Page 50 of Mafia Mistress

Yes, but he would also consume me. I would lose myself in Fausto Ravazzani. “I can’t. Please, Giulio.”

“You will have to deal with him yourself. If you don’t want him, then tell him. He’ll accept it. He’s a reasonable man.”

I thought about the man who had drugged me, had locked me in a dungeon. The capo who had killed two men in cold blood. Reasonable? Ha! Hardly.

I pressed my lips together and stared at the water. Clearly, I couldn’t count on Giulio. He was too interested in saving himself. I had to do this myself.

“Do not try and escape, Frankie,” Giulio said as he reclined once more. “It will only make the situation worse.”

“Yeah? We’ll see.”

“You won’t tell him, will you? About me?”

“God, no.” I reached over and took his hand. “Even if that was my only way to escape, I wouldn’t do that to you. I know what happens if everyone finds out.”

He pressed a soft kiss to the back of my hand. “Grazie, bella. I am very grateful.”

“It’s probably stupid of me. I should blackmail you to help me.”

“You don’t want to do that. First and foremost, I am a Ravazzani. Not many would dare to blackmail a member of my family.”

The threat hung between us until I finally said, “If I did, I suppose I’d be taken to the dungeon and shot dead, too.”

His head whipped toward mine. “What?”

“I’d be murdered in the family dungeon...just like those two men the other night.”

Giulio’s body relaxed. “He didn’t kill them. He shot each of them in the leg. They’ll limp, but they’ll live.”

I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. Though my relief made no sense. No one rose to Fausto’s rank without killing a fair share of people. Just because he hadn’t killed those two men didn’t mean he wouldn’t ever kill someone else.

“How did you know, by the way? Not even I knew they were bringing Sergio and Rocco to see my father.”

“I saw them go into the dungeon and I followed.”

Giulio’s brows flew up. “You spied on Fausto? Ma sei pazza?”

“No, I’m not crazy. But I couldn’t help myself.”

“Bella, if you are going to stay with my father, you have to learn not to get involved in the ’ndrina business.”

“Hello? Are you even listening? I don’t want to stay with your father.”

“It won’t be so bad. You can share him with Katarzyna. She can have Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays, and you can have—”

I shoved his shoulder. Hard. “Don’t even fucking suggest it. He’s probably so full of himself that he’d like that idea.”

Giulio laughed. “I feel as if you are going to be the one to break him, Frankie.”

I could only hope.

Because the alternative was him breaking me...and I could not let that happen.

* * *

Fausto

Nursing a glass of ciró,I kept a close eye on the clock as I waited. Work had distracted me for the rest of the evening, but it was late and a feeling of dread settled in my stomach. Giulio and Francesca should have returned by now.

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