Page 207 of Vicious Intentions
“Is that concern I hear in your voice, little brother?” I tease light-heartedly.
His steel-blue eyes shine with unshed tears.
“They’re going to kill you. You won’t even make it to Anna. They’ll make sure of it.”
“Ah,” I murmur, cupping his cheek in my hand. “You never did have much faith in me, did you?” I let out a sigh. “The Outfit can bring its entire fucking army, and I’ll still find my way backto my wife. I will see her again, brother. Even if it’s only for one last time.”
Raffaele slaps my hand away and turns his furious gaze toward Niccolò.
“You can’t let him do this! You know what’ll happen if he goes. They’ll kill him!”
Niccolò says nothing. He knows I’ve already made up my mind, and that he couldn’t stop me even if he tried.
“Rocco, please,” Raffaele pleads, turning toward our other brother, even if he isn’t a Donato by blood. “Talk to your father. Don’t let Matteo do this.”
Rocco’s gaze flickers between the two of us.
“Sorry, kid. If that’s how he wants to go out, who am I to stop him?” He shrugs. “Besides, Matteo knows what he’s doing. And who knows? Maybe the bastard will even make it out alive. Miracles happen every day, right?”
When Raffaele realizes neither Niccolò nor Rocco is going to help him change my mind, his attention snaps back to me.
“Our mother will never survive this, Matteo,” he accuses, making one final desperate attempt to stop me.
“You’re wrong. Shewillsurvive.” I offer him a sad grin. “Our mother is stronger than all of us combined.”
“Don’t do this,” Raffaele pleads, sounding more afraid than I’ve ever heard him. “Don’t go. They’ll kill you.”
I place my hand on the nape of his neck and press our foreheads together.
“You know I don’t have a choice. Better than anyone else in this room, you know that.” My throat tightens around her name. “It’s Anna, Rafe. Anna.”
If there’s anyone capable of understanding the agony of being separated from her, it’s him.
“Fuck,” he chokes out, a tear sliding down his cheek. “You really do love her, don’t you?”
“Yes.” My voice roughens. “So much it hurts to breathe without her.”
“Yeah,” he whispers, wiping angrily at his tears. “I know the feeling.”
Despite everything between us, my chest aches for him too. Like Niccolò, Raffaele deserves love in his life. It was just bad luck he fell for the girl who was always destined to be mine.
“If you get yourself killed, I’ll kill you.”
A quiet laugh leaves me. “Hard to do if I’m already dead.”
“I’ll find a way,” he mutters thickly. “We Donatos always do.”
Truer words have never been spoken.
Yes, we Donatos always find a way.
And I’ll find mine back to my wife…somehow.
Chapter 47
Annamaria
I used to love Christmas.
