Page 86 of The Mastermind
I swallowed. ‘What?’
‘A few things are falling into place,bedda. Correct me if I’m wrong. You’ve been forced to carry this on your own, haven’t you?’
There was no point lying, so I nodded. ‘Sofiya and Giada know, but I don’t think Jacinta or Ciso do. And my mom, obviously.’
‘And I’m guessing nothing’s been done medically about it?’
I laughed. ‘What do you think? All I got was a warning from my grandfather about the consequences if I…’
His jaw rippled with fury. ‘I get the picture.’
Again, my heart lurched at his reaction. ‘You seem angry on my behalf. Why aren’t you more angrywithme?’
The question seemed to take him aback. Then another wave of pain swept across his face. I wanted to step to him, pull his hand to my chest and soothe. I also wanted, desperately, to take back the question. But I pursed my lips tight and waited.
‘I am. You knew the truth and you didn’t tell me, but I also get that with our history, confession wasn’t the best option for you. Also… you didn’t pull the trigger.’ He shrugged, dragged his hands down his face. ‘It could be the way I’m wired but… she’s gone. I wasn’t around when it happened and I’ve made a certain peace with it. But Rafaelle…’ He stopped again and winced. ‘He was there. Amongst all of us, he was the most affected.’ His eyes met mine in clear warning. ‘He won’t take this well.’
Fear sloshing through me like a drunken sailor on a storm-tossed boat, I nodded.
‘I think in some ways, the story of our feud prepared all of us. And at the time, we took down enough of the people he thought responsible for everyone to feel somewhat… avenged.’
Horror moved through me at the cold way he discussed his family’s way of grieving. It was mine’s too, but it still didn’t stop the surge of dismay. Of recalling how many soldiers from my family and other smaller outfits across the United States and around the world had been slaughtered in payback for Isabella Salvatore’s murder.
The question boiling at the back of my throat seemed almost nonsensical, but I asked anyway. ‘And now? Aren’t you… Are you okay with re-igniting the war? Because you know as well as I do that Bonafacio isn’t going to let you take me or… my sister without retaliation. Many more people are going to die when this comes out, Cesare.’
His nostrils flared and for a moment he looked positively livid at the obvious truth. Then his face settled in coldcalculation. ‘Like I said, some outcomes are inevitable. But I have a couple of weeks to see how I proceed with this.’
‘And what am I supposed to do in that time? Be at your beck and call?’ My insides jumped in confused elation, in direct opposition and in mockery of the dissent I tried to project.
His hand curled around my nape, used the hold to propel me closer. ‘Nothing has changed,bedda. You will do exactly what I want when I want.’ His words said one thing, but there was an undertone within it. A…pleading.
Cesare wanted me to comply…because he feared for me.
‘And then what?’ I murmured. ‘You hand me to your executioner in two weeks’ time?’
He fused his mouth to mine, and I sank into the kiss, eager for the relief from fear. From grappling with the repercussions of what I’d done. And, Jesus, they were endless. I hadn’t just thrown myself into the lion’s den. My carelessness had dragged my sweet, fragile sister in too.
My brain threatened to dissolve beneath the onslaught of his rough passion. Only when I was breathless and clinging to him did Cesare raise his head.
Fierce charcoal-grey eyes pierced into me. ‘You’re mine,bedda. No one lays a hand on you.’
Until I decide otherwise.
The unsaid words rattled in my brain long after he’d ripped off the lace I’d put on with seduction in mind and pushed me back on the bed. Long after I’d spread my thighs and he’d dropped to his knees to feast on me like a starving man at a banquet.
And much, much longer after he’d fucked me into the mattress and roared his most frenzied and agonised release yet.
25
CESARE
Keeping this secret would be like loading an anvil and two anchors around my neck and attempting to breathe and walk and talk like normal.
Rafaelle knew something was up within the first day of the US Grand Prix. Thankfully, he attributed it to woman trouble and I didn’t disabuse him of that. There would be hell to pay when I finally came clean. I knew that. The new ache in my chest burned with a feverish hope that hell wouldn’t be apocalyptic.
Orazio would lose his mind. Pops would be homicidal. War would be declared, no doubt.
But Rafaelle was my main worry.
