Page 66 of Passion and Revenge

“Men like that shouldn’t be allowed to live.”

He lets out a mocking snort. “I didn’t take you for a freedom fighter.”

“And I didn’t take you for a man who can’t protect his family, but here we are.” I check my watch. If I hurry, I can get there before Sienna goes to bed.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but you won’t be able to buy my daughter by giving her all her enemies’ heads on a platter. She won’t thank you for what you’ve done,” he spits. “She’ll be horrified.”

I flinch. “Goodbye, Ivan.”

As my car flies down the highway, the prosecutor’s voice replays in my head over and over again.

She’ll be horrified.

He’s right. She isn’t a part of my world. And she can never be. I cannot change who I am or what I’ve done, and those things will make sweet Sienna’s stomach turn.

Sienna

I’m not sure what wakes me up, but I suddenly jerk up in bed and see a tall figure standing at the end of the bed.

With a terrified shriek, I scramble for the bedside lamp and switch it on.

“Alessandro,” I gasp as I take him in. He’s standing statue-still like something from my darkest nightmares.

He’s in a grey turtleneck and black pants, but he’s not at all put together like usual. His shirt is half tucked, and his hair is standing on end.

But none of it is as glaring as the red splattered all over his shirt and face.

“Oh my God, Ale,” I cry. “W—what…oh God.”

“It’s not my blood.” His voice is low, too low.

“What’s going on? Where have you been?” I hated that the first thought in my mind when he did not show up that first night was that he didn’t want me anymore now that he knew I was damaged.

His eyes stay fixed somewhere on my neck, and I realize he’s staring at the collar. I wrap my hands around it protectively, and his blue eyes finally meet mine.

The haunted look in his eyes freezes me.

“I’ve arranged for Maurizio to drive you to the hangar, where a plane is on standby to take you back to your life,” he informs me. “Your father is waiting on that plane.”

“Dad?” I jump out of the bed. “What’s going on, Ale? Why is my father here?”

His throat bobs. “What do you think? I’m setting you free. Isn’t that what you want?”

“Not like this.” I rush toward him, but he flinches away with a hard look on his face. “What about us? You’ll come to the city, right?” I ask desperately. “I’ll see you again, right?”

“You’re free to go, Sienna. This is goodbye,” he says in a low voice.

“Fuck you, Mancini. What about your perfect revenge, huh? Are you giving up already? I’m not surprised you’re giving up on it. You’re giving me up just as easily as you gave up on your revenge.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” he roars, his jaw ticking.

Good. I want him to rage. I want him to do something other than stand there like a goddamn robot and tell me he doesn’t want me anymore.

“Then what? Am I so disposable?” My lips tremble. “Have you finally succeeded in fucking me out of your system? Good for you, Ale, but I’m not done getting you out of my system, so I’m not going anywhere!”

He drags his hands through his hair. “Don’t you see there’s no getting you out of my system?” He steps forward. “I can try for the rest of my life, and it’ll be in vain.”

I freeze at his unwitting declaration. “I don’t want you out of my system.”

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