't speak Italian or mafia—-"
Everyone winces at this, but this doesn't really make me feel any better, and I can't help eyeing Cesare's family rather warily. "How much do you guys know about what went down today?"
Sarica looks down on her phone while Giancarlo carefully avoids my gaze, and Massimo checks his watch as if he suddenly has somewhere to go. Only La Strega looks at me in the eye...before saying rather baldly, "You're a good girl, bambina... but why on earth did you even think my grandson would ask you to look for some duck in the middle of a shootout?"
This time, none of his family even bothers to cough. Sarica is already doubled over in laughter while Massimo snickers and even Mr.-So-Called- Perfect himself is not so perfect with his barely suppressed smile.
Cesare, however, only cups my face. "Ignore them, tesoro. You are adorable as you are—-"
"Are you really sure you don't mean silly?"
"Well—-"
I try jumping off his lap, but this only has him chuckling as he tightens his arms around mine.
"Do not ever change, mm? "
"It seems you will make a doting husband," La Strega remarks with a strangely crafty gleam in her witchy dark eyes.
" Sì, Nonna."
Am I imagining things...or has Cesare's voice become a little too silky?
"I intend to dote on Penelope for the rest of our lives, but not as her husband."
His grandmother stiffens. " Chiedo scusa?"
The anger in her gaze is unmistakable, and I remember all too late that it's La Strega and not just a normal grandmother I'm talking to.
"It's r-really not as bad as you think it is," I point out in a hurry. "Cesare and I will still marry, but we also have a misunderstanding—-I mean, an understanding—-"
Shit, I feel like I'm digging a deeper hole for myself here.
"What is it, really?" the older woman asks impatiently.
"There is no need to raise your voice at her," Cesare says between clenched teeth.
"Then you be the one to explain," his grandmother snaps back at him. "What is all this nonsense—-"
Not wanting the two of them to get into a full-blown quarrel, I take a deep breath and say in a rush, "We're each other's owners!"
Silence.
"T-That's how we agreed to consider each other once we marry. A-As owners..."
More silence.
Oh, shit.
Just when I start feeling sick at the possibility that I might've made things worse, Sarica suddenly flashes a smile, saying brightly, "I like that." And her alluring cat-like eyes then turn to Cesare's oldest brother as she asks, "How about it, signore ? As your owner, I'd like you to dye your hair the same color as mine—-"
"Over my fucking dead body... signorina ."
The contrast between his words and courteous tone is exactly what we all need to hear, and I can only mentally sigh in relief as the tension in the room instantly evaporates, and I even see La Strega shaking her head at Sarica with exasperated affection.
Private catering takes care of dinner later on, and all of my troubles temporarily fade as the warmth of Cesare's family wraps around me like a cozy embrace.
Massimo promises to take me out to meet some girl named Ynez just as La Strega imperiously asks me to start calling her 'nonna' while Sarica argues with Giancarlo about the number of bodyguards he intends to assign for both his fiancée and me.
And when I glance at Cesare and catch him looking at me like he wants to chain me to him for all eternity—-
Shit, oh shit.
I'm not sure if this has to do with how I almost died...or how I've taken another person's life, but my feelings for a certain mafia boss are suddenly painfully clear.