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I feel the vein on the side of my neck jump. “We’ll still go. She’ll come with us.”
My mother’s eyes widen. “Honey, that’s not a good idea. Her father will never let us steal her away.”
I touch her shoulder and give it a quick, reassuring squeeze. I can’t refute my mom’s doubts. Hell, I have some of them too. I want to believe taking Sienna with us is the right choice, but a part of me knows I’ll be possibly jeopardizing all we wanted to do. “Trust me, Mom. I know what to do,” I say in a soothing yet firm voice.
My mom touches the back of her neck, apprehension oozing from her. “I trust you. I just don’t trust her father. He’ll move mountains to get her back. And he’ll hurt us when he finds out.”
I curl my fingers into a ball. “He won’t find us.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I’ve been working at it.” I’m using someone who has no ties to Antonio’s family for passports, and our trip to Brazil will be nearly untraceable. Cost me twice as much, but every cent will be worth it. “We’ll have a good head start, and Antonio will be too busy with the repercussions with the Carusos to worry about us.” Besides, his people aren’t that smart. Vito will take over my role, and he’s good at following orders but bad at strategizing on his own.
My mother puts the fruit platter aside. “Okay. This whole thing just makes me so uneasy.”
“I understand.” I pick a raspberry and pop it in my mouth. Acting like I’m not gambling with our lives isn’t easy, but if my mom senses my apprehension, she’ll worry even more about taking Sienna with us. Damn it.
“She told me she loves you. Do you believe her?”
I smile. A bright, light sensation takes over me. I love her too. I love her. I repeat those words in my mind as a mantra. How has this happened? I don’t know. But now, it’s as real as the counter I’m leaning against. “Yes. Doyoubelieve her?”
She crosses her arms over her chest, her eyes hooded. “Strangely, yes. But that doesn’t mean I’m sold on screwing over her father. The last thing we need is for him to be angry at us. Again.”
“Mom… her father plans on marrying her off to an awful man. A man who sexually assaulted at least one woman.” I tell her what Sienna mentioned to me. I didn’t know about the settlement because it happened years ago—and the family did a good job keeping it quiet. But the idea makes my blood boil.
My mother claps her hand to her mouth. “Jesus.”
I stand straighter. There’s no way a man like that will marry Sienna. “Yes.”
She closes the distance between us and looks over at me. “How about you… do you love her?”
I’d be a fool not to. Sienna is all I never knew I deserved. A part of me still doesn’t believe I do, but I still want her. “Yes. Yes, I do,” I say, and my shoulders are looser. I need to tell her that myself. Tonight.
21
Sienna
“Two spontaneous outingson the same day… not sure my heart can take it,” I say when Matteo opens the door to his place.
Night has fallen, and we’re supposed to be shopping. At least, that’s what he told my father. Not that my dad is keeping tabs on my every movement—he trusts Matteo. He knows he doesn’t want to fuck up his last couple of weeks before quitting.
Matteo closes the door behind me.
He took me to a condo in a nice neighborhood. Unlike his mother’s place, his doesn’t have many pictures or personal objects on the shelves. It’s a large, minimalist space with gray leather furniture, a huge TV on the wall, and asymmetric patterned rugs on the white marble tiled floor. It’s elegant, looks expensive, but also… cold.
“Neat,” I say.
He smiles. “Tell me what you really think.”
“It’s not very personal.”
I follow him to the kitchen, a large, airy space with the latest espresso machine on the counter and sleek appliances. He opens a cupboard, grabs two flutes, and retrieves an expensive bottle of champagne from the refrigerator.
“Not personal is how I wanted it,” he says.
I get it.
He worked for my father for many years… Images of random criminals trying to attack him at night or kick the door of his place open flash in my mind. My heart shrinks a little. “Matteo… you never made this your home because it wasn’t home for you, was it?”
