Crucified by Marita A. Hansen Read Free Book Online Page A

your
room?” I asked, breaking the silence.
    She pointed to the
one two doors down. I walked over to it and opened the door.
    She entered,
stopping almost instantly. “I can’t stay in here,” she said, turning to leave. She
hobbled past me, heading in the direction of my room. She went to open my door.
    I followed her. “That’s
my room.”
    “ Mi dispiace ,”
she apologized, moving to the next one.
    I ran in front of
her and opened the door, getting a nod in reward. She walked in, sitting down
on the bed.
    “May I get you
anything?” I asked.
    “I’m thirsty.
Would you be so kind as to get me an orange juice?”
    “ Certo .” I
turned and left the room, taking to the staircase. Camila and her sisters were
chatting with Frano, who was sitting across the dining-room table from them, appearing
uncomfortable. Andriena looked up as I neared them. She patted the chair next
to her. “Sit with me, Alessandro.”
    “Sorry, I must get
Lady Bianca a drink.”
    “Lady?” she said.
    “ S ì , she is the lady of the house,” I said, purposely looking at
Camila, “ which means she
deserves my respect.”
    Camila glared at
me. Frano covered his mouth, looking like he was hiding a smirk.
    I looked back at Andriena
and gave her a bow. “I will see you later, bella donna ,” I said, taking
my leave. I headed into the kitchen, finding the old cook and her daughter-in-law
washing dishes.
    “Maria and Giulietta,
so nice to see you.” I put my arms around their shoulders and gave them a kiss each
on the cheek, making the younger one giggle. The older one pushed my arm off.
“No touching, Romeo,” she said, with a smile, giving my ass a pat.
    “How can I not
touch such beautiful ladies? It would be an insult to my manhood.”
    She laughed, the
woman’s old face crinkling. “What do you want, Romeo?”
    “A glass of orange
juice for Bianca.”
    Her face soured.
“You shouldn’t give that woman anything.”
    “Why not?
She has been severely beaten and needs help.”
    “She deserved
everything she got, she tried to kill Alberto.”
    My face dropped. “How
can you say that, Maria? That poor woman is covered in bandages after that
monster attacked her. And, haven’t you heard about what he did to Jagger?”
    She bowed her head
and wiped her eyes. “I am truly sorry for what Alberto did to Jagger, but not
to Bianca. Jagger never harmed my boy, but Bianca tried to murder him.”
    “Your boy?”
    “I helped raise
him and his brother. They lost their mother at a young age.” She turned away
from me, her shoulders shaking. Her daughter-in-law mouthed, “Go,” to me, although
it wasn’t rude, the concern on her face telling me that Maria needed privacy to
grieve.
    I went the fridge,
filled a glass with juice, then quickly left as Giulietta talked softly to her
mother-in-law. I cut through the dining-room and headed back up the staircase to
Bianca’s room, giving the door a knock.
    “Come in,” she
said.
    I entered, closing
the door behind me.
    Her gaze moved to
the glass as I neared her. “Oh, I should’ve asked for a straw.” She held up her
hands. “I can’t hold it.”
    “I’ll help you.” I
sat down on the bed and held the glass to her lips.
    She took a sip of
the juice as I slowly tipped the glass. Some spilled down the side of her mouth.
I wiped it with my thumb, her eyes stilling me.
    “ Hai degli occhi stupendi ,” I said, telling her she had beautiful eyes. “They are very
soulful.”
    She frowned. “At
least I have one beautiful thing left.”
    “Won’t you heal?”
    “I should.” She
unhooked the bandage around her head without removing the one that supported
her jaw. She also had one covering her nose, which had probably been broken.
    “Should you be
doing that?” I asked.
    “My head is fine
now; it’s just my nose and jaw that still hurts. Can you give me privacy?”
    I held up the
glass. “Don’t you wish to finish?”
    “I will later. Put
it on the bedside table.”
    I did