Page 162 of Peasants and Kings
“Where are what?”
“The rings that cheating, lying, bastard slid onto your finger?” His blue-gray eyes were stormy with anger.
“I gave them to his brother when they carted his body from the arena. You don’t know this, because you passed out, but I spit on his corpse.” I raised my eyebrows. “Does that make you happy?”
“Hardly,” he snapped. “I was supposed to be your first andonlyhusband. That fucker beat me to it.”
“You also made me a widow,” I pointed out dryly. “Besides, the Foscari are devout Catholics and we never consummated the marriage, so…”
He paused for a moment, mulling over his next words. His tone was tempered when he said, “There are some things we need to say to each other. Aye?”
I nodded warily, not at all looking forward to our discussion.
“You have to know that I was coming for you. You trusted that, didn’t you, Sterling?”
“I did,” I promised. “I had faith that you were on your way. Only…”
“Only what?” he prodded.
“Luca told me that he’d only given you a tranquilizer, and I thought for sure you had a plan up your sleeve. But then you didn’t come for me for eight days, Hadrian.”
“My plan was trying to stay alive,” he remarked snidely. “Ingrid found me vomiting and swollen on the floor, barely able to breathe. It wasn’t a moment too soon. Had to take the helicopter to Lerwick. They killed Patrick when he tried to stop them from taking you off the island.”
I nodded and fell silent.
“Tell me the truth,yarta. Did you ever doubt that I’d come for you?”
“I did today,” I admitted and boldly met his eyes. “You don’t know what he was capable of, Hadrian.”
“Tell me.” His voice so gentle I wanted to weep.
“After he told Angelo he’d marry me, he forced me to take a pregnancy test. I didn’t know, Hadrian, I swear it. He tried to kill our child. He beat me and threatened my life if I told my family. And he—he told me after he married me, he’d take me back to his home where there would be a doctor waiting for me to…”
I broke down, sobbing with my face in my hands. I vaguely realized that Hadrian tugged on my arms and soon I was crying against his chest, my cheeks stained with fear and relief.
I wasn’t sure I could admit the rest; the necklace Gisella had given me, the absolute desolation I felt and the destruction of hope, my willingness to go to the grave so that Raphael couldn’t take anything more from me.
“His death was too quick,” he said, brushing his lips across the top of my head. “I wish I had the chance to kill him all over again and make him suffer.”
I swiped the tears from my skin and lifted myself up, mindful of his injured body. “I think it happened the first night we were together.”
“At The Mansion?” he asked.
“Yes. I was on birth control. I didn’t—”
“It’s not your fault. Clearly, I have the seed of a warrior.”
I snorted. “Really, Hadrian?”
“You’re crying all over me. I’m trying to make you feel better. You need to laugh, aye?”
I let out a rueful chuckle and shook my head.
“You didn’t ask me how I feel about it,” he pressed.
“Howdoyou feel about it?” I bit my lip but wasn’t able to hide my worry.
“I didn’t want bairns,” he said slowly. “I never thought I’d have a family. But I didn’t expect to meet anyone like you, Sterling.”
