Page 109 of Maddest Temptation

“Because Donato threatened you and everyone I care about. He said he was going to kill you all.”

“Francesca.” I shook my head. “You should have told me either way.”

“I’m sorry.” She came to sit on her haunches. “I couldn’t risk it.” She threw her hands in the air. “If something happened and it was my fault…Cassio, I couldn’t.”

I understood her fear, her father was a powerful and cruel man who had hurt her countless times. He had given Francesca reason to believe him. I couldn’t blame her for trying to protect those she loved. For protecting me.

“What is going to happen now? What about my brother?”

“What about him?” I questioned.

“He’s my father’s son.”

Yes, but he was also Francesca’s brother and a victim of the same man who had given her so much pain. “Marco will be safe,” I assured her. “Now get ready and pack a small bag,” I told her. “You and Marie are leaving for the lake house.”

“What about you?” She stood and came toward me. “Cassio, what about you?”

“I’ll meet you later, right now I have to clean this up.”

“Are you going to kill him?” I nodded.

Without any remorse, she said, “Good, make sure he suffers for what he has done.”

I stood there impatiently as Francesca quickly packed a bag, shoving in everything she could in such a short period of time. When she was done, I held her by her shoulders.

“Vince is going to take you to Marie and Vitelli’s place and from there you two are going to the lake house. No detours, no stops, do you understand?”

She nodded, eyes overflowing with fear. I took her hand and we both headed down toward the parking lot. Once there, I stared at my car and the one that was going to take her away from me.

“I don’t want to leave you,” she said as she held Reggie in her arms.

“You have to, Principessa.”

“Promise me you’ll come back.”

I hesitated, but for her, I would fight till the very end. Until there was nothing left but the dust of my bones. I would come back for her, even if the world ceased to exist.

“Promise.” And with that, I brought her in for a kiss, and not just any kiss—like the ones we had shared over these months—there were a million words I wished to say to her but didn’t have the time to express them all. It was all my love for her.

“I’ll be waiting for you,” she said.

My heart constricted in the oddest of manners, like it was being torn out of my chest, but made whole at the same time.

“This isn’t goodbye,” I promised.

“I love you,” she touched my heart. “Never forget that.” Then she turned around and got into the car, leaving me behind with that nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I was doing the wrong thing in sending her away.

The hairs on the back of my neck rose when my car left the garage, taking Francesca away from me. I tried to shut up the voices, but they wouldn’t let me be.

I had to; Francesca is safer this way.

33

FRANCESCA

Athick silence settled over us, there were no words that could be said in a moment like this. Marie sat beside me, her hands tucked into her legs, while mine shook freely.

I had been scared before, but this was something else entirely. It wasn’t about me, this fear—it belonged to the man who owned my heart. Cassio had said he’d come back, that he’d be alright, and I believed him. The only problem was that I didn’t trust Donato.

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