Dishonorable

“Stop!” she cried out. “What are you doing?”

“Tell him I don’t hit you.”

“What?”

“Fucking tell him.”

“Get off him, Raphael!”

“Get away, Sofia!” Damon ordered.

He’d managed to pull my arm off his throat.

“You’ll get hurt.”

“No,” she said pulling me back, forcing me away from my brother.

“Tell him,” I said, my gaze still locked on Damon, his on mine.

“He doesn’t hit me. He hasn’t hit me once, Damon. Not once.”

Damon turned to her, his eyes searching her face, maybe trying to make out if she was lying.

“I swear, Damon. Raphael won’t hurt me.”

She shoved herself between us, standing in front of me as if she would protect me.

“The bruises on your neck,” Damon said.

“Something else. I promise, okay?”

Damon looked at the floor, then ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. His face when he looked at me showed only confusion.

“Let’s go back. Maria has dinner almost ready,” Sofia said, taking my hand in one of hers and reaching out to take his.

Damon shook his head. “You two go.” He took another step back, his gaze landing on the altar.

“Sofia,” I said, watching him as I spoke. “Wait for me outside. I’ll be right there.”

She hesitated.

“Go. No more fighting.”

She nodded and gave us both a weighted look before walking out of the chapel.

“I’m sorry,” I said, stepping toward Damon. “You’re right. I was trying to goad you. I don’t even know why.”

He rubbed his hand over his mouth, his face, and shook his head. “I’m sorry too. I don’t know what came over me. I’m not…”

“It’s my fault. Just forget it. If you need to talk—”

“I need some time alone.”

I nodded and walked toward the door. “You coming for dinner?”

He walked to the front pew and sat down. “Go ahead. I’ll be there later.”

As much as I wanted to go to him, to force him to talk to me, I made my legs carry me in the other direction and walked over to Sofia, who stood waiting on the church steps, her eyes wide with worry.

“Let’s go,” I said.

“What happened?”

“Later.” I took her hand, and we headed toward the house. I felt grateful nighttime would hide my face, because Damon was right to worry about Sofia. And he didn’t even know the whole story. Didn’t know what was still to come. And I hated myself a little more for it every day.

Chapter Nineteen

Sofia

Raphael and I walked back to the house in silence. He held my hand, his thumb making circles inside my palm. The air hung heavy around him, his mood dark. I wished he’d tell me what had happened between him and Damon.

“Are you okay?” I finally asked before we went inside.

He turned to me and rubbed my arms, backing me against the wall. His expression looked as though he had a thousand things to say, but instead of saying any of them, he cradled my head with one hand and leaned down to kiss me full on the mouth, his lips soft against mine, the touch intimate and sensual. Different than his other kisses. Not erotic. Not at first. When he pulled back, his eyes almost gleamed.

I touched his face, and he flinched. He’d have a wicked bruise tomorrow.

“My intention when I started this, the whole time I planned it, I never thought about you. Not you as in flesh and blood and human. My brother is right to be worried. I keep telling you I won’t hurt you, but I do, don’t I?”

“Raphael—”

“It’s what I do.”

He shook his head and touched a finger to my face.

“I could stop. I could call it off. Let you go. Forget about the inheritance. If I were good, I would do that. But I’m not good.”

I searched his eyes, confused. He looked solemn, almost sorry, and his words, they sounded so…final. But before I could ask him any questions, the door opened. Maria stepped out with Charlie running around her feet. She looked irritated and then when she saw us, embarrassed. She told us dinner was ready, and if we didn’t hurry up, it would be cold soon.

“Come on.”

Raphael took my hand and led me inside.

After he had a quick shower, the three of us sat down to dinner. I didn’t miss how Lina’s eyes roamed to the empty seat where Damon was supposed to sit.

When I’d gotten back to the house that afternoon, she’d seemed…different. Happy, but different than usual. She’d told me about her day with Damon, said he’d gotten to the house early, and they’d had coffee together while waiting for me, but when by ten I still hadn’t made an appearance, he’d offered to show her around his favorite village, Pienza. After that, the story had been fairly superficial. Lunch. A tour of the church. Then driving around the countryside. Something had told me not to ask more questions, but to wait for her to tell me.