Page 74 of Passion and Revenge

I don’t see it, but I feel his gaze shift to my bleeding skull. “That wasn’t me.”

As if that makes it any better. I glare at him, even though I know he can’t see me. “So what exactly is going on here? Is this about ransom money or something?”

“This is about your father,” he answers.

Oh, joy. I’ve been kidnapped again by someone who has a vendetta against Dad. I’m starting to understand why he kept me hidden and insisted on me using my mother’s name all these years.

“Ivan messed with the wrong guys,” he continues. “And I’ve been paid a truckload of money to make sure your dad changes his mind about some of his less-than-favorable decisions.”

“What decisions?”

“Your father is about to have my employer, Hendrix, tossed in jail. And Mr. Hendrix isn’t a fan of being locked up.”

My teeth clench. “You’re a cop. You’re employed by the government.”

Salvadore snorts. “Did you think I was able to buy you that diamond tennis bracelet with my salary as a cop?”

“I never even wanted that bracelet,” I bark. “You’re doing this because you want to. Because you’re a greedy asshole. So don’t try to pin any of it on me.”

He lets out a deep chuckle. “I wasn’t trying to pin it on you, baby. Just letting you know. I’m not ashamed of wanting better than a destitute life for myself. I thought your father would be smart enough to take the cash we offered.”

“He turned it down?”

“Thirty million dollars, to be precise,” he spits. “An amount he could never make in his lifetime. But I guess some people just don’t know when to put the fucking honor to the side!”

Tears prick my eyes at the reminder that my father is a good man. I hate that ever since I returned from being in Alessandro’s captivity, I’ve been doubting my father and wondering if he had a hand in killing Alessandro’s brother.

But if he didn’t take thirty million dollars for the Hendrix case, didn’t it mean Alessandro was mistaken?

“Unlike you, honor isn’t something some people can just put aside,” I tell him. “It’s as much a part of them as the blood in their veins.”

He chuckles. “For your sake, Si, I hope he’s capable of putting his honor aside, or you won’t live to see him get his medal of integrity.”

Ice runs through my veins at his words. “You’re a cop. You’re supposed to protect people, not hurt them.”

“It wouldn’t have come to this if you had just given me another chance,” he mocks. “I’m supposed to be the good guy, huh? But what did that get me? Not your love, that’s for sure. I guess if I can’t have you, nobody else should.”

“How our relationship ended has nothing to do with?—”

His humorless laugh makes me pause. “We both know women never want the good guy. You want that enticing bite of darkness. It wouldn’t surprise me if you went and spread your legs for that monster and then tossed your heart in along with it as the cherry on top of the cake.”

Shame makes my cheeks heat, and I’m suddenly glad for the darkness that hides my flaming face. “Now I’m really glad I dumped you.”

I see his shoulders lift in a shrug. “It doesn’t matter anymore now, does it?”

I shut my eyes as the painful realization hits me. Regardless of my father’s decision, I know he’s not going to let me walk out of here alive. Not after his identity has been revealed.

A broken whimper leaves my throat, and I bite back my sob. I won’t cry. I won’t give this asshole the satisfaction.

Alessandro

“Boss, I have Cassell on the phone for you,” Maurizio says right as I’m holstering a gun into my shoulder.

I grab the phone and press it to my ear. “You better have good news for me.”

“I like my spine where it is just fine,” he grumbles. “Footage of Miss D’Addario being taken is missing from street surveillance, so it is someone with a connection to tamper with street surveillance.”

“And someone who knows she’s Ivan’s daughter,” I say. It took a lot of time and money for my best men to find intel connecting Ivan to a daughter.

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