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"I couldn’t have missed the funeral, Michael," she protests. "Xander was my friend… maybe one of the only friends I have made since I came to Sicily."
"What about Cassandra and Aurora?"
"They are my friends too, but Xander... He was special, you know?"
A ball of emotion clogs my throat. I increase my pace, until I reach the steps. I take them two at a time and reach the landing. I stalk down the corridor to her room, then shoulder my way inside. Her cat meows, then brushes past my legs. I stumble, right myself. "Bloody cat," I swear, and she laughs.
"Yep, my influence is rubbing off on you, Capo."
I reach the bed, lower her down onto it, then reach over and pull off her stilettos. "What was the need to wear these god-awful things? You could have worn something that did not put so much pressure on your back."
"Worried about me, Capo?"
Her soft voice coils in my chest. My heart stutters and my groin hardens. Every sense in my body seems to focus in on her. I straighten, take in her pale features. "Painkillers," I growl. "Where are your painkillers?"
She nods toward the bath and I walk over, rummage around in the shelves behind the mirror until I find them. I walk over, hand them over to her, then pour a glass of water from the carafe on the bedside table. She swallows down the pills with the water, then sinks back. I take in her dress-covered body, "Why don’t you take that off? You must be uncomfortable in that."
She hesitates and I scowl, "I’ve seen everything there is to see, Karma."
She looks like she’s going to protest, then nods. She sits up and I grip the hem of her dress. I drag it up and she raises her hips, then her arms so I can pull it up and off of her. I drape the dress over the chair, then take in her pale body. She’s wearing a black bra and panties, and I take in the marks on her shoulders, across her chest, the small bandage across her belly button where they’d had to perform a keyhole surgery to stop the internal bleeding. My heart thuds in my chest. My gut twists. I sit down next to her on the bed and touch the bandage. She flinches and I pull back. "Does it hurt?"
"No," she whispers, "it’s…just difficult seeing it, that’s all."
I flatten my palm across her belly and goosebumps pop on her skin. "Are you cold?"
She shakes her head. The cat pads over to me, brushes against my leg again and mewls. "He wants to come up on the bed." Karma says softly. I bend, pick him up, place him next to Karma. The cat instantly curls into her side and purrs. She drags her fingers down his fur and smiles. I take in the way her fingers slide across his skin, how he stretches, then coils in on himself and closes his eyes. Lucky cat, to be able to press into her body and fall asleep with not a care in the world. Fuck, how can I be jealous of a bloody cat? And since when have I started using 'bloody' to swear? Maybe she is right. Maybe more of her influence has rubbed off on me then I’d care to admit. I rise to my feet and she reaches up and grabs my wrist.
"Stay, Michael," she implores. "Please, just for tonight. I don’t want to be alone."
I glance away, then back at her. "You need to leave, Karma," I finally say. "I can’t do what’s needed if I’m constantly worried about you. It’s best you return to London, to your family."
"You’re my family, Michael. You and your brothers. I am one of you now."
I shake my head, "I can’t justify putting you in so much danger."
"If you think my leaving you will help lessen it, then you are wrong." She sits up and the cat protests, then rises up on its feet and stalks away to the other side of the bed. "You know I’m safest when I am with you."
"I know no such thing."
"Why are you being so cold, so withdrawn? Why can’t you see what’s in front of your eyes?"
"Karma," I warn her, "I don’t want to argue with you about this."
“Then don’t.” She stares at me and I hold her gaze. The silence stretches, then she sighs, "There’s no talking you out of this, is there?"
I shake my head.
"Fine, then." She glances away and her chin wobbles. A tear slides down her cheek and my chest tightens. I sink back onto the bed, gather her close. She coils into me much like the cat had done earlier and sniffs. "I wish I hadn’t lost the child, Michael. I hadn’t thought I was looking forward to the birth of the baby, but I was, more than I’d ever imagined. I mean, I’d never thought I’d become a mother, and now it’s all I can think of."
I wrap my arms around her, pull her closer. A shudder grips her as I run my hand in circles over her back. "I’m sorry, Beauty. Truly, I am."
The tears drip from her face, wet my shirt as I hold and rock her.
"I... I am also sorry that I interfered earlier today," she hiccups.
"Interfered?" I scowl, "What are you talking about?"
"When you went after Luca, I tried to stop you. I swear, I had no idea how that could be interpreted by the guests. I simply wanted to ensure that you wouldn't hurt yourself."
