To Tuscany with Love by Gail Mencini Read Free Book Online Page B

face even redder than it had been outside. He whacked the back of his hand so hard against Stillman’s cheek that Stillman’s legs buckled. His knees smacked the floor.
    “After you’re finished here, you’ll sweep, then scrub, the church floor. You’ll scrub that floor on your knees, boy. While you scrub you can ask the good Lord’s forgiveness for saying that blasphemous book was a better gift than the Bible that I gave you for your birthday.” He kicked Stillman’s bottom, pushing him toward the door. “Now git, before I have to use the strap on you.”

8
     
    Siena, Italy
     
    A n Italian man in his late twenties sauntered up to the group. A cigarette dangled from the corner of his lips. He wore skin-tight jeans, leather loafers without socks, and a white T-shirt two sizes too small. He moved next to Karen—so close his T-shirt touched her breasts—and kissed her on both cheeks.
    Stillman imagined fondling Bella’s breasts.
    Meghan got the double kiss next. Her cheeks flushed crimson when the Italian’s hand lingered; his hand squeezed her butt.
    Stillman’s arm, still draped over Bella’s shoulders, drew her into his side. The wholesome powdery smell of her punched him midline, jerking the breath from him. No way this Italian asshole was getting close to his girl.
    Karen introduced everybody to the asshole. Massimo, a.k.a. the Italian with the playboy attitude, had met the girls in a leather store. Stillman would bet his dinner money Massimo had followed them into the shop for the sole purpose of meeting the beautiful, luscious American girls.
    Massimo’s finger pointed at each of them, and he counted in Italian. He nodded. “It is possible. We do not have too many to go together.”
    Wide-eyed, Karen turned to the puzzled group. “Massimo told us about an abandoned estate. He’ll take us there and we can explore. I guess the place has Etruscan relics practically everywhere—”
    “And Massimo said nobody really cares if you pick one up.” Meghan’s voice sounded convincing.
    “That would be a radical souvenir.” Rune nodded. He looked at his gelato cone. “I guess dinner could wait.”
    “Artifact raiding?” Lee frowned.
    “Are you a coward?” Bella said.
    Stillman studied his friends’ faces—only Lee seemed to object. He couldn’t read Bella’s face at all. He thought of her words. Stillman knew that he would never steal. The preacher had drilled that into him. But let someone call him a coward? Not him. “I’m game,” he said. “How do we get there?”
    Massimo puffed up his small-framed chest. “I drive you.” He swung one hairy arm around each of the twins’ necks. “You beautiful ladies ride in front with me.”
    Phillip grimaced and looked at the others. “I believe in closeness, but how will we fit in one car?”
    Meghan looked back at them as the threesome moved away. “Massimo’s got a truck that’ll hold you in the back. Let’s get a move on.”
    At the parking lot, Massimo puffed out his chest and gestured to a pickup that had seen better days. Stillman vaulted into the back of the dusty truck and extended a hand down to help Hope and Bella. Before Lee and Phillip had a chance to climb into the truck, Stillman tugged Bella to the front of the truck bed. He sat down and patted the spot next to him, grinning at her. “You can lean on my shoulder so your head doesn’t bang against the truck.”
    She slid in next to him and snuggled close, in spite of the blazing sun. Phillip’s frown egged Stillman to rub it in. He nibbled Bella’s ear. Phillip pouted and stared at the countryside.
    The truck bounced over the cobblestones. It jostled them against one another and the truck’s hard surfaces. Shock absorbers? What shock absorbers? Stillman clamped his teeth together so he wouldn’t bite his tongue.
    The cobblestones, thank God, finally ended when they reached the outskirts of the city. Massimo accelerated. The smoother streets soon gave way to the dust of the