Page 57 of Desire and Revenge

My husband giggles. “Who would have thought I’d ever see the day a woman tamed you? Speaking of taming, though, Vittoria is still mad about the fire at the villa.”

“Hmm.” His thumb begins to slide over his mouth, my eyes tracking the side-to-side movement with enrapture. “Any progress finding the people who set the fire?”

“None,” Sebastian sighs. “But I’m beginning to think it’s an inside job. That place was guarded better than maximum-security prisons. Nobody could have gotten in and out without being caught.”

“Who would want to hurt you?”

“That’s what I can’t figure out,” he bites out and begins to pace, hands parked on his waist. “I’m beginning to think the target was Vittoria and not me.”

“That’s crazy. You’re not delusional enough to think you don’t have enemies,” Nero points out. “Your position is coveted, so are your businesses. There must be hundreds of people trying to get you out of the way.”

My husband chuckles. “Yeah, there are. But none of them could actually be bold enough to make such a move. They can hate me in the privacy of their bedrooms, but it could never survive outside those four walls.”

“I don’t remember Cosa Nostra men being so spineless.”

A smirk curves Sebastian’s mouth. “They don’t have a choice. I have them by the balls.”

“How so?”

He waves a dismissive hand in the air. “Forget it. What matters is that I’m going to catch the scum who did this and he’s going to wish he had stayed in his bed that night.”

Nero nods. “Nobody will expect anything less. You should be seen as someone who never lets anyone get away with coming after you. That’s the only way to garner respect in our world.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes,” he pushes away from the wall he’s leaning on. “You should face them head on. I bet whoever was behind this will be too much of a coward to strike again.”

My husband sighs. “I just wanted a break. Away from all of this, one perfect weekend with Vittoria, and it was all ruined.”

Nero’s jaw clenches. “I trust that you will get it all handled.”

“Of course,” he says. “I better get back to searching for my errant wife.”

Just as he turns to leave, the cat decides that’s the best time to make a sound. The meowing tears through the room and I freeze, stumbling back from the door in horror.

I try to grab the cat, but he makes a hissing sound and jumps to the closet door, scratching on it.

“You stupid cat,” I growl.

I watch, horrified, as the knob of the closet door begins to turn. Any moment now, the door is going to open and I’ll come face-to-face with my husband, and I’ll only have myself for whatever consequences I’ll face for my infidelity.

Holding my breath, I brace myself for his shock and fury, but as the door slides open, I meet dark eyes.

The cat makes another disgruntled meowing sound and runs out of the closet, disappearing into the room.

“Where is he?” I ask slowly, my gaze searching around the room for Sebastian.

“He’s gone. He’s not a fan of cats. Never has been.”

“I’ve got to go,” I blurt out, and yet I don’t make a move to get up.

“I know.”

“He’s searching for me.”

Nero leans against the door jamb. “I know.”

My gaze trails from his bare feet up to his muscular thighs, to the hand he has clutching the top of the door frame, biceps bulging. Heat pools down to my center and I clear my throat.

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