I look down at her and she is gurgling away, her eyes fixed on Vito. He pulls his hand away and Thia opens her mouth again to let out a cry that the people on the other side of the faraway lake will have heard.
“Take her,” I demand Vito, shoving my daughter at him. This isn’t giving in. It’s giving my ears a bit of peace.
He splutters but holds his arms out for her anyway, cradling her awkwardly in the way that a man that has never held a baby would.
Thia goes quiet and snuggles closer to him.
“Un-fucking-believable,” I mutter, staring at them. “You have a way with the ladies today,” I add coldly, remembering him disappearing into Carlotta’s bedroom.
He gives me a sharp glance but then his face forms a mask of fear.
“You know,” he states flatly.
“I know. I saw you with her,” I say, looking away from him. “How could you?”
“I am a free man to do as I wish, am I not?” he asks instead, shuffling Thia into a more comfortable position.
“Yes, of course you are,” I spit out. “Fuck who you like. I don’t give a shit.” I stare hard at the grounds below, my eyes catching sight of Carlotta walking in the grounds alone. “You were up here watching her?” I ask in disbelief.
“I thought you didn’t give a shit?” he growls at me.
“Well, I do!” I hiss at him. “You were with me yesterday.”
“And tonight, you will be with him,” he hisses back. “What do you want from me, Aefre?”
Good question. I know my jealousy and anger is unfounded.
“I regret it, okay? Is that what you want to hear? I wish that I hadn’t let her persuade me,” he says in a softer tone.
“Persuade you? Did you pay her, or did she throw a freebie your way to get back at me?”
He gives me a quizzical look. “Not everything is about you,” he states finally.
“Everything she does is,” I retort mutinously. “She must have caught my scent all over you.”
“Stop,” he commands me in a tone that actually makes me stop talking.
Beast.
“Would it make you feel better if I paid her? Insulted her by giving her money because she expected it to be different?”
“Different?” I can’t help myself ask.
“Maybe you are right, and she came after me as the weak link. Maybe she did smell your scent all over me. Maybe she did want to hurt you by fucking one of your men. But I am not one of your men, Aefre. Am I?”
“You still shouldn’t have–”
“What? Taken solace the way that you usually do? Are you the only one that is allowed that move?” he asks bitterly.
“Solace?” I ask, shaking my head. “Christ, Vito. You know that I want you, I just can’t.”
“I know, and yesterday I finally got that. I finally got why you are so loyal to him. It’s fine, Aefre, really. I understand you better now. And I accept it,” he says matter-of-factly.
“What?” I ask in confusion. “What are you talking about?” He is talking in riddles.
He jiggles Thia and presses his back against the stone wall, sliding down carefully to sit and stretch his legs out in front of him.