Page 128 of Immoral

"Why? Just come into bed with me. Please."

I wipe her tears away with my thumb. "I will, but Silvio needs to examine you first."

She shakes her head. "No. I'm fine."

"Tesoro, I need him to make sure that's the case," I admit. I open my mouth to ask her what he did to her but snap it shut.

She tilts her head. "What were you going to say?"

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me."

I deeply exhale and count to fifty while staring at her. I finally get the courage to ask, "What did that bastard do to you?"

She closes her eyes and shakes her head. "Nothing. I... I threw up. He made me get naked to clean it up. If you...oh God." She takes a deep breath and opens her eyes.

I hesitate but ask, "If I what?"

She looks away and scrunches her face. "If you hadn't gotten there..." She breaks down sobbing again.

I sigh, partly from relief, partly from worry. I lie down and pull her as close to me as possible. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," she states.

I have so many questions I need answers to, but they all will have to wait. Right now, there's only one important thing.

For several minutes, she cries. When she calms down, I kiss her on the forehead and force her to look at me. "Tesoro, I need Silvio to examine you."

"I'm okay. Really. I am," she insists.

I sit up and bring her with me. I push her locks behind her ear. "Humor me. Please. I won't stop worrying until I know you're okay."

"Gianni—"

I put my finger over her lips. "You're the most precious thing on Earth to me. I need you to give me this."

More tears fall, but she nods. "Okay, then."

Relieved, I kiss her and get up. "Let me tell Silvio to come in."

28

Cara

Gianni returns to the bedroom,shooting me another one of his worried looks. He sits on the mattress and drags his knuckles over my cheek. "Silvio is speaking with Papà. He'll be up shortly."

The feeling of Uberto's knuckles on my skin overpowers me. I close my eyes and turn my head. More tears well in my orbs, and I curse myself. I just stopped crying, and here I am, starting all over again.

Why am I an emotional basket case?

"Tesoro! What's wrong?" Gianni frets, his body stiffening.

I shake my head but don't look at him, claiming, "Nothing. I'm fine."

In a firm voice, he declares, "Something just spooked you. What was it?"

I sniffle and sit up straighter, forcing myself to meet his gaze. "I'm fine. Can you ask Arianna to come here?"

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