jetty.
‘Where the hell have you been?’ he yelled as Ludo and Cinda disembarked. He strode over to them.
‘None of your business,’ said Ludo cheerfully.
‘You know you’re not supposed to go out without your guards,’ said Gus, furious. ‘I’ve been out of my mind with worry.’
Ludo just laughed. ‘You need a new hobby,’ he said as he brushed past his brother.
‘I don’t have time for this,’ growled Gus, and he turned to Cinda. ‘Do you understand that he can’t be without his bodyguards? Did you know this?’
Cinda shook her head. ‘I didn’t know.’
‘Leave her out of it,’ yelled Ludo.
Gus moved closer to Cinda so he was almost standing over her. ‘Did you know we receive daily threats to our family, Cinda? Political activists, terrorists, crazies. How would you feel if something happened to him?’
Ludo pushed Gus in the chest. ‘I said leave her alone.’
There was no warning as Gus swung a punch, landing it on Ludo’s jaw, propelling him backwards off the jetty and into the water.
‘Oh my god,’ gasped Cinda as Ludo surfaced, spluttering.
Gus had already turned and was striding back to towards the villa.
Ludo climbed up the wooden ladder at the end of the jetty, shaking water out of his hair and wringing out his shirt. His jaw hurt like hell.
‘Jesus,’ said Cinda as she grabbed him by the arm. ‘What was that about?’
Ludo looked up towards the house. ‘I don’t know,’ he said. ‘I mean, I’ve snuck off without my bodyguards a few times. I always get in trouble but it’s never been such a big deal before.’
‘It seems the real person you need protection against is your brother,’ said Cinda, reaching over to touch his sore jaw. She looked cute when she was worried.
Ludo smiled and put his wet arms around her. ‘You know what? He’s just jealous because I have a beautiful girl and no cares in the world and he has bossy Perrette and all the troubles of the country.‘
When Ludo and Cinda got back there was no sign of Gus or Jonas.
‘Come and shower with me,’ said Ludo as they walked inside.
Cinda looked at him. He thought for a moment she might just go for it. ‘I think you can shower by yourself,’ she said with that smile that drove him crazy. She headed towards her room, turning at the door. ‘ Ciao ,’ she said flirtatiously.
Ludo laughed and went to his own rooms, where he found Gus sitting in a chair in the corner.
‘What do you want now?’ asked Ludo, peeling off his wet T-shirt.
‘I wanted to ensure you weren’t hurt,’ said Gus.
‘Is that your way of apologising? I’m fine. That was a pissweak punch,’ said Ludo, only half-lying.
‘Would you like me to try again?’ offered Gus.
Ludo stared at him. ‘What is your problem? You overreacted today. You must have seen the speedboat was out. You would have known I was out with Cinda. Even the goon squad could have worked that out. So why the complete flip out?’
Gus stood up and looked out the doorway to the balcony. ‘She needs to go,’ he said, not looking at Ludo.
Ludo stared at his brother’s back, cold fury washing over him. ‘And why is that?’
‘Because she’s not one of us.’
‘She’s not a snobbish prick like you and Perrette, true,’ said Ludo, giving a humourless laugh and heading to the bathroom. He stripped to his underwear and turned on the shower.
Gus came and stood in the doorway of the bathroom. ‘I mean it, Ludo. She goes, and by the end of the week.’
Ludo shook his head. ‘She’s not going anywhere. I’ve hired her to paint my portrait. It could take months.’
Gus’s face dropped and Ludo looked his brother in the eye. ‘I like her. I like her a lot. More than any of the others. So back off.’
‘You know Mamma will never stand for it.’
‘I don’t care. And honestly? Neither does Mamma. All she really cares about is making sure you get on the throne,’ spat Ludo. ‘Now run off to Mammina and tell her what a disaster I am. I
‘Where the hell have you been?’ he yelled as Ludo and Cinda disembarked. He strode over to them.
‘None of your business,’ said Ludo cheerfully.
‘You know you’re not supposed to go out without your guards,’ said Gus, furious. ‘I’ve been out of my mind with worry.’
Ludo just laughed. ‘You need a new hobby,’ he said as he brushed past his brother.
‘I don’t have time for this,’ growled Gus, and he turned to Cinda. ‘Do you understand that he can’t be without his bodyguards? Did you know this?’
Cinda shook her head. ‘I didn’t know.’
‘Leave her out of it,’ yelled Ludo.
Gus moved closer to Cinda so he was almost standing over her. ‘Did you know we receive daily threats to our family, Cinda? Political activists, terrorists, crazies. How would you feel if something happened to him?’
Ludo pushed Gus in the chest. ‘I said leave her alone.’
There was no warning as Gus swung a punch, landing it on Ludo’s jaw, propelling him backwards off the jetty and into the water.
‘Oh my god,’ gasped Cinda as Ludo surfaced, spluttering.
Gus had already turned and was striding back to towards the villa.
Ludo climbed up the wooden ladder at the end of the jetty, shaking water out of his hair and wringing out his shirt. His jaw hurt like hell.
‘Jesus,’ said Cinda as she grabbed him by the arm. ‘What was that about?’
Ludo looked up towards the house. ‘I don’t know,’ he said. ‘I mean, I’ve snuck off without my bodyguards a few times. I always get in trouble but it’s never been such a big deal before.’
‘It seems the real person you need protection against is your brother,’ said Cinda, reaching over to touch his sore jaw. She looked cute when she was worried.
Ludo smiled and put his wet arms around her. ‘You know what? He’s just jealous because I have a beautiful girl and no cares in the world and he has bossy Perrette and all the troubles of the country.‘
When Ludo and Cinda got back there was no sign of Gus or Jonas.
‘Come and shower with me,’ said Ludo as they walked inside.
Cinda looked at him. He thought for a moment she might just go for it. ‘I think you can shower by yourself,’ she said with that smile that drove him crazy. She headed towards her room, turning at the door. ‘ Ciao ,’ she said flirtatiously.
Ludo laughed and went to his own rooms, where he found Gus sitting in a chair in the corner.
‘What do you want now?’ asked Ludo, peeling off his wet T-shirt.
‘I wanted to ensure you weren’t hurt,’ said Gus.
‘Is that your way of apologising? I’m fine. That was a pissweak punch,’ said Ludo, only half-lying.
‘Would you like me to try again?’ offered Gus.
Ludo stared at him. ‘What is your problem? You overreacted today. You must have seen the speedboat was out. You would have known I was out with Cinda. Even the goon squad could have worked that out. So why the complete flip out?’
Gus stood up and looked out the doorway to the balcony. ‘She needs to go,’ he said, not looking at Ludo.
Ludo stared at his brother’s back, cold fury washing over him. ‘And why is that?’
‘Because she’s not one of us.’
‘She’s not a snobbish prick like you and Perrette, true,’ said Ludo, giving a humourless laugh and heading to the bathroom. He stripped to his underwear and turned on the shower.
Gus came and stood in the doorway of the bathroom. ‘I mean it, Ludo. She goes, and by the end of the week.’
Ludo shook his head. ‘She’s not going anywhere. I’ve hired her to paint my portrait. It could take months.’
Gus’s face dropped and Ludo looked his brother in the eye. ‘I like her. I like her a lot. More than any of the others. So back off.’
‘You know Mamma will never stand for it.’
‘I don’t care. And honestly? Neither does Mamma. All she really cares about is making sure you get on the throne,’ spat Ludo. ‘Now run off to Mammina and tell her what a disaster I am. I
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