Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 126060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
“Hell of an engagement party,” he commented, his gaze on the stairs. She was right, his brothers were on the way up.
“I thought so. What do you suppose happened when we all disappeared from that room? Penelope and the other servers had to have noticed we were gone.”
“We always have an explanation,” Geno said. “Stefano is careful. You notice there is a back way out. The patio is an extension of the room. Valentino and Dario don’t ride the shadows. Most of the bodyguards and Emmanuelle remained to give the explanation that we were bothered by the paparazzi, and we left out the back with the others.”
“I suppose that happens enough that it’s a reasonable explanation.”
He nodded. “Much more plausible than ‘we disappeared into the shadows.’ ”
Salvatore and Lucca entered in near silence, their eyes moving over Geno with a hint of anxiety. He gave them both a quick grin to reassure them.
“I feel like someone beat me up with a baseball bat. It wasn’t one of you, was it? Maybe giving it a little too much enthusiasm?”
Neither of his brothers responded to his humor, telling him they’d felt the same fear Amaranthe had.
“You died, Geno,” Salvatore said, his tone low, almost accusing. “Right in front of us.”
“It was heroic,” he pointed out hastily and narrowed his eyes at his brother.
Salvatore nodded, following his lead. “It was heroic, but it was still a terrible thing for all of us to witness.”
“Especially Amaranthe,” Lucca added.
“She is struggling,” Geno confirmed. “I told her it was because she’s never watched a Superman movie and doesn’t understand what a hero is.”
Salvatore and Lucca simultaneously gasped and stared at Amaranthe in horror.
“That can’t be true, Amara,” Lucca protested. “Everyone has watched those movies.”
She shook her head. “Don’t start, you two. I know Geno saved my life. I just don’t know if I can watch him do something like that over and over. And he will.” Her voice trembled, breaking Geno’s heart.
“Do you plan to keep putting your life on the line?” Salvatore demanded, scowling at her. “Because Geno isn’t the only hero in the family. I’d have to get in on that action. You are the only sister I have.”
“Yeah. If you’re going to insist on sticking your head on the chopping block,” Lucca added, “I’m going to have to play the hero as well. I can’t be outdone by my older brother.”
“Don’t encourage her.” Geno used his gruffest voice on his brothers. If his voice held a little too much affection, he ignored it.
He loved his brothers and couldn’t help being proud of them. He’d scared them. He hadn’t realized they would be nearly as afraid as Amaranthe, seeing him go down, but he should have. Both struggled to maintain in front of his woman, wanting her to believe they had every faith Geno would survive under any circumstance.
Amaranthe sighed. “I think all you Ferraros are alike. You think you can cheat death.”
“I’m compelled to point out, we wouldn’t have to be heroes if you weren’t throwing yourself under knives all the time,” Geno said. He tunneled his fingers in her hair, unable to resist another minute. So much silk. Very gently he began to massage her scalp, hoping to soothe her.
Lucca and Salvatore dropped into the two chairs facing the bed. “I asked Lanz and Deangelo to check into the riders in Australia, Geno,” Lucca said.
Salvatore laughed. “I asked Beniamino and Davide the same. They compiled their notes and sent us both a report on the three families.”
“Lanz and Deangelo Rossi are investigators,” Geno told Amaranthe. “As are Beniamino and Davide Latini. They’re extremely good.”
“I did study your family before I came,” Amaranthe admitted.
“You moved like lightning,” Lucca said. “Until that moment when you saved Stefano, I wasn’t certain you were a shadow rider. I suspected you were a rider because you were engaged to my brother, but you are a ballerina. You look more like a ballerina than a rider, and you’re so small . . .” He broke off when she glared at him.
“Why would Geno be engaged to me?” she asked in her snippy voice, the one that Geno really loved. His body, despite the damage began to seriously react.
“I suspected you might be pretending to draw out the murderers,” Lucca admitted, sounding, and looking sheepish.
“Because of my looks?” Now she sounded outraged.
“Not your looks. You’re beautiful. Your size. I just didn’t think you could be a rider,” Lucca said. “You’re making me sweat. You’d better think twice about this one, Geno. She might be pint-sized, but she’s scary.”
Geno flashed a grin at his brother. “She is, isn’t she? She’ll keep you boys in line. Salvatore, since I noticed you were just as fast, leaping across the table to save your cousin, I’m rescinding permission for you to fill out the papers for the arranged marriage. You can wait a couple more years and see if the Ferraro prophecy holds for this family the way it did for Stefano’s clan.”