Carlos nods, “Bryan recognized him that night. Most people do. I can’t believe you left with him, Lily. What were you thinking? What happened?”
He definitely doesn’t want to know the answer to that.
“Nothing. It’s over now so don’t worry,” I tell him, trying to ignore the clenching and unclenching going on in my chest.
I can’t believe I was stupid enough not to realize it. The bodyguards, the darkness that clung to him, the tattoos. He had mafia written all over him and I ignored it. I allowed myself to be fooled. But really he didn’t do anything. He told me exactlywho he was but I brushed it away. Pretended I could see some light in those eyes.
If he’s really who Carlos says he is, then there’s no saving him.
“Are you sure it’s over?” my boss questions.
I swallow gently, nodding my head, After the way I left his house, I don’t think he’ll come looking for me again. He dismissed me pretty definitively.
“This man is dangerous, Lily,” Carlos presses.
His words land icily in my veins. A shiver rolls through me and then I remember what my mother said to me the day I left home for college. She had looked more serious than I’ve ever seen her and she’d made me promise. Looked me right in the eye and told me that there were two types of men I had to make sure I never got involved with.
Men in the cartel and men in the mafia.
Those men ruin you, mi amor. You will become nothing but a husk of yourself if you stay around a made man or a drug lord. No matter what happens, when you come across them, you run and you don’t look back. Promise me, mi nina.
Stunned by her ferocity, I’d made the promise. And now I’d unwittingly broken it. But there was still time. Time to undo what I’m starting to realize was a big mistake.
Time to unlatch myself from Rafaelle Vitale’s darkness.
CHAPTER SIX
RAFAELLE
The nightmares that plague me while I sleep are worse than reality.
I can carve my reality to suit me, my actions are my own and I’m in complete and total control of my mind.
While I dream though, everything works against me. Reminds me of my failures, of my weaknesses. Reminds me I’ll never escape no matter how hard I try to run.
I wake up with a gasp, sweat lining my chest and my forehead. Almost immediately, I reach for my gun under my pillow, aiming it an intruder that doesn’t exist, at ghosts that can’t be destroyed. In reality, my demons are easily struck down and discarded. The same can’t be said for the ones that no one else sees but me.
With a grunt, I shut my eyes, leaning my head back against the headboard. In the past couple of days, reality has started to get tainted as well. Tainted by amber eyes and a siren’s voice. Long dark hair and a bleeding heart that anyone could see through. A heart that almost saw through me.
In a way she’s just like my nightmares. She reminds me of everything I’ve tried hard to forget. Everything I no longer am.She reminds me of the weaknesses I’ve carved out. Which is why I made a decision to let her go.
Because I’ve worked too damn hard to let anyone else flay me. Liliana can’t and will never be a part of my life.
My phone lights up with a text from Matteo reminding me about a meeting at the Vitale Estate. A glance at the time tells me it’s 2pm, so I’ve had about two hours of sleep. With a groan, I slide out of bed, pressing a button to slide open the automatic curtains. The sun burns bright through the windows and I have to shield my eyes against it.
It doesn’t take me too long to get ready and I arrive at the Estate just in time. That is, thirty minutes after we agreed upon. Salvatore greets me with a frown as I walk into his office but his right hand beats him to it.
“You’re late,” Matteo states.
“And you’re a hard ass, what else is new?” I say, uncorking a bottle of whiskey already waiting for me on the table.
I pour a healthy amount into a glass and take a seat.
“Where’s Elly?” I ask, looking around the room for our youngest brother.
“He’s handling something.”
“What?”
