Page 173 of Carnal

Arianna says, "If at any time you want to end the conversation, you can, but I think if you talk to him, it'll fill in a lot of the blanks."

I cautiously ask, "How do I know you all aren't lying?"

She tilts her head. "I think deep down in your heart, you know you're safe here and that we aren't lying."

I think about her words for a few minutes. I finally make a decision. "Okay. I'll talk to him. But can I do it out at the pool?"

She beams. "Yeah, we can arrange that."

29

Tristano

All night,I stood outside Pina's door, waiting for her to come out and talk. I knew it was a small chance she would appear. Not long after she fell asleep, her family arrived. I assumed it'd be a way for me to see her. But she was so exhausted, she wouldn't wake up.

Silvio assured us she was wiped out and that sleep was what she needed most. After her family left, I stayed in the hallway, hoping she'd somehow wake up and remember me. A few times, I tried to go in. I would have just watched her sleep, but Bridget and Arianna wouldn't allow me. And the night dragged by.

Pina never came out. I haven't seen her since Bridget and Arianna closeted her away in Dante's guest room. When the sun rose, I was no closer to seeing her. I had been awake for over twenty-four hours and vowed not to do anything besides get her to talk with me.

It was past noon when Arianna came out of the room and told me she agreed to meet me at the pool. So now, I'm pacing around the sparkling water, wondering what she's going to say to me.

On what feels like my hundredth lap, Pina steps out of the house. My heart swells and butterflies flutter in my gut. She's in a white sundress with red flowers. I bought it for her when we went to Florida.

Over the last two months, I'd go to her condo and sleep. Her pillows still smelled like her. I'd shower and use her shampoo to pretend she was with me. One day, I brought some of her clothes to my house so a part of her would always be with me.

Maybe it was stupid, but it gave me a small ounce of comfort in my darkest times.

I take several steps toward her, and she freezes. I reprimand myself for scaring her and stop.

An uncomfortable silence follows. She looks as beautiful as ever, but she's so thin and frail. And I can see the apprehension on her face. It almost kills me.

Pina takes a deep breath and walks toward me. I stay planted, unsure if I'm supposed to meet her halfway or not. She's almost at the pool when I realize I'm being a coward. So I move forward, slowly, ensuring that I don't scare her off. She gingerly continues making her way across the lawn until she's two feet in front of me. It's farther than I'd like her to be from me, but I'll take whatever I can get right now.

She locks her golden-browns on me, and it's pure torture. The confident Pina who can rule the world if she wanted to, and is always in charge and can command a roomful of powerful men, flashes in those eyes. Yet her fear and insecurities about who I am and who we are swirl around her old self.

I curse Biagio in my mind. I haven't even dealt with him yet. Luca and my brothers restrained him in the dungeon last night. I told them to make him wait. Then I began his long descent toward his death.

Right now, I'm starving him. Bridget told me how his father restricted Pina's diet. So I decided I would only give him half of what she got.

He got a quarter of a grapefruit this morning. Tonight, he'll get half of a grilled chicken tenderloin. And I'll give him water, but he's going to drink it from a hose sprayed on him.

When Pina tells me the full extent of her time with him, that's when I'll begin the real torture. But until I know the full story, I'm too scared to touch him. If I do, I'll kill him too fast and not make him pay accordingly. So it's imperative Pina tells me everything, no matter how horrible the details are.

My gut spins. I've spent too many hours fearful of what he's put her through. I want to know now what he did, but I can see how fragile she is and don't want to spook her again.

"Hey," she says.

My heart swells with love and hurt. All the emotions I felt over the last few months pummel me at once. I swallow them down, replying, "Hey, it's really good to see you. How are you feeling?"

She blinks hard. "I'm better than I was last night."

"That's good," I respond and can't hold back anymore. I step forward and start to reach for her.

She backs up three steps.

I freeze again. "I'm not going to hurt you, Pina. I would never hurt you."

Apprehension fills her expression. She admits, "I don't remember you."

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