Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76545 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76545 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
I’ll enjoy beating the fuck out of the motherfucker who pulled that trigger.
Natalia flies in front of the doorway and sees me. She waves excitedly, clearly thrilled to see us all here for once. And then she sees the dogs secured by the portcullis and makes a beeline, running toward them.
“Natalia!” I yell her name, but it’s too late. She’s already thrown herself at the dogs. They strain at their chains, growling, pawing at the ground. One snaps at the air inches from her face. Mama screams. I launch myself at them and bark out a sharp command. I can’t reach them, but I do reach the chain, wrap my hands around it and yank so hard they whimper and fall to the ground.
“Down!” They obey.
I heave a sigh of relief before I grab Natalia and yank her away from them. I fall to one knee and wrap my arms around her. She’s trembling and crying.
I want to shake her. I want to punish her for doing something so stupid and reckless, to drive home the edict that she’s never to come anywhere near them.
“What were you thinking?” I snap. “You know better than to go anywhere near them. You know better!”
I want to shake her so that her teeth rattle but restrain myself.
I’m not Narciso.
I am not Narciso.
I will not strike a child.
“I’m sorry,” she sobs. I close my eyes and hold her to my chest, rocking her. Composing myself. Reminding myself that she’s okay.
She’s okay.
“They’d kill you, baby,” I whisper. “Kill you.”
“They won’t, Uncle Santo, they won’t—”
I hold her at arm’s length. Tears stream down her cheeks. I’m still shaking from the effort to restrain myself when I hear Rosa.
She yanks Natalia up, hugging her and scolding, “Natalia, if I ever catch you anywhere near those dogs again, you will be in the biggest trouble of your little life. Do you understand me?”
Her cheeks are flaming red, her eyes bright. She stands only inches from me, the look on her face reminding me so much of Tosca scolding us when she caught us smoking that it’s uncanny.
I release a trembling breath.
“I second that,” I say sternly. “Don’t you let me catch you anywhere near those dogs.” I hold her gaze and purse my lips. “Is that clear?”
She nods, and another tear falls down her cheek. I take the little pink shoe out of my pocket and hold it in my palm.
“That yours?”
Natalia’s wearing a soft pink dress with taffeta and glitter, and a crooked tiara sits on her curls. She looks so cute I want to pinch her cheeks and buy her an ice cream. I hate scolding her. I’d hate worse knowing she was hurt by the dogs we keep as goddamn weapons.
She squirms uncomfortably, and I almost soften. But I can’t. She needs to know how dangerous it is for her to be anywhere near the dogs.
I clear my throat. Rosa watches both of us keenly.
“Maybe,” Natalia whispers as Vittoria comes outside with Angelina. Nicolo’s over her shoulder, asleep.
“Is it, or is it not? I could watch security footage to get the truth, but I want you to tell me.”
“What’s… a security foot?” she whispers.
I school my lips that want to twitch. “The cameras we have that record everything that happens outside.”
“Ohhh,” she whispers. “Okay, it’s mine,” she says in a rush of words. “I get so bored, Uncle Santo. I’m always alone, and my nanny’s always on her phone, and my tutor doesn’t even smile.” She frowns and twists a lock of her curly hair. “I brought my dolls down to see them and… I just played. I didn’t touch them.”
I give her a steady look, and she winces.
“Okay, I snuggled them a little, but they’re sweet and they licked my cheek.”
I close my eyes against the heat of anger that flares through my chest and release a breath. I look to Rosa.
“I’ll fire her,” she whispers.
“Immediately,” I agree. “And let me talk to her before you let her go.”
Natalia watches us. I’m not sure she understands we’re talking about her nanny.
“She’ll be with me and Vittoria until you get a replacement,” Tosca says gently. “You can guarantee she won’t go anywhere near the dogs with us.”
I know it. Tosca never liked us having the dogs but knows they’re for our own protection.
I reach for Natalia. “Come here, baby.” She buries herself in my arms, and I give her a tight squeeze. “You have to stay safe,” I whisper to her. “Don’t scare Uncle Santo.”
A bell rings, a signal we haven’t used in years. I hand Natalia back to Rosa and rise.
Mama used to ring the dinner bell to call us down from homework or the yard or the workout room, but now the few family meals we have are scheduled.
Tavi wants us in the Great Hall.