“He doesn’t want history to repeat itself, I suppose,” I said softly.
Samuel stiffened. I pinched him lightly. “Stop it.”
“Why did you do that?”
“Because you were feeling guilty again, and I want you to stop. I want things to go back to how they were before.”
“I want that too,” Samuel said. We both knew it wouldn’t be that easy.
Samuel was already gone when I woke the next morning. He’d always been a late riser, but that, too, seemed to have changed. I slipped out of bed and dressed before I left my room. Instead of heading downstairs, I moved down the hallway to Sofia’s room and knocked. My stomach tightened painfully.
“Come in!” she called.
Frowning at her chipper tone, I slipped in. Sofia lay on her stomach, her ankles crossed. She was drawing. When she spotted me, she flushed. I walked toward her and perched on the edge of the bed. Her arms covered her drawing, and I tilted my head.
“I wanted to talk to you about Danilo. I assume Dad already talked to you?”
She gave a tentative nod, biting her lip. “Are you mad at me?”
“Mad?” I echoed, confused.
“Because Danilo wants to marry me now and not you.”
The tightness left my chest. That was what they told Sofia. Good. I regarded her closely. “No. I’m not. I want you to be happy. Are you okay?”
She bit her lip again and gave a small nod. With an embarrassed smile, she pulled her hand away from her drawing. It was her name and Danilo’s over and over again.
Surprise washed over me. “You like him?”
Her cheeks blasted with heat. “I’m sorry. I liked him even when you were promised to him. He’s cute and chivalrous.”
I kissed the top of her head. Was I this innocent once? This hopeful and clueless?
I pulled back and gave her a stern look. “He’s a grown man, Sofia. It’ll be many years before you’ll marry him. He won’t come anywhere near you until then.”
She nodded. “I know. Dad told me.” She sounded disappointed. So beautifully innocent. I stroked her hair.
“So we’re okay?” she asked.
“Better than okay,” I said then stood and left my little sister to her daydreaming. I missed the days when I thought a knight in shining armor riding a white stallion would steal my first kiss.
Instead a monster had claimed me, body and soul.
My stomach led me downstairs, but I paused when I spotted Danilo in the foyer. I assumed he’d gone over the details of his engagement to my sister with my parents and Dante. For some reason, I was furious. Sofia might be happy, but she didn’t know the extent of her promise. Of course she would have been promised to someone eventually but not as a consolation prize because the Mancinis wanted Dante’s niece.
I walked straight toward him. His face flickered with regret and self-hatred as he looked at me. “Sofia is a girl. How could you agree to that bond, Danilo?”
His expression flashed with anger. “She is a child. Too young for me. She’s my sister’s age for God’s sake. But you know what’s expected. And we won’t marry until she’s of age. I never touched you and I won’t touch her.”
“You should have chosen someone else. Not Sofia.”
Tension shot through his body. “I didn’t choose her. I chose you. But you were taken from me, and now I have no choice but to marry your sister even though it’s you I want!”
A sharp intake of breath made us both look up at Sofia, who was standing on the highest stair, watching us with wide hurt eyes. Her chin wobbled and she whirled around, storming off.
“Damn it,” Danilo muttered. He made a move as if to follow, but I grabbed his arm.
“What are you doing?”
“I should talk to her.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Danilo pulled back, his expression back to being controlled, calm, poised. “I should apologize.”
“I’m not sure she’ll talk to you. But we can try,” I said quietly. I led him upstairs, trying to ignore the way his eyes lingered on my throat. I hadn’t covered the marks this morning.
I pointed at Sofia’s door, and Danilo knocked firmly.
“Go away!”
“Sofia,” Danilo said calmly. “Can I talk to you?”
It was silent behind the door for a long time. Danilo’s brows drew together.
“She’s probably trying to clean up her face so you don’t see her tears.”
He gave a small nod and again glanced at my throat. I sighed and looked away.
“I will protect her. I won’t fail her like I failed you,” Danilo muttered.
My eyes shot up but the door opened in that moment. Sofia stood in the doorway, looking shy and embarrassed. Her eyes moved from Danilo to me, and I gave her a smile.
She flushed when she raised her eyes to Danilo.
“Can I talk to you for a moment?” he asked.