Page 103 of Till Death Do Us Part

She’d gone to call Hayden, then to soak in the tub. She was worried about taking so much time off work, but I had called Hayden before the wedding myself. After I told him the museum was getting a hefty donation in Roma Maggio’s name, he wished us the best on our honeymoon and said he’d see her whenever she returned.

“Do you need me to make a call about the villa?” Virna asked.

The villa. I bought it for Roma after she mentioned spending summers in Italy and maybe retiring here someday. I was going to take her to see it later, to move our things from thecastelloto our own place.

My eyes fell on the envelope again. I forgave the smile the first time. This time, Mount Etna sat in my chest, about to erupt. I couldn’t deal with this fucking feeling.

If Jack would have been close enough, I would have taken my wife’s bloodied wedding sheet and strangled him with it. It would have been poetic justice. Just the perfect amount of romance and ruthlessness. Dr. Sala might have been proud.

What I was about to do might equal strangulation to the men I was about to deliver retribution to anyway.

“No,” I said. “But I want two packages mailed today.” I looked at my watch. “As soon as I bring them down. Fredo will go with you. Do you have two gift boxes and wrapping paper?”

“Sì,” she said.

Taking the envelope with me, I walked into our room, the sweet scent of apricot drifting in the air. It was fucking heady, and for a carnivore, I couldn’t get enough of it. Roma started to sing, and I heard water splashing, like she was tapping her foot to the beat.

Bypassing the bathroom, I went to the corner, where the bloodied sheets from the night before lay in a pile. Virna took care of the laundry, but those were mine to keep. Or had been. I’d gotten what I needed anyway.

A blood vow signed by the two of us.

I ripped the sheet into three pieces and folded each section into a square. Using the stationary, I wrote two notes to go with two pieces. The other one was for me.

The arrangement between Emanuele Corvo and Alfonso Maggio is now null and void by the power of this blood vow, made between Felice Giovanni Maggio and Roma Viviana Maggio.

I signed off with:

John

A knock came at the door. Virna handed me the boxes and wrapping paper, along with tissue, scissors, and tape. It took me five minutes to box everything up.

I found Virna and Fredo, and instead of mailing the packages by carrier, I sent Fredo home on a private plane to bring them back to Chicago. Once he landed, he was to hire a private carrier to deliver them. I wanted signed confirmations when they arrived.

When I got back to our suite, Roma stood outside of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her, her hair dripping wet. She held up the ripped piece of sheet.

“Um, what is this?”

“A sheet.”

“I know.” She smiled. “What happened to it?” She started backing away, holding her hands up. The material dangled like a bloodied flag. “What is it with you and blood? What did you do with the other pieces of it?”

“I’m a carnivore, my little plant eater. We like to tear shit up.”

She looked down at herself. “I feel that. Truly.”

“But you got one thing wrong,” I said.

“What?” she breathed out when her back hit the wall and I had her cornered.

I followed a piece of hair stuck to her neck with a finger. It led me straight to her hammering pulse like a vein. “It’s not all blood I want. Just yours.”

Her eyes grew wide, her mouth parted, and she looked transfixed. She gasped when I hauled her up, threw her over my shoulder, and carried her back into the bathroom.

Chapter36

Roma

Felice bought me a villa in Taormina overlooking the sea. Well, I insisted it was forus, but he insisted it was a wedding gift for me. He said I insulted him when I’d argue about it. But how was a home supposed to be made of only me when it was the two of us? He relented a bit after that, but he told me I understood the point he was making. I did, but it wasn’t a home without him in it. His eyes had softened after I’d said it.

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