Page 163 of Peasants and Kings
“You don’t have to stay with me,” I blurted out. “The threat of my family is over now. I can live my life out in the open. I can raise the baby and—”
“Woman,” he said with a rueful shake of his head, “I told you I wanted to give you the world and then fought to the death for you gladiator style. If you can’t figure out that you’ll never be alone again, then I don’t know what the hell will convince you.”
My smile quivered. “Does that mean—you love me?”
Hadrian let out a laugh and then winced. “You’re dense. Do you know that?”
I reached out and gently stroked his cheek, feeling the beginnings of a beard. “Do you truly love me? My family is made up of ruthless mercenaries…”
“Say the word, Sterling, and I’ll go to war.”
I blanched. “War? What do you—”
“I promised to protect you and I failed. They almost killed me by accident. They stole you from my home. They married you to a sociopath to further their own gain. Should I go on? Do I need to? Aye, say the word and I’ll wipe theCompagnia Bianca del Falcooff the face of the earth. Honor be damned.”
His vow shook me to my core. “I hate my family,” I said slowly. “I hate what they did to my mother. I hate how I was forced to grow up. I hate everything they stand for.” I paused, weighing my options. I thought of Gisella. Innocent, beautiful Gisella, with a constitution of steel. She didn’t deserve the hell Hadrian could rain down on her.
“I want nothing to do with them—except for Gisella,” I voiced. “She was my confidant while I was here, and she never betrayed the truth of my pregnancy. I can’t knowingly have her harmed.”
“I could spare her,” he said easily. “I could kill the rest of them. Hell, I could call the Italian government and have them take care of it for me. I wouldn’t even have to lift a finger.”
I shook my head. “Violence begets violence. It has to end or we’ll never have a moment of peace.”
He paused, lost in thought. “My business relationship with them is done. I’ll keep the information I have on them secret, but only so I can use it against them should they raise a hand to me or mine ever again.”
Hadrian reached out and gently grasped my chin and forced me to meet his gaze. Silvery moonlight casted shadows across his face.
“I came to protect you and bring you home.” His hand dropped to slide down my arm and then covered my belly. “I’ll always protect you.”
The first few days after he was injured, I didn’t leave his bedside. But inevitably, Hadrian told me that he wasn’t going to die and that I needed to leave the bedroom and stretch my legs.
There were plenty of female servants who volunteered to keep vigil, bringing him anything he needed, and spoon-feeding him broth and bread.
“I don’t think you need me at all,” I remarked dryly when I gently crawled into bed one night, pressing a kiss to his brow.
His eyes were closed, but he smiled. “They might feed me and be willing to give me sponge baths, but none of them give me what I really need.”
“A warm, naked body on top of yours?”
He chuckled. “They might, if I asked.”
“You’re so full of yourself, Hadrian Rhys. It’s a good thing I’m not the jealous type.”
Hadrian started to recuperate under the solicitous care of theCompagnia Bianca del Falco, but even when he was resting, I refused to dine with my family. I accepted their hospitality in the form of food and enough time for Hadrian to heal so we could travel back to his island, but no more than that.
My family was dead to me. All except Gisella, who often popped her head into the room I shared with Hadrian, asking if I wanted to go for walks or horse rides while he was napping. I said yes to the walks but refused to ride. Now that I knew the baby was healthy and safe, I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize it.
Each night, Hadrian stole a touch across my naked body, resting his hand on my belly.
I’d just woken from an afternoon nap when there was a slight knock on the door. I hastily got up and pulled on a robe and looked at Hadrian who was still fast asleep.
I opened the door to see Luca at the threshold. I stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind me, so as not to disturb Hadrian.
“Papàrequests your presence at dinner tonight,” he said.
“I’m busy,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Sterling, please,” he said, his voice and expression vulnerable. He ran a hand through his dark hair.
