The Billionaire’s Prodigal Wife
Chapter 48

Mackenna shuffled her way slowly down the small corridor to the living area of the apartment the next morning. She knew Alessandro had spent the night, he’d given her pain meds around two in the morning and even then, he’d still been sitting up in the chair in her room. Eventually he must have come to bed as the pillow still indented from where he’d lay his head and the smell of his cologne on her sheets, but he was gone.

Her head was throbbing, and her arm hurt even more than her head and she gripped the wall until there was no wall left to grip. “Hello?” she called out.

There was no answer and so she made her way to the kitchen. She glared at Romeo who was sitting atop the kitchen island. “Pretty sure you’re not supposed to be up there,” she chastised him, but he continued cleaning himself as if she hadn’t spoken and she admittedly had zero energy to push him off.

She noted her uninjured hand was trembling as she pulled a container of fruit juice from the fridge and poured herself a glass. She leaned against the counter, staring at the cat. “Just you and I today, huh.” The clock on the stove told her it was nearly nine and she sighed deeply. “All the things I wanted to do this weekend and I’m stuck here in the house with the cat.” She set her glass down, reached out and stroked his ears, earning her a purr in response.

The sound of a key in the lock made both their ears perk up. Alessandro stepped into the condominium carrying brown bags in each arm and two paper cups she prayed contained coffee.

“Tell me that’s coffee,” she spoke causing him to jump in alarm, aware he hadn’t seen her standing there. She giggled as he put the bags down and clutched his chest moving towards her.

“You should be in bed,” he growled as he reached out and stroked her cheek. “You’re very pale.”

“I’m tired of being in bed, it’s boring,” she grumbled and looked at the bags. “What is that?”

“Breakfast apparently,” he shook his head. “Nuncio met me in the hall with the bags. He and Carlos and Rio are dealing with a situation downstairs. Savannah may or may not have punched someone.”

“Oh my god, we’re going to get asked to leave this building,” she rolled her eyes.

“If it happens, I’ll just buy the building,” he grinned at her wickedly.

“You would,” she shook her head and then gasped as he picked her up and carried her to the sofa, grabbing one of the paper cups along the way. “What are you doing?”

“Rest,” he ordered her and passed her the cup. “Decaf vanilla latte.” He almost gagged saying it. “How do you drink something which is almost entirely sugar?”

“If Nuncio and Savannah went for food, where did you go?”

“Gym,” he shrugged. “I missed my workout yesterday. I found a place open twenty-four hours, so I was there at five, worked out until seven, showered and then stopped to talk to Dulce.” He held his hand up as she opened her mouth, “I’ve sent her back to Milan. She has physio in the morning, and she will damn well complete every single session.”

“Is she okay?” Mackenna asked quietly.

“I believe an entire night all alone in a hotel with no mother, sister, friends, bodyguards, nurses or doctors coddling her has done her some good.” He flung himself into the oversized armchair opposite her. “I don’t want to talk about her though,” he rubbed his face. “After breakfast you and I have much to discuss, and I don’t need my head clouded by my fury with Dulce.”

“Well, it sounds ominous,” she wrinkled her nose, sipping her coffee and looking out the sliding doors to the balcony.

“It was not meant to,” he reassured her, crossing his ankle over his knee, and taking a long drink of his coffee before making a face. “What I wouldn’t give for coffee from home.”

Mackenna grinned at him. “Nuncio hasn’t hooked you up yet?”

“What do you mean?”

“The man should run his own coffee shop. His coffee is so good half the hospital is begging for him to make them cups. Savannah and I have to bring thermoses of it now.”

The sound of them entering had them both turning their heads in the direction of the crew of five coming through the door. “Did you hit someone?” Mackenna instantly asked Savannah.

“No, I did not hit someone.” She shrugged out of an oversized sweater. “I wanted to, I almost did but I refrained. I’m calling it personal growth.”

“She did spit on him,” Nuncio spoke behind her and saw the paper cup in Alessandro’s hand. “I’m sure I suggested you throw it away.”

“I was desperate.” Alessandro took another swig of his coffee grimacing. “I replace I am not so desperate,” he looked around for a place to set the cup.

“I broke the table so,” Mackenna grinned with no remorse.

The collective g****s made her smile wider as Savannah sat beside her and kissed her cheek.

“I’m glad to see you look a bit better than yesterday. How is your headache?”

“Dull,” she replied with a half shrug. She lifted her bandaged arm, “this however hurts like a son of a gun. I’m also really hungry.” She gave a pointed glance at Nuncio. “Alessandro said you’re making breakfast.”

“Yes, but I needed more cinnamon because I used all I had already.”

“What did you need cinnamon for?” She was now perched on the edge of sofa, her fingers held up crossed in the air and her eyes closed. “Please say cinnamon buns,” she whispered and then she squealed with delight at his confirmation.

Alessandro chuckled at her childlike behaviour, “Nuncio, I believe the way you have kept Mackenna safe has been by bribing her with food.”

Nuncio held a finger to his lips and frowned at Alessandro, “shh, she wasn’t on to me until you opened your mouth.”

“I don’t care, just keep feeding me,” Mackenna grinned widely. She noticed Savannah was unusually quiet. “What’s going on? You, okay?”

“Yeah,” she slapped her knees and stood up. “I just worked an overnight and didn’t go to bed yet. I went with Nuncio for the walk to the market so just sleepy.”

Mackenna saw Nuncio shake his head behind her friend as he made his way to the kitchen, and she knew something else was up. “Hey, Savannah, I really want to get dressed. Would you mind giving me a hand?”

“Of course,” Savannah helped her to a standing position and helped her back to her bedroom straight to the walk-in closet. “Your clothes are still all in boxes,” she laughed, “you may as well leave them there.”

Mackenna grinned, “I said the same thing to Romeo yesterday morning when I was going through them. I need a wardrobe upgrade, so we need to go shopping.” She wriggled her eyebrows at Savannah.

“No, well, yes you do need an upgrade, but I meant you may as well not unpack. You’re leaving back to Milan, right?” Savannah didn’t look at her as she rifled absently through a drawer for clean underwear. She dangled cotton panties off her finger, “you’re back with your model husband, you shouldn’t wear anything like these ever again.”

“He’s a brilliant businessman and there is more to him than a body and good looks,” Mackenna tried to keep a straight face and then they both laughed aloud. “It’s true!”

“It is but he’s still damn fine looking,” Savannah laughed and pulled out some lacy thong panties. “Here, these will do.”

“I have a concussion and a wrecked arm. I’m fairly sure I’m not seducing anyone today. Give me the other ones,” she held her free arm out for the underwear and got into them awkwardly. “You’re going to have to help me with the bra,” she watched as her friend dug through and tried to pick which of the three bras, she owned to give her. “Savannah, it’s not so complicated.”

“It is,” she g*****d, “it’s all so complicated.”

Mackenna reached out and tugged her friend’s hand. “Hey, talk to me.”

“I’m so stupid,” she started to cry.

Mackenna could count on one hand the number of times she had seen Savannah cry. She had cried when her adopted father had passed away. Once when she had broken up with the girl who had misguided dreams of being a sommelier and then recently when she’d seen her student loan balance was zero. Other than a few tears here and there, crying was not something Savannah Kirkland did and Mackenna’s heart broke.

“Oh Savannah,” she pulled her to her and hugged her tight. “You are by far not stupid. What happened?”

“I love him,” she cried unhappily.

“That’s not a stupid thing,” Mackenna hugged her tight. “It’s a great thing. I’m happy for you.”

“He has to go back to Milan with you right?” Savannah countered. “You’re leaving me and he’s leaving me, and I’ll be all alone with a cat who hates me,” she wailed causing Mackenna to start crying in response.

“I could fire him,” Mackenna offered after several long minutes of combined sobbing in each other’s arms. “He could stay and open a coffee shop and bakery.”

“He told me once Alessandro pays him more a month than you get in alimony.”

“No way,” Mackenna’s eyes grew round, knowing how big her alimony checks had been. “Why?”

“You are his most precious thing in the world, there isn’t anything he wouldn’t pay to keep you safe. He got a pay raise the day he yelled at Alessandro to leave you alone.” Savannah wiped her nose on a ratty t-shirt she pulled from a box laughing at Mackenna’s disgusted expression. “He does his job well and he’s paid for it.”

Mackenna whispered, “I don’t want to go to Milan.”

Savannah’s eyes whipped to her friend, “what?”

“I don’t want to go. All there is in Milan is heartache and bad memories. I wouldn’t mind visiting to put flowers on my grandparents’ graves but really, I know they aren’t there in spirit, so it seems silly. Trying to replace a job as great as the one I have will be near impossible. I don’t want to leave you or our stupid mean-spirited cat. I know where my heart is and it’s here. I know he needs to be in Milan for work and I know I can’t be without him, but I just don’t want to go. I have no choice, right?”

Savannah shook her head, “No, I don’t think you do. You love him and you’ll be so much more miserable here without him than there with him.”

“I know,” she wiped tears off her face, “any idea how to finish off your fellowship in Italy?”

Savannah g*****d, “I’d like to say I hadn’t thought of it, but I have.” She made a face, “but he hasn’t asked me to go with him.”

“Did you tell him how you feel?”

“No,” she looked away embarrassed, “I’ve never told anyone other than you and my parents I love them, let alone some Italian guy who probably doesn’t feel the same and is leaving as soon as a doctor clears you to fly.” She sniffed, “he probably has hundreds of women crying over him all over the world.”

“Probably, he does make a mean cup of coffee and a cinnamon bun,” Mackenna teased, “but he’s never had someone like you and though I might be a bit biased, they don’t come any better than you Doctor Kirkland.”

“Thanks Mac. I’m really happy for you and I want you and Alessandro to be together. It’s what is meant to be, but I won’t lie and say I’m going to miss you like crazy when you leave.” Savannah spoke sadly.

“Ahem,” Alessandro cleared his throat interrupting their conversation, his eyes were furious. “Nuncio sent me in to tell you breakfast is ready.” He glared at Mackenna who shifted on her feet. “Where are you going, she is going to miss you? Please tell me you are not thinking of running off on me again.”

Before Mackenna could answer Savannah was defending her, “she’s going wherever you go dumbass, which means back to Milan.” She pointed his chest with her finger. “We’re just sad because we’re going to miss each other.”

Alessandro let out a loud laugh before he brought a struggling Savannah into his arms to k**s her forehead. He slapped her on the bottom and pushed her back into the closet towards Mackenna, “help my wife get dressed and then come back to the kitchen and eat. Nuncio has ordered it.” He pointed at Mackenna and Savannah, “you two need to stop worrying about silliness.” He was still laughing as he walked back to the living room.

“He’s acting really weird,” Mackenna said seriously.

“Tell me about, he just kissed my forehead and slapped my a*s,” Savannah rubbed her buttock where it still stung. “His smack has some force.”

“Really weird,” they both stared at the door where he had just walked through chortling like a kid and shook their heads. The sound of Nuncio yelling at them to hurry up broke them out of their dazes and they immediately set to work getting Mackenna dressed.