Page 159 of Vicious Intentions
“It’s not what he said. It’s what he’s done.” I shove my phone into his hands, showing him the proof of Moretti’s betrayal. “I need you to come with me to Little Italy. It’s time I remind Moretti who he answers to.”
Niccolò glances at the screen, then hands the phone back, his expression unreadable.
“It wasn’t Moretti who leaked this,” he says. “It was me.” I stare at him, incredulously.
“I beg your fucking pardon?Youdid this?”
“Someone had to.”
“What the fuck, Nico?! Do you even understand what you’ve done?”
“I do,” he says calmly. “The Outfit is gathering strength, plotting against us. And instead of striking while Romano is vulnerable, you’ve hesitated. You’re not thinking clearly, brother. So one of us had to.”
“You have no idea what you’ve done!” I spit out, furious that he would do something like this behind my back.
“Yes, I do. You’re the one who’s forgotten why we kidnapped Romano’s daughter in the first place. This was never about you getting a wife. It was about our city. About theCosa Nostra. Somewhere along the line, you blurred the two.” Niccolò’s words hit their mark just as he intended.
He’s right. Anna’s a Romano. I should have buried her long ago. Instead, I built her a cage that I can’t stop walking into. Her innocence grates on me. Her silence enrages me. Her presencehauntsme. She makes me feel things I’ve spent a lifetime killing. And how I should hate her for it. But instead, all I do is love hermore. My priorities have shifted and in her favor. And for a Don, that’s dangerous. Thefamigliamust always come first. Always.
“Ever since Anna entered this house, you’ve changed, Matteo,” Niccolò continues, as if reading all my thoughts. “If I can see it, so can Moretti. And if he decides you’re not fit to lead, he’ll tell the others you killed Carlo. And if that happens…” He doesn’t finish the sentence. He doesn’t need to. “Snap out of whatever haze you’re in, brother. We need you more than we needher.”
With that threat hanging in the air between us, Niccolò leaves.
I don’t move.
I just stand there, realizing the last person I ever expected to lose faith in me… just did.
Chapter 34
Annamaria
With a loud yawn, I stretch my arms above my head, then freeze midway when I notice my husband sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, his eyes trained on me. For a second, it feels like déjà vu. Like the first day I woke up here. However, it’s been nearly a month now, so I should be used to Matteo lingering in the shadows, watching me sleep.
When I don’t say anything and only stare back at him, he tilts his head slightly to the side, as if studying me were his favorite pastime. It becomes harder to keep my expression completely neutral when he rises from his seat.
Today he’s dressed in a dark navy suit, sharp and perfectly tailored. His black hair is slicked back, still wet from his shower, and his smile is sinful in its flawlessness.
He looks…unfairly breathtaking. But then again, my husband always does.
I don’t move an inch as eats the distance between us and then sits beside me on the bed.
“Good morning,” he greets.
“For who?”
The faint smile on his lips falters immediately. It always does when I’m cold to him.
“Don’t you meanfor whom, wife?” he asks, trying to lighten the mood. When I don’t so much as crack a smile, he continues. “Anyway…” He clears his throat. “What do you have planned for today?”
“Nothing much. Spend some time with Paolina. Work on my escape plan. You know, the usual.” I smile sweetly.
“Fair enough,” he retorts, sounding almost amused. “When that doesn’t work out for you, maybe you’d like to visit the library instead. I left you a gift there. Something I think you might enjoy.”
“You’re bribing me now?” I arch a brow.
“It’s a gift, wife,” he corrects with a calm voice. “Not a bribe. If you don’t like it, I can always return it.”
“I’ll think about it,” I reply, hoping it’s enough to end our little conversation.
