Page 21 of Sin & Sapphire

Not when my father hated the Costas.

Not when my younger sister shook up the power balance in Yorkfield by leaving us to run her own fucking family, backed by Dante Oscuro’s empire.

I too had obligations to my family and keeping her as a side piece wasn’t fair to anyone, not to her, not to me, and not to my future wife.

I thumbed open my phone and sent a text to Matteo Zanetti, an employee of one of my sister’s boyfriends.

Me

I need a favor.

Matteo Zanetti

??

Me

There was a yacht explosion in Nice. I need eyes on it. Need to know if this woman survived.

I sent him a photo of Ana, one of my favorites—no makeup, a genuine smile, her hair pulled up in a messy bun, wearing one of my button-down shirts as she looked up from studying on my bed.

Matteo Zanetti

Ana fucking Costa? Reach out to Angelo.

Me

If Angelo had given me the answers I wanted, I wouldn’t be messaging you.

Matteo Zanetti

I’ll have to tell Dante. And Sofia.

Me

Just find out if she’s alive.

I took a deep, shuddering breath, then wrenched my emotions back under control.

Me

Please.

10

VALENTIN

Two more warehousesup in flames, half a dozen men dead, and a shipment of expensive construction equipment destroyed before it even left the port.

Putain de merde.

After three weeks of searching, we were no closer to finding Ana Costa. This fucking war with the Tchérnovs was costing me millions of euros and tearing Angelo’s sanity to pieces, bit by bit.

My phone rang—Boris Tchérnov himself, the father of the asshole who’d kidnapped Ana and treated her so well that when she left, she’d done millions of euros of damage on her way out as revenge.

Women didn’t pull that shit for the fun of it, and a woman like Ana, well aware that actions had consequences, certainly wouldn’t have.

That stupid slut knew exactly what she was doing when she blew up that boat. She started this war on purpose, and when I got my hands on her, I intended to make her pay for everycentimeof damage Tchérnov inflicted on me.

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