3. Sandro #2
I smiled at the little fox. “Physically, I am mostly healed. There are still some deep wounds that cause me pain at times,” I told him.
“I lost a great deal of blood and remained that way for quite a bit of time. That hasn’t helped my progress.
Some wounds had to be reopened and forced to heal more properly.
” I smiled over at Marcello. “I very much would like to join everyone for the evening meal and the tour planned for the landmarks at night. But as much as I hate to admit it, Rio is right. The thought of doing all of that walking to the fountain and back is dreadful.” I absently rubbed my right thigh.
I could still feel the blade sliding into it, and more often than not, I woke in the middle of the night covered in sweat and certain that I was back in that room with them while they were torturing me.
Marcello stared at me a moment before nodding subtly.
“Understood. I, too, apologize for not realizing. We’ll take the babies to the fountain, get our pictures, make our wishes, and then see some more of the local spots.
” Marcello stood. “We will be back midafternoon, most likely with sleeping babies who are down for afternoon naps.”
The others stood. “Luckily, Tulio will sleep anywhere,” Mazzi said.
“The babies won’t get too hot in their carriers, will they? Back home, everyone uses strollers.” Abel looked down at the cobblestone road. “But they’re definitely not going to be useable here.”
“We’ll make it work,” Marcello said. He had Luci in her carrier on his front and had been holding Frankie. Marcello helped get their son situated into his carrier that Abel was wearing, and once everyone was set, they waved and set off.
It wasn’t a long walk, but it was far enough that it would start to bother me if there were too many additional places that they decided to add to the trip after the fountain. And knowing Abel and Marcello’s inability to tell him no, I knew there would be more sights to be seen.
Since we were finished and the tab had been paid, Rio and I stood and started walking back toward the apartment. “Are you up for a short stroll? Perhaps just down to the main road, and then we can turn back?”
“I don’t feel as if that would be too much of a strain,” I said. We started walking, and I knew I needed to say something; I just didn’t know exactly what. “I appreciate your assistance with Marcello. He can be incredibly stubborn. Especially when it comes to his beloved.”
Rio chuckled. “I have already discovered that. It is understandable though.” We walked in silence for a few moments, and when we made it to the main road, I found a cart vendor that had a selection of fruits.
I knew Abel was quite fond of them, and although I hadn’t joined them on the trip to the fountain, I was hopeful that finding some fresh fruits in the apartment would soften the disappointment.
I had just stepped out to cross the road when there was a loud shout from someone in the distance.
I felt the impact of someone slamming into me on my right, and instinctively, my arm went around them as we started to fall to the ground.
Only we never fell. I met Rio’s shocked expression before I managed to get my footing.
I was about to have some choice words for whoever had run into me when something completely unexpected happened. The most amazing scent surrounded me, and instead, I looked down into equally surprised brown eyes.
I took a breath to say something, only to realize what that scent actually meant. It was my beloved. My beloved had been the one to run into me.
“Leonardo! Ti cercano a casa!”
I didn’t think his eyes could become any larger, but at the sound of someone shouting, they had.
“Per favore. Non lasciare che mi portino via. Mi ammazzano.”
I wrapped my other arm around him and looked in the direction the voice had come from. Three men were approaching quickly, and I narrowed my eyes. Who were they, and why did the man in my arms think they were going to kill him if they took him away?
They walked right up to us, and when one of them reached for the man in my arms, I hissed without a thought. He pulled his hand back before his evil glare focused on me.
“You will know pain unlike you ever have if you touch him,” I warned as I pulled the man behind me.
Another pushed his arm against the first man’s chest, and I finally picked up on the fact that they were feline shifters of some sort.
“Mi scusi. Lo portiamo a casa.”
“No,” came a muffled reply from behind me.
I shrugged. “He says no. I have to agree with him that he’s not going with you,” I said. I tinted my eyes a bit, and that had all three of them taking another step back.
“Whatever reason you might have had,” Rio said as he took a step forward, “is now gone. Any thoughts you had are gone. He will be joining us, and that is nonnegotiable.” Rio raised an eyebrow. “It is, is it not? He’s what I’m believing with your possessiveness?”
I nodded.
Rio looked back at the others. “If whoever needs to discuss things to sort out about responsibility, tell them that they should contact Vincent Vittone. He’ll be happy to explain how we do things in our…family.” Rio smiled, and it was pure mischief.
The reaction at the mention of Master Vincent’s name from the other three was completely expected.
Color drained from their faces, and they took another step away, and then another, before they all three turned and started walking away swiftly.
They gave several glances behind them as they walked, but Rio and I simply stood where we were and watched them leave.
One pulled out his phone, and by the time they were several yards from us, he was rapidly talking to someone on the other end of a call.
That left us with the little one that had plowed into me who hadn’t let go of my arm since. I looked down into those brown eyes and smiled. “Come ti chiami? Lei parla inglese?” They had called out Leonardo, but was that actually his name?
“Leonardo,” he told me. “Most call me Leo though. Yes, I speak English. My mom taught me. Why? I do not understand.”
I smiled again and nodded. “I’ll explain that in a bit. Do you know what we are to one another, Leo?” I asked.
Rio cleared his throat, and I wanted to glare at the warlock, but I had no doubt that he was absolutely correct in getting my attention.
“Perhaps we should take this conversation off the street and back into the apartment? The two of you can discuss things in private, and once everything is decided, I can send you off onto…what was it that Abel likes to call it?”
I sighed and looked down at my beloved. “Matemoon. Yes.” I gestured toward the alleyway that would lead us to the apartment. “Shall we? You will be safe. I swear it on my life.”
Leo nodded. I absolutely wasn’t prepared for a beloved.
I was broken in more ways than I could count, and the last thing I wanted right now was an obviously energetic, young, and possibly in trouble feline shifter for a beloved.
Apparently, I didn’t have a say in the matter, though, because that’s what the fates decided I needed at the moment.
Or perhaps, what both of us did. It was at least promising to not have him running away at the first mention of Master Vincent’s name.
But would he be willing to be a vampire’s beloved?