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At their Don's command, the string quartet tentatively starts up again, though the atmosphere remains charged with undercurrents. Vittorio places a firm hand on Antonio's shoulder, muttering something to his son that I can't hear over the music. Then he withdraws into the crowd, the picture of urbane charm once more.
Antonio scrubs a hand over his jaw, collecting himself. When he turns to me, the menace has left his eyes. "Are you alright, Clara?" he asks.
"I'm fine," I reply shakily. "Just...startled. Who was that?"
Antonio's expression blackens. "My cousin Emilio, Dante's brother. He's always been crude and antagonistic, resentful of our power and Dante's position with us. Pay him no mind."
I nod uneasily, thoughts churning. Having enemies within the family itself makes this even more dangerous. And me being here, an outsider they apparently see as a threat, has clearly angered them further.
The rest of the glamorous event passes in a blur. Antonio returns to my side throughout the evening as we mingle. I overhear snippets of conversations - veiled threats, backroom deals, subtle shows of power. This is Antonio's world, I realize with dizzying clarity. One where violence simmers just below the surface glitz and glamor.
I should be repulsed. Everything I was taught screams that I should run back to the normal world and never look back. But gazing up at Antonio's chiseled profile as we whirl across the dance floor, I'm surprised to feel something shifting inside me. Being here in his arms makes me feel alive in a way I've never known.
Eventually, the gala winds down as guests begin drifting away to continue revelries at various clubs and mansions around the city. Elena touches me lightly on the shoulder. "Antonio will have business to see to now that the others have gone," she says meaningfully. "We should give him space to work."
Too spent to argue, I let her guide me back upstairs. Once in my lavish suite, I carefully hang the glittering gown and place the jewelry back in its boxes. Slipping into a nightgown, I crawl gratefully between the smooth sheets. My mind replays the night's events as I drift off, Antonio's smoldering eyes haunting my dreams.
CHAPTER16
ANTONIO
The muted sounds of the mansion settling float on the night air as I slip out the back door onto the secluded patio. After the tense encounter with Emilio earlier this evening, I needed time alone to clear my head and regain control.
Closing my eyes, I draw in a long breath, letting the crisp night air fill my lungs. Gradually, my rapid pulse settles and the red haze of anger recedes. When I open my eyes, the moonlit gardens sprawl before me in tranquil stillness. The elegant flower beds and sculpted hedges appear almost ethereal in the silvery light. Out here, away from the crowds and posturing, my perspective realigns.
Rolling the stiffness from my shoulders, I loosen my bowtie and undo the top buttons of my dress shirt. While violence comes naturally in my world when honor and respect are at stake, losing self-control, especially in public, is unacceptable. I've always prided myself on keeping a cool head no matter the provocation. It's a skill necessary for survival, let alone leadership.
Yet seeing Emilio sneering down at Clara, spouting his vile disrespect toward the woman under my protection, something had snapped inside me. Before I even realized what I was doing, my fist connected squarely with his smug face. A spike of dark satisfaction pulses through me at the memory of cartilage crunching under my knuckles. But outwardly I keep my expression impassive. I cannot afford to indulge the savage impulses too often, or risk losing myself to the brutality inherited in my bones.
Still...teaching Emilio manners where Clara is concerned had needed doing. Letting such crude disrespect go unanswered would show weakness. And any sign of weakness in my position is akin to spilling blood in shark-infested waters. Clara may technically be our 'guest' here, but I'll be damned if I let her be disrespected under this roof, by family or otherwise.
The sound of approaching footsteps over the patio stones pulls me abruptly from my brooding. I turn to find Rafael striding toward me, his piercing dark gaze assessing. As always, he moves with coiled strength and predatory focus. I straighten reflexively, squaring my shoulders under his scrutiny.
Rafael comes to stand beside me at the carved railing edging the patio, assuming a deceptively relaxed posture as he surveys the moonlit grounds. We both stare out into the gardens for long moments, listening to the gentle chorus of crickets and night birds in the trees. This easy silence between us speaks to our long history, from boyhood pranks on the city streets to commanding armies of made men as adults. But beneath the calm surface, words unsaid churn like riptides, threatening to drag me under.
At length Rafael speaks, his gravelly voice slicing through the hush. "Quite the event this evening, hmm?" His tone holds a subtle challenge layered beneath the mild words. My jaw tightens, but I keep my own voice carefully neutral. "Yes, although not the evening I had envisioned."
Rafael gives a derisive snort. "No, I imagine not." He turns to face me fully then, eyes glinting like flint in the silvery light. "Punching Emilio like some pissed off dock worker. What the hell were you thinking, Antonio?"
I bristle at his disapproval, hackles rising instinctively. "I was thinking that I refuse to tolerate blatant disrespect toward a guest in our house, from family or otherwise," I snap. I cross my arms over my chest, straining against the desire to strike out in frustration. Rafael has always had a knack for getting under my skin and pushing me right to the brink of control.
Sensing my simmering temper, Rafael raises his hands in a mild gesture of placation. But his piercing eyes continue scrutinizing me for cracks in my façade. "Hey, you taught the little weasel some manners, can't deny that. But we both know this runs deeper than just defending the girl's honor."
I level a hard stare in his direction, warning him not to overstep. But Rafael is uncowed. "I know that look, brother. I've seen what happens when you let emotion cloud your judgment where a woman is concerned." His expression softens slightly, almost pitying. "You're playing a dangerous game here."
I pull away from the railing to pace the edge of the patio, needing to expend the restless energy building inside me. Rafael tracks my movements silently, head cocked like a bird of prey assessing potential weakness in their target. I scrub a hand roughly over my jaw, grasping for composure.
"Don't presume to understand my feelings regarding Clara," I bite out tersely. "You mistake duty for sentiment. She's a guest under my family's protection. Nothing more." The denial tastes bitter on my tongue, but I force the words out. Showing weakness here could undermine everything. If my own men sense cracks forming, rivals will break through to shatter our empire. I cannot falter.
Rafael's bark of mirthless laughter cuts through the night air. "Right, of course. Is that what you tell yourself when you're fucking her senseless at night?" His words land like blows, jarring loose my tenuous control once more.
I slam Rafael back against the coarse brick patio wall before I'm even aware I've moved, forearm crushing against his throat. He doesn't struggle or resist the chokehold, simply meets my wild eyes unflinchingly. We remain frozen like that for several pounding heartbeats, both breathing hard. The urge to lash out wars with fraying restraint inside me. With a deep effort, I uncurl my fist and release him. Rafael straightens slowly, rolling his neck, but otherwise unruffled by my violent outburst. His composure only fuels my frustration, even as shame curdles in my gut at losing control again tonight.
"Have I struck a nerve?" Rafael asks evenly, gravelly voice rasping slightly from the pressure on his windpipe. When I remain tensely silent, he steps closer, refusing to let this go. "You need to detach yourself from her, Antonio. For your family's sake. She has a purpose, for now. But keep your head straight." His stern tone brokers no room for argument. "We both know how this story ends otherwise."
I brace my palms on the cool brick ledge, fingers digging into the weathered crevices until my knuckles blanch bloodless. The urge to keep lashing out coils tightly inside me, though whether seeking to punish him or myself more, I cannot say. With another deep effort, I rein the dark impulses back, focusing on steadying each harsh breath.
"And if I can't?" I ask finally, my voice raw to my own ears. Rafael exhales heavily, the sound laden with unspoken meaning. His hand comes to rest on my shoulder, gripping firm, grounding. "Then you have to decide what sacrifices you're willing to make, and what lines you won't cross. For all of our sakes."
