Page 24 of Savage Proposal

I felt myself blushing and tried my best to ignore it. “Even if you are going to be a priest, I'm sure you can figure out the answer to that.”

Cristian lookedhorrified. “You had sex with him?”

Great, I was going to be slut shamed by a representative of the Church. “It wasn't planned,” I said. “I mean, I don't know what Lorenzo’s thinking, like ever, but I didn't plan on sleeping with him. It just happened.”

Cristian’s expression didn't change. He heaved a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose in the same way I had seen Lorenzo do. Migraines must run in their family.Hopefully, the baby won't get those genes. “My brother is an idiot,” he said.

Dread pooled in my belly. “I knew it,” I said, more to myself than anything. “I knew there was more to the Sienna thing.”

“Youknowabout Sienna?” Cristian's tone was different now, almost manic. He reached out and grabbed my hand. “Lorenzo told you about Sienna?”

“No,” I said and looked over my shoulder on instinct. Amalia had done the same when she had dropped Sienna’s name the first time. “No, from what I understand, he doesn't talk about her at all.”

Cristian sighed, disappointed. “You’re right. No one in this house dares to speak about her.”

“Where is she?” I asked.

He was quiet for a long moment. “Sienna is dead,” he said finally, and it felt like an icy wind followed the words. Everything about the room was colder.

“How did it happen?”Did he kill her?It wasn’t a kind or generous thought, but it was the first that came to mind.

Cristian was going to tell me, I could see it on his face, but someone cleared their voice behind us, and I knew before I turned around that it was Lorenzo. “Come to my office, Cris,” he commanded. “We can speak privately.”

Cristian stood up from the piano bench. “Sure,fratellone.” He looked at me, and although he smiled, it was grim. “It was nice seeing you again, Isabella.”

“You too.”

Lorenzo looked at me; those light eyes seemed to pierce into my soul. “Keep your nose out of my business, Isabella.”

His tone turned my stomach to stone, but I made a show of rolling my eyes. I wouldn’t allow him to see me afraid. “If I had something to do with my time, I wouldn’t have to dig into things that don’t concern me.”

Lorenzo’s jaw flexed; his nostrils flared. “Go read a book or something,” he said dismissively. “And keep all your goddamn questions to yourself.”

Theor whatwas on the tip of my tongue, but the look in his eyes was near murderous, and I swallowed the taunt back. He was the kind of man who could—and more than likely had—kill a person. He might have killed his wife. What would stop him from doing the same to me? Especially since I hadn’t held up my end of ourbargain yet. At least as far as we knew; it was too soon to know that for sure.

I dipped my head in acknowledgment, and while it didn’t make him any happier, it did make him leave the room. For now, I would call that a victory.

CHAPTER 16

Lorenzo

“What did you say to her?” I asked the moment my office door closed.

“You slept with her,” Cristian shot back, crossing his arms over his chest. “You haven’t told her a thing about Sienna, and you slept with her.”

We stared at one another for a solid minute. The tension between us was damn-near touchable. “Merda,” I spat. “I wanted her, so I had her. So what? It doesn’t mean anything.”

Cristian’s eyes were flinty. “You didn’t hold her and think of your dead wife, Enzo? Is that what you want me to believe?”

“I didn’t.” Not until I had her in my bed, comforting her after a nightmare, anyway. “She’s nothing like Sienna. I barely see the resemblance anymore.”

“You’re a shit liar.”

“Now, we both know that isn’t true,” I said. “I only seem unable to lie to you.”

“Brother privilege,” Cristian said with a delicate shrug. He stared at me for a long while and then sighed. “Sit down,stronzo,” he said, motioning to the chairs situated by the window.

“Oh, are you deigning to hear my confession today? What happened to not giving me absolution when I wasn’t sincere?” I asked, but I sat in my usual chair. Cristian wasn’t looking at me, nor did he answer my question, but he gestured for me to start. I made the sign of the cross. “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. My last confession was a month ago.”

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