Page 24 of Savage Prince

Tearing my gaze away from the painful past, I meet her curious eyes. “That hasn’t been me for a long time now,” I mutter.

Her lips twist, but she doesn’t say a word as she takes another unsteady step into the living room and continues to scan the opulent surroundings. UnlikePapà, my mother had come from money, but my father was much too proud to take any of it. He insisted he would rather live in poverty than take a penny from the Domenicos. We did at first, until the business began to flourish, butMammawas dead by then and the success felt hollow.

Quick footsteps echo down the hallway, and a familiar figure appears from the shadows. Mariuccia’s pale gray eyes light up when they find me. She gasps, her hand resting across her heart. “Non lo posso credere.”

I can’t quite believe it myself. I never thought I’d return to this home, let alone to find the woman who had been our nanny all those years ago still living in the area. I wrote to her for years when I was a kid after Mamma passed. She was like a second mother to me. Then after everything went to hell with Raffaele andPapà, I sent one final letter. I just didn’t have it in me anymore.

“Tonio!” She springs for me and wraps her warm, substantial arms around my stiffening form. I can’t remember the last time someone hugged me. The feeling is awkward and comforting in the same instant. I can’t seem to push her away, not when I can feel the joy in her embrace. The last time she saw me I was just a boy.

Mariuccia chatters on in Italian, never quite releasing me as she catches me up on thirty years of her life. All the while Serena watches, her gaze heavy on me from the corner of my eye. I haveto put a stop to this, or she’ll lose even the tiniest bit of fear she may have of me.

I finally push free of my former nanny’s embrace and stiffen my jaw. “Thank you for coming in such short notice.”

“Anything for you, Tonio.” She pinches my cheek, and I barely restrain from wincing. Serena does nothing to suppress the eruption of laughter.

I spin on her, shooting a narrowed glare and my best scowl. It does nothing to tame the wild cackles.Merda. As if this woman wasn’t proving to be enough of a problem.

Pivoting back to Mariuccia, I decide to dispense with the pleasantries. “This is Serena Valentino, she is our guest, but she is not permitted to leave the property, do you understand?”

Her silvery brows furrow, but she nods all the same. “Certo, signore.” Word of the infamous Ferrara family stretches across the peninsula of Italy. Surely, she must know who I’ve become and what I’m capable of.

“Please accompany her to one of the guest bedrooms.”

“Lakeside,per piacere,” Serena interjects.

This time, I don’t suppress the eyeroll.

“I’ll be right behind you,” I warn in my most severe tone. “Don’t try anything.”

“Of course not, I’ll be a perfect little captive.” She shoots me a grin, and as I’m shaking my head, I meet Mariuccia’s disapproving glare.

Wonderful, just what I need. Anotherrompicoglione, another woman to bust my balls.

CHAPTER 13

A VALUABLE PRIZE

Serena

I follow the housekeeper, Mariuccia, through the winding halls of the grand estate, switching between admiring the decadent artwork on the pastel walls and analyzing the scene in the foyer. Clearly, the man this woman remembers is nothing like the monster he’s become.

Still, he was kind to her, warm and caring even. Shocking.

I struggle to accept the huge disparity between the image I have of the cold, cruel Antonio Ferrara and the little boy in that family portrait. A knot of emotion tightens my chest, a tangle of anxiety, anger and an unexpected twinge of sympathy. What happened to that young boy to create the man Raf warned us about, the one who kidnapped me today?

Mariuccia stops in front of a pale lemon door, the hue matching the orchard filled with citrus trees surrounding the villa. She turns and offers a quick smile. “I’m sure you will be comfortable here,signorina.”

“I hope so.”

She twists the antique crystal knob, revealing an expansive bedroom. I step inside and I can’t settle on where to look. The entire chamber is tranquil and luxurious, reflecting the villa’s elegance and warmth. It’s completely different from my modern apartment in the city and not at all what I ever thought I would like. An enormous canopied king-size bed, draped in fine linens lines the far wall, the canopy decorated with sheer, flowing fabrics that catch the gentle breeze from the open balcony doors.

I move toward theterrazzo, the breathtaking view of the lake beyond calling to me. The large space is adorned with vibrant flowers and elegant wrought-iron railings and a small table and chair to admire the sparkling waters and jagged mountains beyond.

“I think I’m in love.” The words accidentally erupt out loud.

“It is truly a beautiful sight, isn’t it?” Mariuccia sneaks up behind me, her gray eyes twinkling as she admires the lake.

“It is. I guess as far as prison cells go, it’s a damned good option.”

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