Page 223 of Marcello

“We have to go or I’m going to be in a lot of trouble,” he said in a low voice.

I nodded in shock, then followed him down the street.

Minutes later, he stopped outside a hole-in-the-wall bar next to a tourist souvenir shop.

He gave me a hundred-euro bill and said, “Go in that shop and buy as many extra large t-shirts as you can. Something black and inconspicuous.”

“Why?”

He lifted up one blood-smeared hand. “I’m going to go wash up in the bar bathroom. The shirts are to wipe myself off if they don’t have any paper towels – plus I’ll need to wear one back to the hotel, since my shirt and jacket are basically ruined.”

I nodded, then walked into the shop and bought five black t-shirts with NAPOLI IS FOR LOVERS on them. Then I carried them back to Romeo.

He disappeared into the bar. Five minutes later he emerged with clean hands and face. His silk shirt and suit jacket had been replaced with one of the black t-shirts.

“Come on,” he said, and reached for my hand.

This time I let him take it.

Neither of us said a word as we walked to the hotel.

When we got to our room, he immediately went in the bathroom and stripped off all his clothes.

“I have to make sure I get off any blood I missed,” he said apologetically.

I sat on the bed and waited as he showered.

I felt numb, like none of it was real… like I’d just been dropped into an action movie and then yanked out of it again, back to normal life.

Romeo emerged a few minutes later with wet hair and a towel wrapped around his otherwise naked body.

He sat down beside me on the bed. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

“Where did you learn how to do that?!”

“I was in the military.”

I stared at him in shock. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“Because I did some things when I was a soldier that I’m not proud of, and I don’t want to talk about it.”

It was so strange… this whole other life he’d never mentioned before.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

I frowned. “For what?”

“That you had to see that.”

“You protected me,” I whispered.

“No – I mean, I…”

He trailed off.

“What?” I asked gently.

His eyes blazed with a rage I’d never seen before. “I couldn’t fucking stand hearing them talk about you like that. I lost control, but I shouldn’t have – ”