Chapter 11: Hung Up and Begging

"Enough," Sergio said to the old man.

He stood so fast that his chair scraped back across the floor.

"The meeting is closed. All of you, out."

Nobody argued.

The old men filed past in silence, and the old man let Marco lead him out by the elbow without taking his eyes off me.

Elsa lingered at the door.

"I did only what the table asked," she said sweetly. "Don't blame the girl for noticing."

Sergio didn't answer her.

When the room was empty he helped me to my feet, and my knees buckled after all that time.

He held me up.

"What did he mean?" I asked. "What did he mean about my mother?"

"Tomorrow," he said. "I swear it on her picture. Not tonight."

"You always say that."

"I have never said it to you."

It was true, and it stopped me.

I pulled back from him, and the anger I'd swallowed for an hour rose up all at once.

"You promised," I said. "In the black room, you promised. No other women while I'm with you."

"Yes."

"That girl had her hand on your arm."

"I told her to move."

"After a minute. After she'd touched you in front of everyone."

"Élise."

"You let it happen to see how I'd take it."

His jaw worked.

"I didn't know she'd be there," he said. "Elsa did that."

"Then you should have been faster."

"You're right," Marco said from the doorway.

He had come back alone and shut the door behind him.

"I should have thrown her out the moment she sat down. We both should have. We broke your rule."

"Then say you're sorry."

"I'm sorry," Sergio said.

"I'm sorry," Marco said.

It wasn't enough.

I stood between them with my fists clenched and my heart pounding, and I was shaking with a need I couldn't name.

"Tell me how to make it right," Sergio said. "Anything you want."

"Anything?"

"Anything that is yours to ask, and that you say aloud."

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