Page 110 of Secrets of the Brother
I cocked my head to the side as I gazed at her. With absolutely no remorse, I said calmly, “Whoever dares to take my place.”
She shook her head. “I told you, that was a lie. There is no one.”
“No, but eventually there will be. You’re too talented and beautiful and smart. Eventually there will be. And when there is… I’ll kill him.”
Her mouth opened and closed several times before she finally said, “You’re not serious. You’re just saying this to scare me.”
I stepped closer. She was so stunned by my admission, she didn’t think to move out of my reach. I caressed her cheek with the backs of my knuckles. “I don’t make idle threats. I have the money, power, and resources. Any man who dares to even look at you. I’ll kill him. And the next one and the one after that.”
She swallowed and shook her head rigidly from side to side. “No. You didn’t kill my sister. I know you didn’t. You said so and I believe you. You’re not capable of murder.”
I cupped her cheek as the side of my thumb rubbed her lower lip. “I said I didn’t kill your sister. I never said I wasn’t capable of murder.”
She stumbled backward. Her steps uneven on her broken heel.
I followed until I had her cornered against the wall. I lifted my arms, caging her in.
She lowered her head. Her voice was barely above a whisper. “Don’t you want me to be happy, Enzo?”
I curved a finger under her chin and raised her face to capture her gaze. I leaned down and kissed her forehead. Closing my eyes as I inhaled the familiar scent of her perfume. “My precious babygirl, I want that more than anything on this earth.”
“Then why are you doing this?”
I slipped my hands inside her coat and slid it off her shoulders and down her arms. Catching it before it fell to the ground, I spread it out on a pile of dried leaves and moss to the right of where we were standing. I then reached for the few buttons that remained on her black silk blouse. One by one I undid them. She watched me as if in a trance.
Keeping a watchful eye on her reaction, I said, “I wish things could be different. I wish I could tell you I loved you enough to let you go if I had to….”
I slipped the blouse off her shoulders and let it fall to the forest floor, leaving her in only the black lace chemise and skirt. I then knelt before her. Caressing the back of her calf, I lifted her leg and slipped the broken heel off her foot. “And that I was deeply sorry for the part I played in hurting you.”
I took off her other shoe and rose. “And that I hoped you would give me a second chance. And that I would wait until you were ready, for however long it took, for us to get married and start a family, on your terms.”
I wrapped my arm around her waist. “I wish I could tell you that if you couldn’t find it in your heart to forgive me, that I hoped you could find love and happiness with another man who knew how amazingly wonderful and beautiful and sweet and kind and passionate and creative and talented you are.” I lowered the back zipper to her skirt.
It was at that moment she seemed to come out of her stupor.
She reached behind her and raised the zipper. “I would wish all those things for you too, Enzo. I would want you to be happy as well.”
I lowered the zipper again. “You’re not listening,tesoro mio.I said IwishedI could tell you those things. IwishI was the type of man who would want those things for you.”
She raised the zipper. “I don’t understand.”
I forced the zipper down.
This time tearing the fabric.
Before she could react, I pushed the skirt off her hips.
I placed my hands on her narrow waist and lifted her off the ground.
I spun to the right and placed her bare feet on her splayed coat. Releasing her, I watched her intently as I shrugged out of my suit jacket and tossed it over the marble altar. I then undid the first few buttons of my dress shirt before reaching to untuck it.
“The problem is, babygirl, I’m not that kind of man. I’m an arrogant, selfish bastard. I’m a Cavalieri.”
I pulled my shirt off and tossed it aside, before reaching for my belt buckle. “And you were right, my family’s name and reputation are extremely important to me. Like our reputation for claiming what we want and not letting anything—or anyone—stand in our way.”
Despite her lack of clothing, she turned to run.
I caught her from behind.
