She recoiled instinctively, terror flashing through her as memories of Giuditta and his brother’s cruelty burned in her mind. Her body still trembled beneath the weight of her trauma.

One arm was locked protectively around Rio, while her free hand shot up defensively, warning him not to come closer. Cesario noticed the tension in her and faltered, stepping back slightly as Marcello moved onto the bed.

The moment his knee pressed into the mattress beside her, Azzurra flinched, dragging ...