Page 114 of Maddest Temptation

It was a picture of Francesca tied to a chair, blood trailing down her forehead and her eyes wide with fear. Under the picture were two other messages. One was an address and the other said to come alone or she’d die.

“What is it?” Vitelli was by my side in seconds, he must have seen the picture because he swore. “I’ll call some of our soldiers. Prepare them for?—”

“You will do nothing,” I told him.

“You can’t be serious.” Vitelli threw his hands in the air.

“I will not risk her life,” I said fiercely. “I will not risk her, Vitelli.”

“It’s a trap, Cassio. You know that. They will kill you; they are using her as bait.”

I knew that. Of course, I did, but nothing mattered. Francesca needed me, and I was going to save her even if it cost me my life. I wasn’t going to lose her. Not her. Never her.

“Cassio, please,” Vitelli begged.

“I love her,” I confessed. “I will die for her if I need to.” But most importantly I would kill for her.

Vitelli went silent.

“Do you understand, brother. I will die if it means she gets to live.” He understood what this kind of love did to you. It made me invincible. “As of now, you are Capo,” I announced. “If I die, please make sure Francesca is all right, that she is taken care of.” I made a promise to her mother, and I was going to keep it.

Vitelli nodded; he was about to argue when I pulled him into a hug. “I love you, brother.”

He hugged me tighter and we broke apart. I took one look in the dining room and caught sight of Marco. He was looking at me, and I nodded at him, a silent promise that I would get his sister back without harm.

I didn’t look back as I made my way toward the elevator. If this was the end of the line for me, then I would go gladly. I’d do anything for Francesca. Anything. Dying was a small price to pay if it meant she got to live instead. At least I was going to die knowing what it was to be loved by her.

35

FRANCESCA

The room I was in smelled of mildew, and I could hear the night wind howling outside. A man who had been in the shadows approached me and I tensed. He had been there all along, but now that Grigori, his son, and Donato had left, he walked my way.

When he came into the white light, my heartbeat oddly, like it wanted to accelerate but lacked the strength. Umberto, my old guard was here. The man I had considered a father was here. Was he a part of this?

Two of the other armed men in the room started to stop him. “I’m checking her wound,” he explained. “Your boss won’t like it if it becomes infected.”

Whether they believed him or not, Umberto kept coming my way. Once he reached me, I glared daggers at him. He crouched beside me and tried to touch my forehead where I was hit.

“Don’t touch me.” I couldn’t help but cry out.

“Francesca,” he whispered, with a gentle hand he checked my wound. It made me cry harder.

“Why?” I wanted to know why he would betray me.

Umberto crouched lower and we were face to face. “Look away, pretend you’re angry.”

“I am,” I snapped.

“Good, keep that attitude.”

Was he deranged. “Cassio is coming for you,” he announced.

“No.”

“Quiet,” he pleaded as he checked my bindings, and I noticed he had a small switchblade concealed in his jacket which he began cutting the tape with.

“He’s coming with his men, don’t worry. It will be alright.” He cut one than the other, still using his body to hide us from the other guards.

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