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“What happened? I heard you yelling and some screaming, and I ran straight over.” He grabs the ice pack from me, picks me up, and takes me to the sofa, where he lays me down and sits with me, placing the ice pack across my face again. I wince a little as it connects back with my cheek.
“Just a random mugger, but I managed to escape him and ran away. I am fine, really, please don’t worry,” I say, trying to remain calm and keep him calm in the process.
“Don’t worry!” Marco practically yells before lowering his tone. “Frankie, you are walking home in the dark through the streets of Boston, and you tell me not to worry.”
I place my hand on his. “I am fine, please, I am okay.”
Marco looks at me, and puts his head against mine and sighs. We take a moment together, just calming ourselves. Marco then sits up and grabs me, picking me up again and takes me to bed. He undresses me slowly, like I am made of glass and any sudden movements will break me. It is extremely caring and I laugh inside a little, because if he only knew what I had already endured in my life. He would be shocked.
Once he undresses us both, he wraps me up in his arms and lays us both down in my bed. As we both lay there, entwined with each other, I feel his stress and anguish flowing from his body.
I am not sure what to think. Sure, it could have just been a random attempted mugging, I guess they happen all the time. But he called me Puttana, the Italian word for whore, and I am now wondering whether that man was just a mugger, or if papa is close to finding me.
12
Marco
Even though I was half asleep when I spoke to Frankie on the phone during her walk home from the bar last night, I have been wide awake ever since. I couldn’t sleep for even a minute as I held her throughout the night, and I was thankful that she didn’t seem to have trouble sleeping since she was attacked. Hearing her small snores throughout the early hours of this morning gave me peace. However, it did nothing to squash my anger at the bastard who dared put his hands on her.
I feel her wake up beside me, and I caress her face as she rolls over and looks at me.
“Hey,” she says in a sexy husky sleepy voice.
“Hey, beautiful, how are you feeling?” I ask, because I am genuinely concerned. I see her face is no longer swollen, and aside from a little redness, you could never tell she was hit. I softly touch her cheek and she looks at me adoringly, and I let out a big breath and try to relax.
“I am fine, Marco, really. Please don’t worry,” she repeats the same words as she did last night, and I try to let it go and feel relieved that she is okay. Because that is the main thing. Although, I will get Jake to look over every street camera until we find the guy.
“Well, given you don’t have to work at the bar today and it is a Sunday, do you want to spend some time together today? I was thinking we could go out for lunch or maybe see a movie or something?”
“Ahhh...” Frankie starts, and for the first time I see panic in her eyes.
“I mean, we don’t have to...” I start to say.
“I would like to… but, um, do you think we can stay indoors today, I don’t really feel like being out and about?”
I guess after being attacked I wouldn’t feel like being out either, and I curse myself for not thinking about it before I opened my mouth.
“What about a movie afternoon at my place? I know Prince would like to see you?” I offer, and I know she thinks it is a good idea because she gives me her megawatt smile and I grin in return.
“Sounds wonderful,” she says, and I bend closer to her and take her lips in mine. Finding the softness of her lips and slowly and delicately moving against them.
* * *
Sundays have never felt so good. I am curled up on my sofa watching the latest action movie with my girl by my side and my dog by my feet. This feeling I have, this comfort, I want it every Sunday for the rest of my life and I now know what both Shaun and Stephen have with their women that they love so much. I never understood it before, but now, here with Frankie, I am beginning to uncover the feeling, and I want more of it.
Prince is just as smitten with Frankie as I am, and hasn’t left her for even a moment today. He followed her from the minute she walked in the door and has been her constant shadow since. We have been curled up together, watching movies and stealing kisses, making out and enjoying each other's company all day. The redness in her cheeks has completely gone, and if I hadn’t heard it over the phone and seen her with my own eyes last night, I would not have even known she was attacked. Her strength and resilience is astounding, because if any of the other women I have dated would have experienced what Frankie did last night, I am sure they would still be a crying mess.
I am about to suggest that we take Prince to the park before sundown, but my phone buzzes. Jake is calling.
“Hey, man,” I say when I pick up. Frankie is looking at me, so I smile and mouth that it is Jake to her. She responds by lying back down in my lap and continues watching the movie.
“Hey, just want to let you know that some photos of you kissing Frankie at the coffee shop last week have just surfaced and are all over the internet and social media right now. You may want to check your emails; the publicity team have sent you the details and a plan of action. Probably best to ignore it in my view, it will blow over in a few days.”
“Shit, okay, let me check my email. I will come back to you if I need anything. Do you have anything further on that matter that I spoke to you about this morning?” I called Jake while Frankie was getting ready because I want to try and catch the guy who assaulted her.
“Nothing as of yet. We have checked all the street cameras in the area you mentioned but can’t see anyone. Some of them were not working, though, so he must have gotten her in one of the blind spots. We will keep checking in case anything comes up, but it isn’t looking like we will get anything.”
“Okay, I will check in with you later.” I hang up and immediately open my emails.
