Page 76 of Mercy in Betrayal

She jerks her arm free of the man holding her and steps closer to Ivan, placing a hand on his arm after a slight hesitation. She’s tiny next to him. “Please. I’ll…I’ll do anything. Please!”

Something flickers across his expression. “You’ll already be doing anything I want you to do,” he says. He punches Angel again, blood spraying back on Vivi’s face.

My breath catches. Is this her… ‘fine’?

Vivi’s throat works. “I’ll do it joyfully,” she says. “Without resentment. Without argument.” She takes a deep breath. “I’ll do it now.”

Ivan halts his fist in the air, blood dripping from his knuckles. “You are being truthful with me?”

Vivi swallows, her gaze steady on Ivan’s. “I swear it. Please. Don’t kill him.”

“How can I trust you?” Ivan’s lip curls in a sneer. “Your brother here has proven the honor of a Valachi is nothing.”

Vivi’s shoulders sink, and my heart aches. These men…they create so many messes for us to clean up. “You can trust her.” The words spring from my lips before I consider speaking.

Ivan turns slowly to face me. “You are the Scarpetta woman.”

It’s not a question, but I answer anyway. “Yes.”

“You trust Vivi Valachi.”

“With my life.”

Ivan laughs and lifts his chin at his men, who let Angel fall to the carpet. He saunters over to me and lifts my chin with his index finger. At my side, I ball my trembling hands into fists.

This man could break me in half. I don’t think he will, though.

His eyes search mine for a long moment before he releases me and turns back to Vivi. “Then I guess Angel will have to trust her with his life.” He smiles,but it’s terrifying. I can’t bring myself to look at the mess he made of Angel.

Now that he’s no longer being abused, he lies silently on the floor, waiting, perhaps, until Ivan is gone before seeking help.

Vivi’s and my sighs are collective.

“I need to find my husband,” I chance.

Ivan makes a gesture to one of his men, twirling his finger above his head, and he leaves the room. “I consider Enzo Scarpetta to be something of a friend. I would appreciate it if he survived the night. I’ll have my driver take you to the park.”

“She can use my driver,” Vivi says quickly.

“That would be difficult. That man is dead.” Ivan shrugs. “Many men are dead.”

Vivi closes her eyes, shielding a moment of visible pain before she gives a tiny nod in my direction. “Go. I’ll watch over Clementine until you’re ready for him.”

With one last look at the ravaged study, I flee.

In the car, I don’t take the backseat. I sit in the front passenger seat with my hand on the handle and my leg jumping restlessly. I chew on the inside of my cheek, a single useless word bouncing around my head.

Reset.

Nothing will be reset until I find Enzo and Cassidy, stop this stupid fight from happening, and keep Azrael from murdering them all.

Nothing will be reset until I have the chance to look Enzo in the eye and ask him why he married me…for real. Was I simply a convenience? Or was there something more?

God help me; I want there to be something more. I need there to be.

Chapter 27

Enzo

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