Page 26 of Savage Prince

“He only did that in response to Dante’s encroachment in our territory in Roma,” he growls.

Okay, that’s believable. My dad is always looking for ways to expand the King’s sphere of influence. But why’d he choose to do it in a city where Bella had been living?Idiot. If it had beenIsabella instead of me, I’d find myself a fatherless orphan.Papàand Luca didn’t exactly have the most stable relationship as it was. Maybe it is a good thing I was the one nabbed after all.

“Okay, I get it,” I hiss. “It’s all my father’s fault. That still doesn’t excuse you kidnapping me, so don’t try to pretend you’re some chivalrous guy just because you’re keeping me captive in a beautiful estate.”

The hint of a smile tips up the corners of his lips, and the word beautiful vibrates across my skull. “I’m glad you think it’s beautiful. It was my mother’s greatest masterpiece.” He pauses for a long moment before whispering, “Besides my brothers and me.” A rueful chuckle slips out. “And look how well we all turned out.”

A charged silence fills the room once his jaw snaps shut, as if he hadn’t intended to divulge that little bit of personal history. From what I’d heard from Bella, Raf and Antonio had lost their mom to cancer when they were just kids. Raf barely mentioned her but given their age difference, Antonio probably remembered more of his mother than his younger brother did.

My mind wanders back to my mom and every childhood memory that she stars in. I couldn’t imagine what life would’ve been like without her. Again, that twinge of pity rears up. I shove it far down as I continue this weird game of chicken. Neither of us looks away as the tension in the room only escalates.

“She’s right this way.” Mariuccia’s voice echoes down the hallway, along with her footsteps.

“I hope it is only a sprain,” says the other female voice. “If what you said is true and the girl has been walking on it for hours, she could have done irreparable damage.”

My head snaps toward the door where the housekeeper and a second woman, this one at least a decade younger than Mariuccia’s sixties, if I had to guess. She’s holding a big leatherbag, nearly limping from the additional weight on her small frame.

“DottoressaBergamaschi.” Antonio dips his head at the new arrival. “Thank you for coming so quickly.”

“I didn’t do it for you, Tonio. It was only in your mother’s memory.” She pushes the wire-rimmed glasses up her nose and drops the bag on the bed, then turns to me. “Signorina, take a seat so I can look at that ankle.”

I stare at the woman wide-eyed, then my gaze pivots to find Antonio’s again. He called a doctor in for me? He must really be scared of returning me broken to my father. He makes a move in my direction like he’s going to help me to the bed before he stops in his tracks and clears his throat.

Instead, Mariuccia closes the distance between us and weaves an arm through mine. “Come, Serena, Elena will take good care of you.” Shooting a scowl at her employer, she gently guides me to the bed.

The doctor starts poking and prodding at my ankle, and I can’t help wincing at each touch. Antonio watches every move, a tendon in his jaw tweaking at each of my grimaces. His lips are set in a grim line, the flutter at the pulse in his neck so powerful its visible over the collar of his shirt.

Finally, a long minute later, the woman’s kind eyes lift to mine. “It’s not broken, but it is badly sprained. I will stabilize it with a bandage, so the muscle has time to heal. You must try to keep off it as much as possible for the next two weeks. I’ll have crutches delivered in the morning.”

I groan internally, all the while keeping a smile plastered across my face. Wonderful, so much for my plan of a great escape.

CHAPTER 14

SEE SOMETHING YOU LIKE?

Antonio

After escorting thedottoressato the door and being forced to endure her veiled glares and muttered insults, I turn back to the immense double stairway that leads to the second floor. It’s absurd, but I hate that Serena is out of my sight even for a few minutes. Everything is riding on her. Pietro left, his presence necessary in Roma to run the daily operations in my absence. I would have preferred he remain here as an extra guard, but my choices are limited at this point. Otto is standing guard outside her door, a new bandage on his wounded eye thanks to Elena and a dozen other guards line the property. There’s no way she can escape, nowhere for her to run, and still, I need to see that she’s under this roof with my own eyes.

Just over twenty-four hours with this woman, and I’ve completelyimpazitto. I’ve lost my damned mind.

I drag my hand through my hair and pause on the first step. Cazzo, be the man you were groomed to be, damn it.Papànamed you his enforcer, then his heir for a reason. Doubtencircles my lungs, squeezing until I can barely breathe. My gaze travels the foyer, searching for that portrait, the one of the five of us before our life began to crumble.

My eyes linger on the image of the little boy with smiling eyes and wild tumbles of dark hair. He clings ontoMamma’s side as if somehow, he knew she was going to be ripped from his arms too soon. That boy was not built for this life.

And still, somehow, I forced it upon him.

Or ratherPapàdid.

I was the eldest, born to take over the Ferrara empire. My father trained me, spent countless hours preparing me for the inevitable day when I would become king. And I failed. Only months after his death and his precious kingdom is crumbling.

The worst part: I’m starting to realize I don’t honestly give a damn.

“Signore…” Mariuccia appears around the corner, her hands folded across her rounded midsection. She looks at me like I’m a stranger. Gone is the warmth that filled her gaze when she first laid eyes on me less than an hour ago.

“Signorewas my father, Antonio is fine.”

She shakes her head, eyes cast down. “It doesn’t feel right.”

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