Page 50 of The Last Vendetta

“What?” She wasn’t letting me off the hook easily. “You weren’t thinking last night.”

“Neither of us were.” I narrowed my eyes. “Like sneaking into that club and spying.”

She groaned.

“I don’t think Nickolas will necessarily know you’re not a virgin.”

Her lips pressed tightly together. Her nostrils flared. She was not happy with my input, and I was so damn fallen that all I could think was how gorgeous she looked like this. Mad and passionate, smart and doing her best not to be hysterical about her predicament.

“They don’t always check for blood, and…”

“And he’ll rape me so hard and quick, he won’t even realize anything else.”

I winced. This can’t happen.

“She’s unhinged. Crazy. I mean… To expect any of her daughters to be with Nickolas?” She shuddered.

“This is how it works,” I reminded her.

“I know that.” Again, she rubbed her face. “That’s how things work in this world. But if I run…”

What? I pushed off the vanity to approach her. “No.”

She stared at me, deadpan. “So you think I should just grin and bear it?”

“No. But running?” I shook my head. I couldn’t stand to think of her gone. She could stay, be my mistress and avoid her husband as much as she could. I couldn’t choose my bride any more than she could choose her husband, but we could still be able to meet up.

“There has to be another option out of this.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know.” Her deep gaze captured me. “But with Luka’s death, then my father’s so soon after… I can’t stop thinking that something bigger is at play. And whatever it is, this new shakeup of power and enemies and secret plots, I want nothing to do with it.”

“Running away isn’t the answer.”

She rolled her eyes. “I know that.”

“I doubt it could even work.” If she jilted Nickolas, he’d run after her, bring her back, and make her pay.

“Then, what else is there to do? No one will confess to killing Luka.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You don’t have any ideas?”

I shook my head. I did, but nothing she wanted to hear. This was a serious conversation about a heavy topic, but my control was still so thin. Being alone with her tempted me.

“What’d you sneak over here for, anyway?”

I took her hand, pulling her close. “First, I wanted to see if you were okay.”

She huffed and yanked her fingers away. “Because of last night? Yes. Against my better judgment, I’d do it all over again.”

“But I also wanted your input about Cecilia.”

Perking up, curious, she cocked her head to the side. “Cecilia Romano?”

“Yes. She’s missing. And my father was wondering what’s going on with her.”

“Because she’s his daughter-in-law?”

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