Page 86 of Twisted Obsession

‘Boss,’ he laughed.

‘Ciao.’ I disconnected the call and dropped my arm down to my side.

Salvatore and I had more hatred between us than virtually any other men I knew. But, like it or not, I understood his absolute conviction for keeping our family safe, and I respected him for that. In years gone by, the ‘Ndrangheta had lived by a code of honour, ours was a business ran by the men of the families, women and children were to be untouched and unused.That remained true until about forty years before, when women and children started to go missing. Even Salvatore’s own mama had been taken. Now, it was no longer classed as an unwritten rule, and we trusted no other families other than our own, our ‘ndrine. I knew that a De Luca woman’s scalp was a prize like nothing else. With one of our Don’s family in their clutches, a rival family could and would demand anything of him.

Giovanna was the prize Ricco was after. I had no idea why and who else was in it with him, but I was going to find out.

Now, all I had to do was to let her go, even if it killed me, because deep down I was certain her life depended on it.

Chapter Sixteen

Giovanna

‘No fucking virgin, Marco,’ I shouted the words at him, the ones I’d just heard him speak, the second the door opened wide enough for me to see the whole of his traitorous face. ‘How could you? How could you tell him?’ I asked the question as a single sob left my mouth, before releasing the shoe I was holding and throwing it directly at his face.

Strangely, Dante didn’t even lift an arm to defend himself. The heel of my Manolo Blahniks caught him on his cheekbone and then clattered to the floor, leaving us in a heavy, encumbering silence. My eyes swept over him, searching for any sign of the Dante I thought I’d found once again, but sadly I found nothing recognisable. Truthfully, I’d expected something, anything from him. I’d felt sure he’d explain that I’d heard him wrongly or apologise and say it was all a joke, before he wrapped me up in his arms and kissed me again.

‘SAY SOMETHING!’ I screamed at him, as I watched blood come to the surface of his skin and start to run unfettered down his cheek. When he still said nothing in response, I shelved all the emotion that wanted to follow it, because I was becoming increasingly aware that the man stood in front of me, for whatever reason, no longer deserved it.

Dante, leaving the door open wide behind him, slowly righted his head. He swept the longer strands of his hair up and away from his face and looked at me, with his bright blue orbs taking every single part of me in as though he was committing the picture in front of him to memory.

‘Never raise a hand to me again, Giovanna, a second time would be bad for both of us,’ he warned.

‘Or you will do what?’

‘Don’t test me, amore mio.’ He stepped closer and grabbed at the arm I had just wielded my weapon with, before using it to pull me up to my tiptoes and squeezing my flesh just enough to cause me pain. ‘Don’t test me.’ He forcibly released my arm, pushing it away from him, and making me grab hold of it in response, as I fell back onto the bed.

‘What I said was true,’ he added, and I wasn’t sure if he was asking the question or merely stating a fact.

‘I’m engaged to be married,’ I replied, as I watched everything I had only moments before been dreaming about, fracture into a million pieces and shatter to the ground around me.

‘You are married TO ME!’ he bellowed.

‘I didn’t know if you were alive, let alone if you still wanted me. He asked me to marry him, and it was a chance at a future. I knew it would never be anything like the marriages our siblings have, and most certainly nothing like I had dreamt a life by your side could be. But it would have been something, when all I’ve had for years is nothing. Nothing but pain and loneliness.’

‘And you wanted him,’ he accused.

‘I never wanted him; it’s only ever been you.’

The hurt caught up between us was visceral. It was strengthening with each second that passed, and very soon I comprehended that it would be insurmountable. How on earthwhat had been so wonderful between us only an hour or two previously, could descend into this, was beyond me.

‘So, like the good Calabrian woman you pretend to be, you opened your legs wide and let him have you… If I’d have known you werethatengaged…’

‘You’d have what? Come on… if you’d have known, what would you have done?’ I taunted, as with my hurt growing, my anger began to take a hold to protect me.

‘I would not have taken you to my bed tonight.’ Pain hit me like a sledgehammer swinging hard and fast into my chest, and for a few seconds my lungs refused to try to reinflate. Watching me struggle, Dante removed his eyes from mine and walked over to where I’d previously seen his clothes neatly folded. Pulling out a drawer, I watched as with his back facing me, he pulled on a pair of black tracksuit shorts and covered up his nakedness.

In response, I gasped at the oxygen I was craving, and needing to put back on the armour I had walked in with, I stepped back into the dress I had collected earlier. Sliding it back up and over my still delicate feeling skin, and shaking where I stood, I thrust my arms back into the thin straps. The fine metal was cold against my body and forced goosebumps to appear on my exposed skin. My panties and weapons of choice he could damn well keep when I walked off his boat with my head held high. Because whatever else I wanted, I knew without any doubt that was exactly where this conversation was leading to.

I should have told him.

And if I had, would it have made a difference? I couldn’t answer, so I stood and waited for Dante to turn to face me once again.

‘Thatengaged?’ I questioned, as I rubbed at the flesh he’d so roughly held, ‘What did you expect?’

‘You said you didn’t and had never loved him.’

‘That’s the truth!’ I implored, and although I knew he couldn’t see me, I lifted my hands up to him in anguish, as I begged to his back to see sense and to falter from the path he seemed hell bent on driving us to.

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