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Bellona wished she could resurrect Michele and punch him in the throat. "And Rafael agreed to this?"
"Not that I know of, but it doesn't matter. The contract was there. Michele had changed his mind on what the Costas could offer him. Let's face it: Rafael needs a wife and heir. I am everything he could ever want or need. I just need to get him to the altar," Rita replied. Her eyes had a strange glow in them. Not only was she crazy, but she was also obsessed. Just perfect.
"Rafael doesn't want to marry you, Rita. Maybe try a matchmaker? I'm sure there is someone out there for you. Crazy and beautiful is popular with men."
Rita's nostrils flared. "Rafael is all I ever wanted. I've been in love with him since I was fifteen years old, and I will have him. I don't care what it takes."
Bellona smiled, and it was cold enough that Rita pulled back a little. "Rafael is a big boy and has made his thoughts known on the matter. No means no, girl. Back off. You lost. You will never get him to choose you."
"And what makes you so sure?"
Bellona thought of Rafael's smile and how hard he had worked to keep his business clean when it would be so easy not to. "Rafael is a good person. He brings light wherever he goes and wants to protect the people in his care from pieces of shit like you. He's better than you will ever be."
"Oh, I see now. You think you are good enough for him, but I'm not?" Rita said with a soft, murderous laugh.
"No. He's definitely too good for me. I'm the worst of the worst."
"But you love him anyway, even though he will never choose you either. Interesting."
Bellona went deathly still. Was it love that she was feeling when she looked at Rafael? She didn't know. She had never been in love before. Bellona hated the smug look on Rita's face. She knew she had struck a blow. Bellona wanted to smash the martini glass and stick the stem in Rita's throat. It would make her feel so much better after the day she'd had.
Bellona's phone vibrated, and she glanced down at the message from Medusa. Rafael is up and wandering.
"So sorry to cut our dinner short, Rita, but I have other business to attend to," Bellona said, rising to her feet. "Please take my offer into consideration. I would hate for you to lose everything you have worked so hard to build. But just so we are clear: Rafael will never be yours, so bow out gracefully before things get messy."
"Thank you for the warning." Rita lifted her martini to her. "But if I can't have him, no one can. I'll put a bullet in his head before I let some blonde bimbo like you get her hands on him."
Bellona laughed. "Sweet child, I am going to enjoy seeing you try."
With that, Bellona sailed out of the restaurant with her head held high. She could tell everyone that she had tried to end this peacefully. That plan failed. So now she would do it her way.
13
Bellona secretly hoped that Rafael would have returned to bed by the time she got home. No such luck. Rafael had helped himself to some brandy and was looking at all the paraphernalia she had collected over the years.
"Bellona! Where have you...been?" Rafael turned and looked her over, from her heeled boots and the tight satin of her dress to her red lips. "Oh, wow. You look amazing."
"You should be in bed," she said, pretending his reaction to her didn't affect her.
"I needed to shower because I was gross. Imagine my surprise when I found that you were gone. Where have you been? Hot date that couldn't wait?" Rafael asked, putting his glass down and crossing his arms.
"Why? Are you jealous?" she said, tossing her keys and purse onto a side table. He was in those sinful gray pajamas, his hair still damp and ruffled. Bellona's mouth watered.
"Of course I'm jealous. You claimed to Laverna that I was yours, and then you went out with some other guy."
"I meant you are mine, as in my client." Bellona's tongue burned from the lie. "And I had a date with Rita Costa."
"What? Why?" Rafael's brows shot up. "Are you hurt?"
"No. It was a crowded restaurant. I wanted to see what the fuss was about and to warn her to back off before I make her."
Rafael chewed the inside of his cheek. "And what was her response?"
"She went on a rant about how your fathers had put a marriage agreement in place, but Michele died before he could sign it." Bellona poured herself a brandy. Maybe it would help keep the rage and her messy feelings from spilling out everywhere. "Did you know about it?"
"Of course not! I've never seen such an agreement, and my father was controlling, but he couldn't have forced me to marry anyone. None of this makes sense. Why would she even want to marry me? I've only met her once."
Bellona shrugged. "Sometimes, once is all it takes."
