“You know it’s true, Sophia. For what he did to our family, he needs to die. We will never have any peace while he is alive.” My brother’s eyes narrowed. “You won’t ever have any peace.”
“Gio…” My voice shook.
“If you won’t do it to avenge your family, then do it for Lily. God knows what he will do to you and her if he finds out. Maybe he will kill you both, or maybe he will take her away from you, and you will never see her again.” His eyes narrowed. “You do want to see her again, don’t you, little sister?”
Mutely, I nodded. I didn’t trust myself to speak. Not now,
“Then you will do this for me. For us, for our family. For Lily.”
That was twice he had used her name now. He never used her name. It made me squirm uncomfortably. My brother never called her by her name. She was always “the kid.”
Not that I was surprised, not now that I knew he knew Matteo was the father.
“Do what?”
“Poison.”
One word, and I felt like I was going to faint. The dance floor with its mass of people and flashing lights blurred together and spun around me until it was only his bruising hands on my hips that kept me upright.
“You want to poison him?” I hissed. “Wouldn’t it be easier to…”
Violence was a massive part of his world. It would be easier and less suspicious if he was shot.
Did I want Matteo to be shot?
No, of course I didn’t.
“I want you to poison him.”
I whirled back, completely taken by surprise. “What? No way. That’s not what I agreed to do. I just thought…”
“It has to be you, Sophia.”
Wildly, I shook my head. “You can’t expect that from me, Gio. I’m not a murderer. I could never—" I broke off, my thoughts going a million miles an hour. I could never kill anyone, but there was no way I could murder the only man I had ever loved.
I just didn’t have it in me.
“Please don’t ask me to do that, Gio.” I was so close to tears that my throat felt constricted.
“I’m not asking Sophia. I am telling you,” he growled out.
“And what exactly are you telling my woman, Gio?” Matteo’s voice rang out from right behind me.
Shit. Had he been there and listening all along? But no, Gio would have seen him.
Gio was so wasted that he couldn’t even stand up straight, a small voice in my head said snidely.
“This is a private conversation between me and my sister.” Puffing himself up, Gio tried to yank me back into him.
“And that conversation is now over.” Matteo didn’t step forward or reach for him. His voice remained even and low, with no signs of threat, but it was menacing anyway.
“I want to dance with my woman.”
“Sophia doesn’t want…”
“You don’t talk for me, Gio.” Freeing myself from his arms, I wentto stand next to Matteo. No one moved. The two men, who had once been the most important people in my life, just glared at each other like I was something they could fight over.
“You heard her. Leave. You’re not welcome here now. Your sister doesn’t want to talk to you.”
