Page 223 of Modern Romance January 2025 5-8

‘I said leave it,’ Sev warned, and now he had Dante by the lapels of his jacket. ‘Or I’ll take care of the other eye. See how good you look in court on Monday then. Go to hell, Dante.’

‘We’re brothers.’

‘Correction,’ Sev said, and shoved him. ‘We used to be!’

Dante walked off.

Possibly because he knew he had court on Monday...

More likely it was guilt.

For whatever reason he walked away, arriving home to an empty house, and the coral scarf Susie had left behind still draped over the banister.

He’d be having words with his housekeeper, Dante decided, picking up the long strip of coral silk and pressing it to his face, inhaling her scent, unable to resist any more.

The worst Valentine’s Day ever!

Susie’s knew that her long shift might be worth it come payday, but seeing Dante had been hell, and then serving happy couples late into the night...

She was utterly spent—more exhausted than she could ever recall being.

One more week of language school and hopefully then things would get easier.

There was no Dante waiting with ice cream when she stepped out of Pearla’s—not that she wanted one. If anything, the thought made her feel a little bit ill.

Susie stopped mid-stride, a few throwaway thoughts starting to merge in her mind. There was a flutter of panic in her chest.

She walked more briskly, telling herself she was being ridiculous.

She’d missed one pill.

Or two.

Her breasts hurt...

Because she was getting her period.

She’d told herself that when she’d been trying on Mimi’s gowns.

‘Hey...’

The one time she hadn’t been hoping, Dante was here!

He’d been leaning against the wall of the ancient apartment block, but stood up straight when he saw her.

‘Shouldn’t you be at the wedding?’ she asked.

‘It was time to go.’ He gave a grim flash of a smile. ‘Can we talk inside?’

‘I’m not sure if my flatmates are in.’

‘What? Aren’t you allowed to bring men back to the nunnery?’

He must have seen from her expression that his little joke wasn’t well received, and perhaps he thought he knew the reason, because he said, ‘Susie, I had no idea you’d be there today. I was...’

‘So you were just going to fly in and fly out? Not even...?’

Dante looked as if he hadn’t had the best night either. ‘I have a home here in Lucca—am I to you inform you every time I’ll be home?’