Page 98 of Till Death Do Us Part

“Everything but the poet’s heart.”

“More romantic then.” He grinned.

“Romance doesn’t have a place in my life,” I said.

“Sure it does!” he almost boomed. “Ruthless and Romance are not at war. In fact, my brother-in-law, Marzio, who was a poet and a true romantic, likened them to rivers. He said eventually they would both belong to the same body of water, but they began as separate streams and took different paths to it. There is no reason you cannot bathe in both.”

“Something to think about,” I said, sticking my hands in my pockets.

We’d started for a crude road that led deeper into the orchard. He turned and faced me.

“Emanuele wants you to bring Roma home.”

“No. He’s welcome at the wedding, but she’s with me now.”

His eyes turned serious and thoughtful. He nodded. “He fears you will hurt her. Do you give me your word you will not?”

“I’d cut my heart out before I’d lay a hand on her in anger,” I said.

“I believe you, Felice Giovanni Maggio. Emanuele will not, even when I give him my word, but I do. Do not make me regret it. I do not make it a habit of keeping those.Rimpianti.”Regrets.

We stared at each other for a second before he reached into his pocket and showed me Roma’s phone.

“Her family wants to speak to her. Do not deny them this.”

“Her choice.”

“I’d like to speak to her before I go.”

I nodded, but I wanted Dr. Sala to bring back a message for me. I spoke in Italian. “I vowed to never lay a hand on my heart, but I will not hesitate to kill anyone who tries to take her away from me. It will be war, even on my wedding day.”

“That is fair,” he said with a small one-shoulder shrug, and we made our way back.

Chapter34

Roma

From the time I’d arrived at thecastello, the staff spoiled me. Especially Virna, who, with her husband, ran the place. She’d taken Scarlett and me on a tour of the grounds and then asked me questions about flowers and food choices for the reception.

“It’s just the two of us,” I said. “We don’t need much.”

“SignoreMaggio insists.”

Scarlett shrugged. “IfSignoreMaggio insists…” She wiggled her eyebrows at me.

I couldn’t stop the smile. She was…a whirlwind of grace and roses. She was everything I thought she’d be, but so much more. After the tour, we’d talked for a while, but then Uncle Tito brought me my phone and asked me how I was doing. I asked him if he knew what had happened, how Alfonso and Jack sent Crawford to force me to the church.

“Emanuele told me.” He sighed. “He did not want things to turn out this way for you.”

“I know he means well and only wants what’s best for me, but this choice is not his. It’s not mine either.”

He took me by the chin. “Fate made the choice.”

I nodded. “What feels like a long time ago.”

He kissed me softly on the cheek, squeezed my hand, and told me he’d see me at the wedding. Around fifteen minutes after he left, Scarlett and the Faustis with him, Elsa showed up with Cassio.

“What are you doing here?” I barely got out, hugging her.

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