Page 128 of Righteous Enforcer
"I take no pleasure in it," he says, and I believe him. For all his bluster and assholishness, he is my brother and cares for me.
"What are you going to do?" he asks.
I stare at my hands. "I don't know. But I know one thing for certain. Eva Santoro just declared war on the wrong man."
"She doesn’t know anything. She won’t be an asset to him. And if she shows up here acting like she’s escaped and seeking refuge?—”
“She won’t be allowed in.”
He arches a brow, and I know what he wants me to say is that I’ll kill her. Fuck. I don’t know if I can, even though I want to.
“If she does come back, we can't afford to let sentiment cloud judgment. Not again. She's a liability to the family. To Mirabella."
My head snaps up at my daughter's name. "What do you mean?"
"Think about it, Adriano. She’s bringing the Bratva to our doorstep. Bringing danger to Mirabella."
He’s right, and it’s a shock. I find it nearly impossible to believe Eva would put Mirabella in danger. I believe her love for our daughter is true. And yet, I can’t deny what I heard tonight.
"If she comes back, I won't be fooled again and I won’t be persuaded to let her see Mirabella. I’ll get a lawyer to make sure I have sole custody.”
I stand, my decision crystallizing into something hard and unbreakable inside me.
Eva Santoro is dead to me now. And if she dares return, she'll wish she really had died four years ago.
32
EVA
I stare at the crystal wine glass Ivan just filled. It reminds me of blood.
"You're not eating, Eva," Ivan observes, slicing into his steak. "The chef prepared this especially for our reunion dinner."
Reunion. As if we're old friends catching up.
"I've lost my appetite," I manage, fighting to keep my voice steady.
Ivan chuckles, dabbing his mouth with his napkin. "Understandable. It's been quite a day for you."
I glance at the doors, wondering how far I’d make it before I was caught, or shot, if I ran.
"Do you remember the first time we met?" Ivan asks, swirling his wine. "You were just a terrified girl, begging my brother for your father's life."
The memory is seared into my brain. My father on his knees. Maksim Vasiliev's cold eyes. My desperate pleas.
"You made a choice that day," Ivan continues. "A contract, if you will. Your service for your father's life."
"A contract you broke when your brother killed him anyway," I snap, unable to contain myself.
Ivan shrugs. "My brother was impulsive. I would have honored our arrangement."
"And now?"
“And now you have to honor yours. After all, your father’s death was your fault. You broke the contract?—”
“Lorenzo was going to kill me.”
He sits back and studies me. “And we could have protected you. You and your child. You should have trusted us, Eva. If you had, your father would be alive and the Dantes would all be dead.”
