Page 41 of Betraying the Mafia Boss

“I won’t be at the hospital for a while.”

The toast turns to ashes in my mouth. I gulp down my coffee to force it down. “What do you mean?” I won’t miss him, but it would be boring walking around that building knowing he’s not lurking somewhere just to tease me. His face is like fresh air to me, and I don’t want that gone, too.

“I have business to take care of. It’ll only be for a while.” His tone doesn’t sound nearly as sad as the voices in my head. It’s clear he won’t miss me.

“How long?” I ask, my voice loud and desperate. I don’t realize I haven’t taken a single breath in the last minute until my brain fizzes from lack of oxygen.

He looks at me, his blank mask slipping away for once. “I don’t know.”

“But I can see you around when I want to, right?” I feel like I’m negotiating with myself. It doesn’t matter if I no longer get to see him at the hospital, I’ll be fine if I can see him at home or in a restaurant. It’s all fine as long as I get to see him somewhere.

Why do I even care?

I know the answer to that. The reason I care is glaring me in the face, and I can’t escape from it no matter how hard I try to. I can’t ignore or deny it. I care for this man—Vincent—a lot more than I intended to and a lot more than I should.

“You can have a key, amore. You’re welcome to stay here and wait for me whenever you want.” His perfect teeth sparkle as he smiles and my breath catches in my throat.

A key to his penthouse. That is all I need to clear my debt and break free from Elio’s shackles. My grandma will be free and I’ll go on with my life as if nothing happened. All I need to do is betray Vincent and hand the key to Elio.

I should be happy, relieved I can finally break from the hell I’m living. But my chest constricts and my eyes sting with tears because I know I would rather die than hurt Vincent.

Chapter Fourteen

Isabella

“Jesus, Isa. You look dead,” Naomi says, her golden-brown eyes wide and her hands clutching her cheeks dramatically. I roll my eyes, moving away from the door to let her in. “I’m sick, not dead.”

“Well, you look like you’ll be dead any second if you don’t go to a hospital.” She steps in and slams the door. Her eyes explore me like I’m a new box of medical equipment. “How long has this been going on?”

I try to count with my fingers. It’s been a month since I last saw Vincent. I’d been torn between saving him and my grandma. It’s hard, but I know I have to decide soon. It won’t be long before Elio bursts in here demanding his payment.

But I haven’t even had time to think of that because I’ve been sick for the last two weeks. I thought I was just stressed at first, but I think it’s gone beyond just being stressed with all the throwing up and intense fatigue I’ve been feeling. “Since the last time you saw me at work,” I answer.

“Two weeks?”

I nod.

“Holy Fuck.” Naomi grabs my hand like I’m a toddler and gently drags me to the living room. We both settle on one of the longer couches before she rids herself of her purse and turns all of her attention to me. Her eyes shine with concern and I shiver when she places her hand on mine. “Have you gone to a doctor?”

“I haven’t had the chance to.” Actually, I neglected my health on purpose when I decided it was better to die than choose between my Nana and Vincent.

Naomi drops her head to her hand and lets out an exasperated groan. “How could you not have gone to the doctor when you’re sick?”

I lower my head as she reprimands me. She won’t understand, but I’ll try and explain. “I’ve been thinking about Elio. It’ll be two months soon and I’m really afraid.”

“Are you afraid he’ll kill you after you lure Vincent to him?” She grits her teeth, fury flickering in her face. “He’d be a bastard to do that.”

“I can’t trust Elio, but it’s not just that.” I draw in a deep breath. “I don’t think I can hurt Vincent like that. He trusts me, why should I betray him for my own selfish reasons.”

“Elio has your grandma.”

“Elio should go fuck himself. I’ll kill him with my own hands if he dares to hurt her.” Not that I can. I’ll most likely be dead before I can take one violent step towards him, but I’m burning with both rage and fear. “I can’t hurt Vincent.”

I don’t care if Vincent was born into the mafia. I’ve been with him, and I know him better than anyone else. I won’t be able to live with myself if anything happens to him.

Naomi is quiet as she thinks. I can tell she doesn’t agree with my decision from the look on her face, but I’m grateful she doesn’t try to convince me otherwise. “You’re in love with Vincent.”

Her words wash over me like icy water.

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