Page 36 of The Veiling

“Well,” she grinned widely again, “if you need me, I’ll be upstairs for God knows how long.”

I snorted. “We’ll keep busy while they're gone.”

She sashayed over to the wine fridge, opening it. Disappointment spread over her face when she saw it was empty. “What the hell?”

“Don’t panic, wino. It was moved to the bar fridge in the other room. You don’t need to take a glass of wine to bed, anyway.”

She rolled her eyes. “A glass? Cute. I was going to take a whole bottle up.”

I let out a forced laugh.

“What?” She pranced to the archway and spun around. “I might get thirsty in my sleep.”

“Go to bed,alchy.”

“Night, girl!”

“Goodnight,” I replied.

The cheese had not filled me up. I rounded the corner into the butler’s pantry and froze. “Oh my God, you scared me!”

Marco was leaning an elbow on the counter, staring in my direction, sipping a glass of whiskey. Without a word, he chugged the beverage down, then reached for the bottle, pouring another.

“I’m not used to you being…alive.”

“You’ve been having nightmares since London?”

“Oh.” I shifted my weight back and forth. “You heard that?”

“I heard everything.” Placing the glass to his lips, he lifted his brows, taking another gulp. “I wish I could take it all back.”

“I’m sure,” I sighed, “you got really hurt.”

“I didn’t mean that.” He flickered his gaze. “I’d do all that again. I was there to hunt Felipe down, and I wish I had been able to get that son of a bitch before he was able to hurt any of you.” He chuckled. “I realize how weird that sounds coming from me of all people after what I did to you in the past and everything, I put my family through.”

“What’s done is done. And you did what you could.” I leaned on a wine barrel across from him near the wall, tucking my arms tight against my stomach. “You saved lives.”

“I feel like I’m having déjà vu…minus this.” He pointed back and forth between us. “If there was a way, I could have handled it at the masquerade, I would have. You wouldn’t have gotten hurt at all, I guess.” He nibbled his bottom lip for a moment before he continued. “I’m just glad his gun didn’t go off in that bathroom. He was out for blood that night.”

“Marco, it’s fine,” I sighed. “But you and Valentino now have a second chance to not only repair your relationship, but to end this together. He missed you so much, and I know this will be a brotherly bonding thing.” Lifting my hands, I pressed my temples. “I can’t believe I just said that. Only you guys would bond over killing someone.”

The corners of his lips twisted up. “It’s in the DNA.” He and Valentino looked so much alike, though he was usually clean shaven. At least, he had been in the past. Now, black stubble had taken over his jaw. He lifted his hand to it, stroking it in thought. A habit they had in common.

“What’s on your mind?”

He shrugged, gulping more of the liquid down. “She’s happy, right?”

“Who?”

He cocked a brow, setting the glass down.

“Elise?”

He bobbed his head, making it clear, he did not really want to admit he had her on his mind.

“I don’t know.” I lifted a shoulder. “She never told me. But you guys weren’t together.”

“I know, but shit like this,” he gestured to the air, “gets me thinking.”

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