Page 60 of Mafia And Taken
CATE
I slept through lunch and woke mid-afternoon.
As I laid in bed, trying to wake up through my grogginess, I could hear voices coming through the open doors. I got up and went over to the balcony, looking down to see Alessio, Marco, Juliana, and Camillo sitting by the pool.
I went back and sat on the bed, wondering how on earth I’d ended up here with this man.
A short time later, Alessio came upstairs with a sandwich. “I saw you were awake, so I thought I’d bring you up some lunch.”
“Oh, let me guess, you’ve got a camera in here spying on me?”
“No, I saw you out on the balcony,” he said mildly, not rising to my sarcastic tone.
“I’m not really hungry.”
“You have to eat.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Cate.” There was a warning note in his voice.
I sighed. “Maybe later, okay? I’m not hungry right now. I feel all groggy.”
“You’d feel better if you got up and came and sat outside for a bit,” he suggested, eyeing me intently.
“Please can you just leave me alone?”
“Fine.” He looked angry but I didn’t care.
I spent the rest of the day in the bedroom, and later Alessio brought dinner up when I didn’t join the others downstairs. I picked at it and managed only a few mouthfuls. All I wanted to do was go back to sleep.
That night, I woke briefly when Alessio got into bed with me, but I just turned over and went back to sleep. I had no energy to talk to him right now anyway, and there was nothing left to say.
***
When I woke the next morning, I found Alessio was already up and dressed in blue jeans and a gray fitted t-shirt. “I’m going down to make breakfast for us now, cara.”
I didn’t respond.
“I know you’re awake, Cate.”
“Can I ring my grandmother this morning?”
“Not yet.”
“Then I’ll stay here for a bit.” I decided there was no point in getting up.
The next moment I was shrieking as he pulled the covers off me and I felt the cold air conditioning blast my skin.
“Get up and come down for breakfast.”
“I’ve got no clothes to wear,” I complained.
“I got you some yesterday. Juliana went clothes shopping, and I went with her.”
“I’m still not coming down. I don’t like the dog.”
“The dog’s not up yet. Anyway, don’t worry, I’ll protect you from him,” he said with a grin, further irking me. He wasn’t going to leave me alone.