I shake my head as tears start to fall.
"I didn't betray you. I wouldn't."
Damiano doesn't respond. He walks to the door and opens it to let Riccardo in. Nothing good happens once he gets involved.
"Take her."
"No, please." Terror sweeps through my body. My knees give way, and I drop to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. "Damiano, please, I didn't do anything."
"Come on," Riccardo murmurs as he grabs my wrists and hauls me to my feet. "You're only making things worse."
Does he imagine I'm breaking down on purpose?
"Damiano, please!" I scream as Riccardo drags me from the room.
I try to fight my way back to the only man who can save me, but my attempts are worthless against Riccardo's superiorstrength. When I anger him by continuing to struggle, he curses and throws me over his shoulder.
He takes me outside and drops me on the back seat of a car before getting in next to me. I scramble for the door, but Riccardo grabs a fistful of my hair and yanks me back, kicking and screaming as I fight for my life.
"I really didn't want to do this, Violetta."
There's no time to consider what he means. Something sharp pricks the side of my neck. A heaviness settles over me. In the distance I hear the thump of music from the club. Then I’m pulled down into darkness.
TWO
Damiano
It's been a long fuckingnight and though it's only nine a.m., I know it's going to be a trying day.
From the moment Matteo asked me to keep an eye on his woman while she partied at my club without him, my gut told me there would be trouble. There always is where emotions are involved.
It was inevitable I'd have to step in to warn some guy off from the beautiful Giulia. What I hadn't expected was that it would be the man I've been scouring Florence for, Adamo Gianotti.
The little shit has been hanging around the countryside villa where Matteo is currently staying. It seems Gianotti was besotted with a girl who was killed a few weeks ago. Her only crime was standing next to Matteo when some assholes from the Rossi family opened fire at a crowded market.
Though her blood is not on my cousin's hands, Gianotti clearly thinks otherwise. That's why he tried to get close to Giulia. Who knows what he would have done to her if I hadn't stepped in? I don't intend to find out.
Catching a few hours' sleep should probably be my next step, but instead I head for my study. I shrug out of my jacket and toss it over the back of a chair. Then I pour myself a generous measure of Scotch and settle at my desk. There's a weight pressing down on me that I can't seem to shrug off.
It's Violetta's fault.
Her releasing Adamo bothers me more than I can express. She betrayed me and now I have to deal with her. Anyone else would get a bullet to the head, but I can't do that to Violetta.
When she dropped to her knees in my office, the idea of hurting her sickened me. Not knowing how to deal with this woman irritates me more than her betrayal.
I noticed her the moment she started working for me at La Stanza Rossa. Now she's insinuated herself into my world, I can't let her walk away. Not only has she crossed me, but she's also the key to my brother Lorenzo getting his hands on a property he wants.
I look up as Riccardo enters without knocking, as usual. He sits opposite me, casting a critical eye over the glass of Scotch in my hand.
"Bit early," he remarks.
No one else would get away with that comment. Well, perhaps Elio, myconsigliere, would. He, along with Riccardo, came with me from Rome to take over the North of Italy. We're a tight-knit group.
"It's late if you've been up all night."
It's not as if I make a habit of drinking in the morning.
Riccardo tilts his head in acknowledgement. “You didn't find Gianotti?"
