The Price (House of Sin #5) - Elisabeth Naughton Page 0,25

worries him.”

Felicity pushed away from the table and went back into the kitchen, and I couldn’t help but wonder what she’d meant by that. Neither she nor Marco had told me a single thing Luc had said about me during the last week when they’d been tending his wounds or taking him food or helping him get comfortable. But this made it sound as if he was talking about me. Or, at the very least, thinking of me.

Warmth gathered in my stomach. Thinking about me was good. Anything was better than screaming at me.

Footsteps pounded on the back stairs, then, seconds later, Marco appeared in the kitchen. “Dio,” he breathed, swiping a hand through his hair. “That man can be a royal pain in the ass.”

Felicity pressed a kiss to his cheek as he drew close, then went back to loading her bag. “Well, he does hail from nobility.”

Marco slapped a hand against her ass. “Takes one royal ass to know one, I suppose. Natalie and I don’t have a clue about that.” He winked at me across the table. “Seeing as how we’re lowly commoners and all.”

Felicity laughed and moved away from him. “Getting handsy, huh, Romano? Careful with that, or I’ll have to punish you.”

“Oh vita mia.” He reached for her and dragged her close. “Mi piaci da morire. It’s been way too long since you punished me.”

They kissed, which only made me roll my eyes and push back from the table. “Okay, enough already. If I’m not having sex, you two don’t get to flaunt your love life in my face. Don’t you have a plane to catch or something?”

Marco grinned, kissed Fee on the forehead, then released her. “You’re right, we do.” Coming around the table, he stopped in front of me, his expression growing serious. “I didn’t tell him we’re leaving. Figured that would start a battle none of us needed. When he throws a fit, just tell him either you help him or no one does.”

“That’s going to go over well.”

Marco squeezed my shoulder with his big hand. “Tough-love time. We talked about this.”

Yes, we had. But at the time, I hadn’t realized I’d be doing the tough-loving all on my own.

I walked them toward the kitchen door, where the car was waiting outside with their bags.

“I programmed our numbers into your phone,” Marco said, hefting Fee’s bag from the counter. “I also programmed in important numbers for House Merrick, including Fee’s parents in case you can’t reach us. And the number for the local physician in case something goes wrong—which it won’t. Luc’s off all the heavy painkillers.”

Which was both good and bad. Good because it meant his pain was more manageable, but bad because part of me wanted the drugged Luc back, since he was the only Luc who seemed to want me around. “I hope you left me some sedatives, just in case.”

Marco grinned as he lifted the last few bags into the trunk of their Range Rover. “Just in case you get tired of his grouching?”

I shrugged and leaned against the doorjamb. “He did drug me several times. I figure turnabout is fair play.”

Felicity laughed, rushed back up the few steps where I stood, and hugged me. “Heaven help that man. He has no idea what’s waiting for him.”

I smiled for her benefit, but when she climbed into the car and Marco stood in front of me, I couldn’t seem to muster up the same half-hearted grin.

“It’s going to be okay,” he said, eyeing me the way a parent eyes a child when they leave them alone for the first time. “You can do this.”

I knew I could. I just wasn’t particularly looking forward to it.

I straightened. “Go already. She’s waiting.”

“We’re only two hours away by air. If you need us, we can be back from Wales in a flash.”

“We’ll be fine.”

“I know you will be.” He hugged me. And as I lifted my hands to his shoulders and hugged him back, I realized it was the first time he’d done that. “You’re good for him, Natalie. You’re exactly what he needs. I know you can get him through this.”

I drew in a shaky breath and forced myself to nod against him. But I couldn’t find my voice. I had no idea if I could get Luc through this or not. I only knew that I had to try.

He released me, and I waited on the porch while he climbed in the car, even waved as they drove away. When