Page 28 of Scar

CHAPTER 26 – ALLEGRA

I blush as Scar playfully runs his fingers through my hair in the presence of his brothers. It's almost as if he's marking his territory and wants everyone to know it, starting with his own siblings. I don't say anything as I sit awkwardly on his lap while he talks over my head to his brothers. But the Gatti brothers have plenty to say about it.

“About time,” Rafi snickers.

“It only took you a century, brother,” Lucky adds with a teasing tone.

Only Brando is silent, though his eyes say plenty. The brooding brother closest in age to Scar watches us with barely disguised interest, and I could swear I see a wistful earnestness in his eyes. I never see any of them with a woman, and I wonder if that’s by choice. I know Scar has never had a serious relationship. Even at twenty-nine, he’s never even entertained the idea of being with a woman except on a casual basis. Something about not doing relationships. Even Marisa, the self-appointed girlfriend, was nothing more than a form of release, he tells me.

When Scar’s phone rings, he picks it up and holds it to his ear, listening carefully before his eyes flick to mine. As though he notices his mistake, his gaze fixes on Brando momentarily. He lifts me off his lap slowly and rises without a word.

“What is it?” Lucky asks, following suit.

“Problem at the gate,” he mumbles, heading for the door. “Rafi, you stay with Allegra.”

“I can take care of myself,” I snap, suddenly irate that he thinks I need a babysitter.

Scar stops at the door and turns, fixing me with a cool look. He stands, as though contemplating his next words, before he takes long strides back to me and grabs my face with both hands. In the blink of an eye, his lips are on mine and he’s pressing into me as though this could be our last kiss. His kiss is vicious, sucking the breath out of me, before he tears himself away, his eyes saying he would rather be here with me than anywhere else.

“Stay,” he whispers. “Wait for me.”

And with that, he walks out of the room, followed by Brando and Lucky, leaving me feeling bruised and confused.

“What sort of problems do you usually have at the gate?” I ask Rafi, as I settle into the seat vacated by Scar. We’ve lived in relative quiet in the weeks I’ve been here.

“The usual,” Rafi says. “Probably a gate crasher. Maybe a reporter chasing a story. Probably nothing important.”

“Are you sure?” I look at him suspiciously. I saw the way Scar looked at me when he got that call.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” he asks, before rushing to add that we should play a game of cards.

“I’m not a card player, Rafi.”

“You have any hobbies? Other than pissing my brother off, that is?” He grins cheekily, seemingly pleased that I’m able to do so.

“I like going to the range.”

“As in shooting?” His eyebrows hit his hairline.

My surprise matches his. “What’s wrong with that? You’ve never seen a woman shoot a gun before?”

He looks me up and down, then settles his curious gaze on my face. “I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“You remember who my father is, Raf?”

We turn at the sudden commotion outside as the boys stumble into the office. Each one looks certifiably pissed off, but no-one more than Scar, his stormy grey eyes swirling with anger.

Rafi moves from his chair, concern etching his questioning eyes as I watch on, waiting. I know that I’m more likely to get answers if I don’t ask questions.

“It’s time for a family meeting,” Lucky tells him.

“Allegra.”

I turn at the sound of Scar’s voice. He holds out a hand, waiting for me. I move forward, putting my small hand in the palm of his. He directs his angry gaze at each of his brothers before he tells them he’ll be back shortly.

“What’s going on?” I ask him.

We climb the stairs, and he leads me to our room. “I want you to pack a bag,” he begins, his voice low and commanding. He leans in, pressing a gentle kiss to my temple, a gesture more tender than any he's shown before. It feels almost like a lover saying goodbye, a bittersweet touch that leaves me with an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach. I frown, my mind racing. It's been almost two weeks since we consummated our marriage, and while subtle shifts in our dynamic have crept in, his sudden request catches me off guard. The kiss to my forehead, an unexpected caress, leaves me even more bewildered. The change in him, in us, is palpable and leaves me wondering what comes next.

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