Page 74 of Brutal Heir

I took the photo from him, my gaze lingering on her image. Pretty was the wrong word. She was striking.

Clearing my throat, I sat back down, tossing the photo onto the portfolio. “The surveillance photos don’t do her justice.”

Benedict smirked, leaning back. “So, it’s like that, is it?”

I slammed the portfolio shut, the sound echoing through the room. “It’s like nothing. It’s business.”

Raising his hands in mock surrender, he replied, “If you say so.”

“You’re not going to try to talk me out of my plan?”

He shrugged, interlacing his fingers across his chest. “Worked for Matteo.”

Matteo, his son, had recently resolved a precarious situation with the Sicilian mafia through a hastily arranged marriage to Ella Fichera, a capo’s daughter. It had been my inspiration for the judge and his unknown, secret daughter, Sabrina.

He looked over his shoulder at the closed office door. “Is this room secure?”

“Swept for bugs twice a day.”

“Are you certain you don’t want to take care of the situation the old-school way?”

Killing the judge.

“Rafaello said the same thing yesterday.”

“I’m just saying. Marriage is a permanent solution.”

“So is murder.”

“Yeah, but you don’t have to fuck your murder victim beforehand and pretend to like it.”

I arched my eyebrow. “Trust me, I won’t be pretending with Sabrina.”

“So it will be a sweet revenge, not a cold one.”

“Something like that.”

He tilted his head as he searched my face. “You know the family appreciates the sacrifice you’re making. You wouldn’t be in this mess with the judge if it weren’t for us.”

The Cavalieris were a second family to me.

I’d do anything to protect them.

Not for a moment did I regret stepping in to help Matteo when the judge had his henchman kidnap Ella. Not for one single fucking moment. Even if it brought down the judge’s wrath and retribution.

“I made my decision. I have no regrets. Besides, we both know that secrets don’t remain hidden forever. Sooner or later, the shit my father and grandfather pulled was going to come back to bite me in the ass.”

“Well, if this plan of yours goes tits up, there’s always Plan B.”

I laughed. “According to Rafaello, Plan B is him taking a crack at Sabrina. So yours will have to be Plan C.”

Rafaello only suggested it to be amusing. Still, that didn’t account for my visceral reaction to the idea of him, or any other man, putting their hands on Sabrina.

I leaned back, staring at the closed portfolio, my mind churning before I shook off the momentary stab of jealousy.

Édouard would rescind his job offer to Sabrina soon.

I needed to be there to catch her when she left.