Page 58 of His to Honor

“He’d better treat you right.”

“He will.”

At least I hope that’s the case. Leaving Italy the way I did is going to piss him off. He might carry out his threat to keep me locked away.

“Good.” Dad nods. “Now, tell me, Giulia, when are you going to fix your hair?”

It’s such an unexpected change of direction, I can’t help laughing.

“Soon,” I tell him, relieved to be off the topic of my marriage. “Very soon.”

I wake early, surprised I slept at all. When my dad dropped me at my apartment, I had a quick shower and changed into my pajamas, intending to go straight to bed. Instead, I sat on the sofa in my tiny living room for hours, trying to work out how I feel about Matteo. He’s my husband now and in our world ‘untildeath parts us’ is not a token phrase. The words carry meaning. There are consequences for trying to escape them.

As the hours dragged by, I almost convinced myself I’d overreacted by leaving Italy the way I did. I love Matteo. Our marriage could be harmonious. It’s not as if we don’t get along well, most of the time. Then I remembered how he rode roughshod over my objections to marrying him so soon. I never imagined he’d threaten me and it still hurts that he did. Getting past that might not be so easy.

When I finally went to bed, it took me forever to drift off and I don’t feel particularly rested this morning. Regardless, I get up and prepare to go out, dressing in jeans and a black t-shirt in case I need to do any work at the community center that will involve getting messy. I left a few tasks half-finished before I went to Italy. Antonio told me to let Dante know what needed to be done, and I gave him a list, but I don’t know if he got around to arranging for the work to be completed.

On arrival at the center, I find the doors locked. There’s no sign of any contractors on site. I open the doors and walk through the building, discovering that Antonio was true to his word about getting the work completed while I was away.

My office, which was an empty shell, is all set up with a desk, chairs, computer, and the pictures I bought to brighten the space have been hung on the wall. The counseling suite is ready for use and the kids’ playrooms are also good to go. Shelves have been put up in the room I intend to use as a library and study space. There are no books yet, but that’s okay. I told Dante I’d take care of that myself.

The kitchen wasn’t on the list of things I wanted to be completed, but when I walk in, I’m amazed to find it’s in ready-to-usecondition. There are industrial ovens, stainless steel tables for prepping food, and dozens of cabinets in a light gray wood. A fancy coffee machine I don’t remember ordering sits on the countertop. It probably requires a trained barista to operate it. Deciding it’s too complicated for me to figure out before I’ve had a caffeine fix, I head along the corridor, intending to go to the coffee shop down the block.

I’m almost at the front door when it swings open. My heart thuds furiously as Antonio Volante walks in, wearing his usual inscrutable expression. Does he know about me and Matteo? Is he angry with me for running from his brother? Fear surges through me as he advances on me, then dissipates just as quickly as my friend, Isabella, enters a few steps behind him.

“Giulia!” She greets me with a warm smile.

“Izzy.” Uncertainty creeps along my spine. It’s been over a year since I last saw the woman who was once my closest female friend.

“I told you to wait with Dante until I was sure it’s safe.” Though Antonio’s tone is scolding, there’s no denying his glare softens as his wife comes to his side. He wraps an arm around Isabella as his eyes scan the corridor behind me.

“It’s just me here,” I assure him.

“No bodyguard?” he growls. “What are you thinking?”

I shrug. Having someone to protect me isn’t something I’d even considered. I’ve never been important enough to be targeted before.

“Don’t bully your new sister-in-law.” Isabella steps away from Antonio and throws her arms around me. “Welcome to the family, Giulia.”

“You heard?”

“We did.” Antonio fixes me with an intimidating stare. “What I want to know is why you arrived last night on Piotr Reznov’s plane without your husband by your side.”

Isabella releases me and spins around to face Antonio. She puts a hand on his chest. “You didn’t come here to interrogate Giulia.”

She purses her lips and inclines her head in a way that tells me she’s pressing him for an answer. It’s amusing to see her face off against the intensely scary head of the Volante organization like this, but I wouldn’t dare smile. She might not have reason to be afraid of Antonio, but I’m not so lucky.

Something passes between them, and he sighs. “No, I didn’t.”

“What did you come here for?” Curiosity gets the better of me.

“To tell you there will be a hefty donation in your bank account by the end of the day, a reward for a job well done.”

That can only mean one thing. “He’s coming home?”

Antonio nods. “Later today. Is that a problem for you?”

I shake my head.

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