Page 51 of The Marriage Auction 2: Part 4

JULIANNE

“Listen to this crap,” I hissed as I held open the latest edition ofThe New York Times. The media was once again reporting whatever the hell it wanted, not the statement that we had released by Gio’s assistant and jack-of-all-trades, Muriel. One of a handful of people who now knew we were, in fact, alive and hiding out at the same lake house Gio had disappeared to when Bianca starting pulling her shit and our parents had died.

“Do I even want to hear this?” Gio groaned while he propped on his side in the king-sized bed, pillows shoved against his chest so he could lean on them. Since we’d arrived yesterday, he’d completely changed. In the hospital, he was angry, filled with complaints, and looked half on his death bed. There were still slight dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep, but now that he’d had a full night’s rest in a bed he was used to, with me by his side, he looked more human and alive than he had since I first saw him in the hospital last week.

I cleared my throat. “Quote: It has been revealed that business mogul Giovanni Falco, the heir to the Falco dynasty and his new bride, Julianne, were two of the three persons that perished in last week’s mid-town explosion. The other victim was real estate magnate Brenden Myers. Falco’s net worth was estimated to be around forty billion, Myers around five hundred million. Falco leaves no family behind. Myers leaves behind awife, Bianca, who it is believed will inherit the empire. This tragedy has rocked the business world in New York. This story is evolving and will be updated as more information becomes available. Unquote.”

“I literally got a three-word mention.New bride, Julianne. That’s all I am.” I slapped the paper down on the bed and flopped backward into the cloud of pillows leaning against the headboard.

Gio reached out and took my hand. “The media is packed with nothing but assholes. Never read your own press. It’s created entirely on supposition and sensationalism. None of if it tells the real truth.”

I pouted like a child not getting her way, but it really irked me that my entire life’s work to date was whittled down to one thing… beingGiovanni’s wife. Blech. “See, this is what’s wrong with the patriarchy. This is why women lose their shit. I have more work and life achievements than my brother, and he’s the one recognized.”

“Jules…”

“And don’t you dare get me started on you. My scores and honors in college were far higher than either of you, but because I married a man with more money than God, I’m relegated to ‘wife’ status. My life and achievements don’t matter.”

Gio patted my unburned palm, and I snarled, getting more wound up by the second.

“You matter to me, Jules. You’re all that matters to me. I could lose every dime I have and not give a flying fuck. As long as I get to keep you for the rest of my life, everything else can disappear. We can stay dead for all I care.” He paused, staring at a spot only he could see. “Actually, it’s not a bad idea…” His finger teased the sensitive skin of my inner arm where I hadn’t been burned, easing my irritation. The top of my forearms and hands had been scalded from the fire, but the rest of me fairedfar better. I was the lucky one. My head wound still had the line of stitches Maggie was keeping her eagle eye on, and the headaches were lessening each day.

Giovanni and my brother were an entirely different story. Both had received some pretty gruesome burns. Though the doctors were convinced that with the right treatment and commitment to his medical care, Gio would come out of it less scarred than we’d imagined based on what the burns looked like at the start. Brenden’s outlook wasn’t as optimistic. The doctors didn’t hold out hope he’d ever wake from his coma if he made it through at all. They said if he survived the next couple weeks it would be a miracle and urged us to get his affairs in order.

I didn’t allow myself to even consider the thought that I’d lose Brenden forever, especially after having lost our parents so suddenly. And because we were in hiding, Brenden had been shipped to the nation’s best burn center under the pseudonym Bruno had given him. He’d set up a payment system for Brenden’s care that couldn’t be tracked back to us. At least I knew he was safe from Bianca for the time being, though I worried for my godmother. Alana didn’t share much in her last call with us, but I knew her well. She’d do whatever it took to end this once and for all. I just prayed she’d come back to us whole.

“Knock, knock, you two! Time for me to clean and bandage the big guy!” Maggie called through the door as she banged on the wood several times.

“Already?” Gio groaned.

“Come in!” I hollered. I was fully clothed in lounge wear, whereas Gio was completely naked lying on top of the sheets, hugging the satin pillows while his backside received some fresh air.

“Ooh! I see you’re following my orders to the letter. I love when my patients do that. Good boys get rewards,” Maggie cooed as she entered wearing scrubs. We’d explained she couldwear what she wanted, since this would be her home for the foreseeable future, and she told us she was more comfortable in scrubs than anything else. Today’s outfit had cat faces on them.

“I’m loving the cats.” I smiled at the older woman.

“Aren’t they the cutest? Got ‘em at half price during the holidays,” Maggie gushed.

“Well, they’re awesome, right, Gio?”

“Fucking great. Can we get to my reward?” Gio grouched.

Maggie narrowed her gaze. “I was going to show Julianne how to help you bathe so that it wasn’t me cleaning your dangly bits, but if you’re going to get snappy with me…” She let her words fall away.

“I’m sorry, Mags. I’d love to have my wife help me.”

“I’m ready to be trained. Whatever you need, Maggie, I’m all ears.” I got up onto my knees, kicking the paper to the floor. Fuck that thing. I didn’t need the love and respect of strangers. I just needed my man to be happy and healthy. And for Bianca to fall face first off the nearest tall cliff and land on very jagged rocks. But being able to help Gio be more comfortable during his recovery was also high up on my list of desires.

“I thought so. First, go on and get the wash bucket and fill it with soapy warm water. I’ll tend to the burns first,” she said.

“Yoo hoo,” another knock came from the open door as Muriel walked in. “Oh, sweet baby Jesus!” the older woman said and turned around abruptly.

Maggie snickered. “What? You squeamish? It’s just burns.”

Muriel shook her head. “No, I…perhaps someone could have told me that Mr. Falco wasn’t wearing any clothing.”

Giovanni burst into laughter and then moaned in pain. “Shit that’s funny.” He winced and chuckled at the same time. “You did that on purpose, leaving the door cracked, didn’t you?” Giovanni surmised. “What is with you two anyway? I figured twostrong, mature, independent ladies like yourselves would get along famously.”

“Well, if Missus Big Business would keep your work away while you’re healing, maybe we’d get along better. But you are my patient…”

---