Chapter 18 Aurelia
Aurelia
I couldn’t carry Medusa the way Constantine could, but I helped her off the couch so she could go outside and do her business.
In the adrenaline of the moment, I hadn’t taken in the beauty of Constantine’s home at all.
It was much smaller than the palace in Rome, but it was still a luxury property on the edge of the cliff, stunning views of the sea below, a large pool and a private garden with colorful flowers and trees.
I wasn’t sure if Medusa was allowed to do her business in the garden, but I wasn’t sure where else she was supposed to go.
Under the circumstances, I doubted Constantine would care.
We made it back inside, the seating area with three oversize couches and armchairs in front of a grand fireplace with an enormous TV on the wall. Paintings, art, and mirrors were already placed everywhere, like someone else had decorated his home.
Instead of making Medusa bend down to drink from her bowl, I lifted the bowl to her so she could drink without putting more weight on her front paw. She slurped down half the bowl, and then I lifted the other bowl that held food and helped her eat that.
I felt Constantine’s presence before I heard his footsteps on the hardwood floor. There was an electricity to the air, a power in the walls of the house. I set down the bowl, then stood up to turn to him.
He was in just a pair of sweatpants, his face far less tired after adequate sleep, but his eyes were still hollow with sorrow. “How are my girls?” Despite the obvious heartache, he smiled. And it seemed like he meant it. He hooked his arm around the small of my back, and he kissed my hairline.
“Medusa is doing okay,” I said. “She’ll be out of commission awhile.”
He knelt down and grabbed her face with his big hands and gave her a deep rubdown before he kissed her on the head.
“I know you’ve got this, baby girl.” He scooped her up and carried her to her dog bed on the floor so she could get comfortable.
It seemed to be exactly what she wanted, like she was too tired to desire anything else.
She lay there and closed her eyes. Constantine grabbed her bag of essentials and pulled out a stuffed Lamb Chop before he placed it beside her paw.
The eyes were ripped out, and there was a hole where the stuffing had been yanked out of its chest, so clearly, it was her favorite.
Then he stood up again and came to me. “Elio will be here later today. I let the staff know I’m back, so we’ll have our old routine.”
He meant we would be serviced and pampered like royals again.
“I know it’s not as spacious as my place in Rome—”
“Are you out of your mind?” It was a three-story villa just above the village of Taormina, a beautiful home like I could only dream of. “I love it here. I think I love it more, actually.” This village felt like home away from home, the place where I’d met him and his family, stepped into his world.
He smiled slightly. “Good. I love it too.”
I spotted Constantine outside, standing at the iron railing along the edge of his terrace.
It was sunset, so the sky was a beautiful splash of pastel.
He stood there in just his black sweatpants, the gauze still wrapped around his arm, his back covered in the ink that hid all the scars I would never know about.
I opened the glass door and stepped onto the terrace, an enormous patio that had a large pool along with a sitting area and a full dining table, like he entertained often. Strings of white lights were draped over the dining table and were illuminated, like he’d switched on the timer at some point.
His arms rested on the iron railing, and he looked out at the sea, a yacht parked near shore.
I came to his side, wearing a sweater because it was a bit chilly that evening. It was the end of June, almost July, and soon, the weather would be hot and humid . . . and a bit unbearable. My arms rested on the rail, my forearm touching his to let him know I was there.
He continued to look out at the water, his eyes sharp and guarded.
We’d been there for a few days, taking turns caring for Medusa, with the vet coming by for in-home visits to check on her.
Elio took over the duties of the house, and our meals were prepared throughout the day.
The floor below ground level was where the chef’s kitchen was located, along with the washer and dryer and guest rooms for Elio and the staff, so Constantine and I stuck to the second and third floor and had our privacy.
Constantine hadn’t mentioned what happened.
I didn’t either, wanting to give him time to process it.
But it’d been long enough now, and the guilt was eating me alive. “I’m sorry . . . for what happened.”
A sarcastic smirk moved on to his lips. “I’m the one who should be apologizing to you.”
“You did nothing wrong.”
“I let him outmaneuver me. I underestimated him. None of that would have happened if I hadn’t allowed it to happen.”
“You’re being hard on yourself—”
“I wasn’t there to protect you. And you have no idea what that man is capable of. When he found out his wife was sleeping with my brother, he killed them both. He’s not like me. He doesn’t respect or care for women.”
“I’m okay.”
“Thank god for that. But Medusa is hurt, and that kills me.”
My hand moved to his arm. “The vet said she’ll make a full recovery.”
“Doesn’t matter. She’s my baby girl, and I should have protected her.”
My hand moved up his arm to his shoulder, feeling the bandage there. “You saved her life.” He’d taken a bullet for her when most men would have let their dog die. But he treated her like a person, like a member of his family. “And she’ll be okay.”
He continued to stare ahead, his expression the same, as if my words didn’t have the desired effect. Everything I said bounced off him like heavy raindrops.
“I don’t want you to give everything up for me. I know what the Roman Republic means to you.”
“It’s already done.”
“Doesn’t mean you can’t—”
“Sweetheart.” He pivoted his body and looked directly at me.
“Yes, I’m devastated that this has come to pass, but I have no regrets about my decision.
You are the single most important thing to me.
The Roman Republic may fall—but you’re my Roman Empire.
I fight for you before I fight for anyone else. ”
I was moved practically to tears, watching a man choose me without hesitation. Watching a man sacrifice his world because he loved me more. I didn’t know what to say. Didn’t understand what I’d done to earn such loyalty and commitment.
“It’s time for someone else to take up the torch.
Someone else to fight for the Roman Republic.
I’ve done my time.” He stared into my eyes with quiet confidence.
He’d only been honest with me, so I believed he spoke the truth, not just what I wanted to hear so I’d feel better about the situation.
“A part of me wonders if all this came to pass so I would find you. And then I would settle down here next to my family and we’d live a long and happy life by the sea.
If that’s the ending to this story . . .
” A smile entered his gaze as he looked at me before it started to reach his lips. “Then that’s just fine with me.”