More violent. I could kill him with my bare hands for even thinking of touching her.
For a moment, I consider other options.
I want to throw her over my shoulder, steal another car, and drive until we hit a country where no one could find us.
To build a life somewhere no one knows who we are.
Impossible fantasies.
We're not normal people who can choose our own paths.
She's a Dante.
I'm her brother's soldier.
Our lives have never been our own.
I know my duty.
Get her home safely.
Return to my post.
Stand guard as she marries a monster.
Protect her as best I can from within the confines of our world.
I steel myself against the pain.
Emotion is a luxury I can't afford.
Not when her life hangs in the balance.
I need to be the man Alessandro expects me to be.
Cold.
Calculating.
In control.
Get it together, Bonetti. I punch in Alessandro's number, bracing myself for the explosion.
"Who is this?" Alessandro’s voice is sharp.
"It's Bonetti. I've got Valentina. She's safe."
"Jesus fucking Christ." The relief in his voice is palpable before it shifts to anger. "Where the hell have you been? Carlo is dead and you two just disappeared."
"Didn’t Valentina reach you? We were ambushed."
"And you couldn't find another fucking phone until now?" But there's less heat in his question than I expected.
“Valentina’s got left behind. Mine is busted. The first priority was to get her safe.”
Alessandro exhales. "You did what you had to do. Where are you now?"
I give him our location, and he promises a car within the hour.
