Page 66 of Diavolo

"I've never felt more alive," admitted Elyse, "but I wish it wasn't so—overwhelming."

He smirked. "Maybe you will feel better after you fuck me."

She rolled her eyes. "Fucking will only make things more complicated. Whether or not we end up sleeping together, I don't think I'll ever have peace of mind around you."

His eyebrows rose as amusement danced across his face. "What can I do to ease your worries?"

"You almost died again, and, if not for Marcello, you would've been shot. Your life always seems to be one bullet away from death."

"The fuckers who tried to kill me are dead."

She bit her lower lip. "But there will be others, right? This shit never ends.”

Alessandro reached over to cup her face. He smiled at her faintly. "I assure you,Signora Vitale, I will live long enough to see your skin wrinkle and your hair turn white."

Elyse glanced away. Her heart ached slightly. She wanted to believe him, but his promise felt empty. Humans were so fragile. Elyse had saved countless lives in her time, but she'd also seen too many deaths. No one was exempt. They could be young or old. Healthy or sick. Mortality was finite, fate was cruel, and modern medicine could only do so much to delay the inevitable. She suddenly thought of Luca and Monte's conversation aboutmalattiaandcancro.Elyse murmured, "May I ask you something?"

His thumb brushed against her cheek in a teasing manner. "Gatta curiosa. It feels like you always wish to ask me something.”

He’d called her acurious cat, and felines with too many questions often ended up dead. Elyse brushed aside his little jab. "Is there someone in your life who has been affected by illness?"

His hand froze upon her cheek. "You will have to be more specific."

Her question seemed to blindside him. Elyse decided to take a shot in the dark. Just to see where it might land. "I mean, do you have a friend or family member, perhaps, who was recently diagnosed with... cancer?"

Alessandro withdrew his hand from her. "Who have you been talking to?"

"No one," Elyse replied.

She didn't want to incur Alessandro's wrath upon Monte and Luca. Elyse fibbed, "I might have overheard the other guests talking about it last night."

He eyed her coolly. "Who?"

"Um…"

"You speak Spanish,no?"

"Only a little," she admitted reluctantly. "The bare minimum, really. Colors and numbers. Food. Some curse words."

Elyse didn't want Alessandro to realize the extent of her proficiency. In case it compelled him to raise his guard whenever speaking in Italian around her. But she couldn't really lie about her Spanish. Elyse remembered speaking a few words in front of Alessandro during their time together in her Queens apartment.

"Was it the Colombians?"

Already, she sensed it would be a bad idea to throw Alessandro's allies under the bus and quickly tried to defuse the situation, "Um, it wasn’t them, and I couldn’t understand what they were saying, anyway. I apologize for—"

Alessandro interjected with a sigh, "You are not mistaken."

"I'm… not?" Elyse blinked in rapid succession. She hadn't expected to be right.

He then cursed under his breath in Italian. "If you overheard something at the charity event, everyone will know soon enough. Word travels fast. I had hoped to keep this hidden from outsiders, at least, until we were married. But it would appear my grace period is over. "

Alessandro's demeanor grew somber. His gaze drifted away. Elyse reached over to guide his face back toward her. Still, he didn't speak. Powerful emotions seemed to be embedded deep within him, unable to rise to the surface. Elyse tried once more to break through his defenses. Gently but firmly, she urged, "I won't push you to share anything, but if this matter concerns our safety, you owe me an explanation at some point."

Alessandro stared at her for a long, long while as though his mind was working out a silent puzzle. His next question shocked her. "Will you marry me,cuore mio?"

Whatever happened toangelo?

Then, she realized he'd just proposed to her. Green eyes popped. Her heart stuttered.

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