“Susanna, I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant that… how could you fall for a man like him?”
“You love your husband. How is he any different to mine? Luca is a dangerous man too and you know it. But you had an arranged marriage. You didn’t get to choose him. He chose you. But I chose Gabriel. I had that where you didn’t.”
“Is this what that’s about? You have to be better than me?”
“It’s not about being better than you, Nina. It’s about being my own person. It’s about being with a man who likes me for me. That’s it. So I am choosing to be with him.”
“Even if it puts us at war with each other? You would hurt me like this?”
“It’s not about you, Nina. I’m not doing this to hurt you.”
“But you’re not thinking about me either,” she snaps.
I sigh. None of this is going how I hoped. “I know I never used to think about you when I made my decisions in the past. I know I was selfish and I guess I’m being selfish again. But I’m also choosing what’s best for me and you not supporting me is being selfish. He can give me the life I want. You and Luca can’t. Alek can’t. I will never fully be able to grow when all of you still see me the same way I was when I was sixteen. That’s why I’m choosing him. It’s not to hurt you. That’s why I came here. To let you knowthat I’m unhurt. That I’m ok. That you don’t have to worry for me.”
“But Luca will try to kill him, Susanna. He won’t stop.”
“You can tell him to stop. Tell him I’m happy with Gabriel. That he doesn’t need to go to war over this. Maybe Gabriel can make a deal with Luca. Our marriage can help with that. We can still be in each other’s lives that way. But this way, I can be my own person.”
She hesitates before shaking her head. “It’s not a bad idea. In fact, it’s a pretty good one. But I doubt Luca will go for it. He wants Gabriel dead no matter what.”
“But you can make him change his mind. Only you. You know this. Please. Nina. For all of our sake’s. We can make this happen.”
“I’m just not sure…”
I grab her hands so tightly she winces. “Please.”
Her eyes widen. “This really means everything to you, doesn’t it?”
“It does. It really does.”
“Maybe… maybe I can try talking to Luca. If you really want to be with Gabriel, I mean… I can’t stop you. I don’t like it but I can’t stop you. You’ve always marched to the beat of your own drum.”
“Thank you,” I breathe out. “Thank you.”
Nina’s eyes flicker over my shoulder and I turn around, only to see Luca pulling up into the driveway.
He rushes out of the car at the sight of me. “Is Gabriel here?”
“No. So you don’t need to shoot me,” I snap.
A look of shame crosses his face. “I am sorry for that, Susanna. It wasn’t personal.”
“That’s the problem,” I spit out.
“So if Gabriel isn’t here then…”
“I am going back to him though. Nina can explain everything. Just get out of my way.”
“No. You’re staying here where you’ll be safe. Come along.” He grabs my arm and tugs me towards the house.
“Luca,” Nina says.
“Let me go!” I scream.
“I am not letting you go back to Gabriel” He forces me into the house. “Not when I have to kill him.”
Chapter Seventeen
