Page 5 of Captive Rival: Armani
I let everyone mull things over while I pour myself a drink and drop into a chair. Everything I’ve just told my brothers is true, but there is one thing I’ve left out. I’m not taking Candi away from Napa solely to protect her as a Bellanti asset. I’m also taking her away because I need to get her out of my system once and for all. I can no longer lie to myself about the fact that she’s become a distraction to me.
And if I don’t remedy the issue, I’ll never get my head back in the game.
Which is why I plan to use her good and hard, until I’ve had my fill.
“I really hope you know what you’re doing, bro,” Marco says with an edge to his voice that pulls me from my train of thought. “I’m getting real sick of living this life. Karina and I just want to move on. End this once and for all.”
I take a slow drink of my scotch, relishing the burn of it in my throat. I have the urge to pat my little brother on top of the head and tell him not to worry, but that would really rile him up.
“Believe me, I am going to end this,” I tell him. “Which is why I need to maintain complete control of our every move. The Brunos won’t make it through what I have planned. Not this time.”
I finish the rest of my drink, then slam my glass down on the table.
“You’re all free to go,” I say, standing up. “I’ll send word once I’ve reached the island.”
“Viaggi sicuri,” Dante tells me. Safe travels.
“Always,” I say in response.
And then I walk out.
3
CANDI
It’s still darkwhen I wake to the sound of Armani unzipping two suitcases at the foot of our bed.
I sit up, my eyes slowly adjusting to the predawn gloom, watching him fill the luggage with clothes and make back and forth trips from the closet, the bathroom, and his chest of drawers.
“Where are you going?” I ask sleepily.
He doesn’t answer me, but my heart starts racing as I realize he isn’t just packing for himself. He’s packing for me, too. At six in the morning and with a quick efficiency, as if he’s in a hurry to get out of here. A little red flag waves in my brain. We’re fleeing. Did something happen? Are we in danger?
“Is it the Brunos? Why are we running away?” I ask, sliding out of bed.
“God, Candi. Don’t be so melodramatic. We’re not running away. We’re taking a trip.”
That’s no kind of answer at all.
I move to the foot of the bed and block the suitcases, folding my arms over my chest. Armani pulls up short in front of me with an armload of my shoes.
He lets out a huff of annoyance. “Move.”
“Not until you tell me what’s going on,” I tell him. “And by the way, you’re not packing my Jimmy Choo sandals. It’s almost winter.”
But when I try to grab them, he steps back, out of my reach. “Trust me. You’ll want them.”
“Because we’re going to…” I coax, hoping he’ll fill in the blank with someplace good.
“Be gone for a while,” he finishes, darting around me and dumping the shoes in a suitcase. “And before you ask, yes, Mr. Sprinkles will be well taken care of. Your favorite cat is staying with your favorite chef’s assistant for the duration of our trip. Becca was quite happy to offer her services as kittysitter again, thanks to the generous bonus I paid her last time.”
He goes back into the closet and returns with a bunch of my dresses, still on their hangers, and then proceeds to shove them into the suitcase in one big lump.
“Okay, I’ve had enough,” I say. “You’re going to wrinkle up everything in there. Let me do it.”
With that, I pull out the pile of dresses and lay them flat on the bed. As I start to remove them from their hangers, Armani comes around the bed to where I’m standing. As I catch the scent of his cologne, my adrenaline races.
“I never said I needed your help. Go back to sleep, princess,” he says.
