“Or what? You’ll kill me like you killed my…”
“What—"
The main door to the hotel suite slammed open and my brother appeared like an avenging angel.
“Gio.” I let out a sigh of relief. I knew he wouldn’t have done this; set me up so I wouldn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to my daughter.
Gio was many things but he wasn’t that heartless.
“Enough Sophia,” he snapped and all my hope evaporated. “I can hear you screaming and shouting from outside. That is not how a woman in our family behaves.”
He wasn’t here to help me, I realized with a sinking feeling in my chest. He was here to give me away.
Matteo had been telling the truth. My brother had already made the deal. He had lied to me.
“Why would you do this?” I asked and my voice shook with anger. “Why would you fucking do this Gio?”
“Because.” Matteo’s fingers stroked over the skin over my pulse in my wrist in an almost gentle gesture which lasted five seconds before he closed his fingers around it and tugged me back toward him. “He needs me, and you are the only way he can form an alliance. Isn’t that right, Gio?”
My brother said nothing. He was too busy staring at me with a sort of pleading look in his eyes.
“You would sell your own sister to save your skin wouldn’t you? Tell her Gio. Tell Sophia the truth.”
My brother’s face crumbled.
“Gio tell me things aren’t that bad. Tell me—"
He cut me off with a snarl. “I told you they were bad. I told you that,” he snapped. “And you agreed to help. This is our family Sophia. Yoh should want to help your only brother.”
A guilt trip. Just great. “There has to be another way,” I muttered.
“There isn’t.” Matteo chuckled. “Gio needs me to save his sorry skin. Otherwise, who knows if he will be alive by next year.”
Alive by next year? My heart sank. Was my brother really in that much trouble?
“Gio?”
Finally he met my eyes. “He’s not lying, Sophia. I need you to do this.” He gave me a pointed look I couldn’t quite understand.
“Just for a little while. Until I get back in control and I’ll sort things out for you back here.” Another pointed look. “It won’t be forever,” he said finally.
He had a plan. My heart sped up. That’s what he was trying to tell me. This was all an act. Gio needed me to get close to Matteo so he could enact his plan and our family would finally have the revenge it deserved.
“How long?” I whispered and I couldn’t believe I was asking it, let alone contemplating it.
Could I really leave my daughter behind for weeks or maybemonths and go off with the man who had murdered my family and ruined my life?
“Not long,” Gio said softly. “And then you will be free.” His eyes locked with mine. “I will never ask you for anything ever again.”
“Enough.” Next to me Matteo grumbled. “Let’s go.”
His hand tight around my wrist, and he began to drag me toward the half hidden door at the other end of the sprawling room.
“Don’t let me down Sophia,” Gio called out after me.
“I…”
“Enough Sophia,” Matteo grumbled. “You don’t talk to him again unless I tell you to. Your old life is gone now.” He flung open the door. “I am your new life and we are going to be late.”
