Page 76 of The Last Vendetta

“She was never my bride,” I spat. “I never asked for her.”

“I asked on your behalf.”

This is stupid. It was pointless to argue about it now.

“Oh, yeah? Well, she’s dead.”

He froze, staring at me.

“Cecilia is dead. I found her stabbed at that place.”

“Dead?” He sobered quickly. His anger faded, seemingly replaced with something like concern.

Worry.

The news of Cecilia being dead alarmed him.

“You—” He glanced back at the guards, almost as if he were wishing for someone else to handle this situation for me. As though he didn’t know what to do with this news.

“You cannot. Don’t, Renzo. Stay away from that woman.” He turned to leave. “Stay away from the Acardis. You’ll never escape her wrath.”

“Giulia’s?” I followed after him, rushing after him as the guards hurried to the door to open it for him. Giulia had no wrath.

“Leave it alone,” he warned.

“Gio!” I grabbed for his arm, but he wrenched out of my reach. “What are you talking about?”

He strode outside, heading for the car he’d been driven here in.

“Gio!” I yelled it, furious with his riddles. “Where is she?”

No doubt remained in my mind. He had to know where she was. With the use of the security system here and the tracking on the car, he was likely the one who’d arranged for her to be kidnapped, right from under my nose. Other than attacking him again and tackling him to the ground to pound out answers with my fists, I had no options. I was clueless, suspended in the dark, with too many questions he wouldn’t answer.

The guards would outnumber me and side with their leader if I used violence against him. And that was a delay and obstacle I didn’t need to deal with when finding Giulia was my goal.

By the time I reached the last step of the path, running toward the drive, the doors were slammed shut and the car sped off.

I stared after them, breathing hard. I was livid, seething and growling with this live monster of anger burning up inside me.

I didn’t know what the fuck he was talking about, but he had to know something about where she was.

Instead of fuming and doing nothing, I hurried toward my car and got in to speed back home.

I wouldn’t give up on Giulia. I would never.

If Giovanni wouldn’t tell me anything useful about where she might be, I’d need to look elsewhere.

I’d ask Dario. Isabella couldn’t be trusted. I didn’t need to hear that from Gio. I knew that she was shady.

Giulia had spoken highly of her uncle. I wasn’t sure I’d respect the man after knowing he’d sent his niece to spy at that club, but she seemed more open to listening to him than she was to hearing out anything her mother said.

I’d reach out to him. The spare Acardi brother. Once I grabbed my phone, I tasked Dean with tracking Giulia’s uncle. He had to be more trustworthy than Isabella.

As soon as I could meet with the man, I’d warn him of everything I’d learned. He deserved to know that the man Isabella arranged Giulia with might have done something no one would stand by. Nickolas could have slept with his own sister. And the Acardis wouldn’t want someone like that to be united to their Family. I’d tell Dario anything to get Giulia back.

“Fuck.” I rubbed my hand over my face and focused on speeding as much as I could.

This situation was turning worse by the minute.

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