Page 141 of Unraveled

He’d done this.

“I’ve not been in a romantic relationship with my wife from damn near the day we married, though you might not believe it, and I certainly wasn’t with her when I was with you. For what it’s worth, I have only loved you, ever,” Gian said.

“It’s not worth very much now.”

More tears fell, but she didn’t make a sound.

Gian didn’t try to stop Cara as she took those last few steps toward the elevator. She wished that she could say it was only relief in her heart as she did what she knew was right.

It still hurt like hell. Her heart shattered when she stepped inside. She broke apart as the doors closed.

That was her goodbye.

Gian deserved to see every fucking second of it.

He was the entire reason why.

Every single reason.

Entangled

Please note, this is an unedited, and subject to change, excerpt of Entangled, Guzzi Duet, Book Two.

Chapter One

It was possible to be entirely alone in a room full of people.

Gian Guzzi had never had that experience before, but now it was all too common. He had wrongly assumed that taking the highest seat in his Cosa Nostra family would leave him with very little time to consider and wallow about his personal problems, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Already, it was August. A hot, humid summer month that Gian had planned to spend with someone else, ignoring the heat as best he could. Three months had passed since his last encounter with Cara Rossi, but not a single fucking day went by when he wasn’t reminded of her in some way.

Part of that was by his own hand, of course.

Being a boss, on the other hand, forced Gian to keep his personal issues quiet. He certainly couldn’t afford to let the men around him think that he was distracted by his emotions, never mind a woman that he could no longer have. He needed for them to think that at all times, he was on his very best game, no matter what.

Duty first.

Legacy second.

And only then, love.

Gian finally understood what his grandfather, Corrado, had been trying to tell him for years. He assumed that it was a sacrifice all made men needed to make for the sake of la famiglia, but he was wrong.

Only the boss made that sacrifice.

Cosa Nostra had to be his one constant. He had to breathe the business. He had to bleed the life. He was the one who was expected to repeat the rules, and enforce them. He was the only one who was looked to when something needed to be heard. His voice spoke for everyone.

That was what a good boss did. Then, if he did his job well, the boss’s men would never know that he was just like them, affected and ruined by silly things like love and a woman.

Duty. Legacy. Love.

Always in that order.

Always.

Oh, yes.

Gian understood those words perfectly well now.