“You don’t understand,” she said, haltingly. “Things are different now. Between us.”
“I don’t care,” Aaro said. “That’s for you guys to thrash out.”
“That’s exactly it!” she wailed, jerking at her trapped arm. “I can’t deal with any thrashing right now!”
“Lily.”
Bruno’s voice wiped her mind clean. She forgot Aaro existed. The manacle on her arm disappeared. Along with all the available oxygen.
Close up, she could see the damage he’d sustained in their adventure. Shiny pink marks on his cheekbone, the thickened eyelid. A notch in his ear. Burn scars on his hands. But it was the pain in his eyes that made her feel like a fist was squeezing her heart.
Bruno released her eyes, flicked his gaze to Aaro. “Thank you.”
“Anytime, man.” Aaro slunk away.
She watched him go. “Anytime, my ass,” she muttered, sourly. “Does he take hostages for you on a regular basis?”
“No,” Bruno said quietly. “Just you, Lily. You’re special.”
“Not really,” she said. “I’m been enjoying my non-special status lately. My life is so normal now. Quiet.”
His jaw contracted. “I see,” he said. “Congratulations.”
They stared at each other. Now was the time to deliver her bombshell. The timing was terrible, but how could she see him again, on another occasion? Torture herself, over and over, with these feelings?
But it was absurd to pile another burden onto a man who had just single-handedly shouldered the responsibility for two toddlers.
Bruno, I’m pregnant.
Uh, OK. So? What could he do about it?
This was not the moment. She’d miscalculated. She called on her minimal knowledge of wedding choreography for a distraction. “Um, aren’t you supposed to be in a receiving line, or something?”
“I bailed to come after you. Skipped out on the exit march, too. Like a rhino on stampede. Ronnie had to go out on Sean’s arm. Edie’s aunt is going to tear me to shreds and stomp on the pieces.”
“Oh. Well, then. That’s bad. You better get going,” she urged. “Can’t have any of that. Tearing and stomping, I mean.”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “I’m used to it. Being stomped on.”
She shrank away, sensing a trap. “Um. I think that’s my cue to—”
“Are you staying for the reception?” His scarred hand clamped her wrist. Her wrist went nuts at the contact. A ripple effect that shot bright sparks all through her system.
“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” she quavered.
“I have to talk to you,” he said. “Please. Come with me.”
She grabbed a wrought iron gate and hung on. “To where?”
“To the receiving line. I can’t risk letting you out of my sight.”
“No problem!” Liv McCloud popped up, Eamon in her arms, and leaned to give Lily a kiss. “Glad to see you, Lily. You’re wanted urgently in the receiving line, Bruno. Hurry. Edie’s aunt is twitching and frothing. Don’t worry, Eamon and I will babysit Lily for you.”
“I don’t need to be babysat!” Lily snapped, testily.
“Of course not.” Liv took her arm. “Le’s go pay our respects to the bride and groom, shall we?”
It was a unique form of hell to have everyone hugging her, exchanging grins and winks, thumbs-up, when she was just going to let them down again, once they knew the truth. The receiving line itself was the worst. She was passed from one McCloud to the next, getting fierce hugs and significant glances from each one. Bruno grabbed her when she got to him and held her tight, in a hard, breathless clinch. The raw, burning look in his eyes just undid her.
Edie gave her a hug when Bruno finally released her. “Thanks for coming.”
Lily laughed, soggily. “I had to, right? To get the portrait of my mom. Holding it for ransom like that, that was a very dirty trick.”
“Whatever works, right? I kept my side of the bargain. It’s in the car, all ready for you,” Edie assured her. Her arms tightened around Lily again. “He needs you, you know?” she whispered.
Lily’s heart was squeezed. She extricated herself, greeted Edie’s sister, a dewy creature named Ronnie. Then Tam gripped her arm.
“Congratulations for Irina,” Lily offered. “I saw her during the ceremony. She’s beautiful. I’m so glad things turned out well.”
“Me, too,” Tam said. She leaned forward, breathing the words into Lily’s ear. “Far be it from me to criticize a sister for giving a man a hard time,” she murmured. “Just be sure you don’t make yourself pay too high a price for it. Satisfaction’s hollow when you’re all alone at night.”
Lily jerked herself loose. “It’s not that simple!”
“Right. Nothing ever is.” She shoved Lily right into Zia Rosa’s waiting arms. “Good luck.”
Zia’s smothering embrace was sharply perfumed with jungle gardenia. Zia cupped her hands, pinched her cheeks. “
Ehi,
you’re pale!
Sciupata!
Not eating?” Her eyes slitted. “How’s the tummy?”
“Just fine, just fine,” Lily assured her hastily. “The best.”
“You seen our little Tonio, and Lena? Ain’t they cute?” She jerked Lily’s chin around. “See? Look! Miles has Tonio, and Sveti’s got Lena.”
Lily looked. The kids really were beautiful. Tonio giggled madly, head and shoulders flung back over Miles’s arm as Miles yanked up the kid’s crisp white blouse and snuffled his belly. Lena was on her butt on the floor in her white dress, trying to take off her little white Mary Janes, while Sveti crouched next to her, imploring her to reconsider.
“They are beautiful,” she said, with utter sincerity.
“Ah, but they need a mamma, hmm?” Zia Rosa murmured, sentimentally. She pinched Lily’s cheek again.
A strong arm slid around her waist, pulling. “Zia, that’ll do.”
Lily didn’t know whether to be grateful or panicked when Bruno swept her away from them all, maneuvering her into the ballroom all decked out for dining and dancing. A band was setting up, and the glamorous string ensemble she’d noticed at the ceremony was tuning up, too. “What’s with the musicians?” she asked him.
“The Venus Ensemble?” he asked. “What about them?”
“Six gorgeous girls in low-cut sequined gowns, and they play really well, too? It just seems like a statistical abnormality to me.”
Bruno grinned. “Nah. Remember what happened to Kev and Edie? The mind control, and all that crazy shit?”
“Sure I remember,” she said.