Page 117 of Dangerous Contract: Part 2

Tonight, in his speech, Raz would let them all know that he had no intention of filling his father's shoes. They didn't wear the same size anyway. Raz's feet were bigger. His temper was shorter. His patience was thinner.

It was best that they all knew that upfront. Raz's phone rang. Orazio reached forward and grabbed it from the dresser. It was Cas.Again. His brother was driving him crazy. He'd called five times already today, and it was the same shit each time he called. Raz answered the phone on the third ring.

"What now?" Raz yelled.

"Is that any way to answer a phone, Don Cattaneo?" Cas asked.

Raz closed his eyes and prayed for patience. "What do you want now, Caspari?" Raz heard a horn honk in the background. "Are you driving? Shouldn't you be at the gala by now?"

"I'm heading to pick up my date."

"Date? So, you've finally taken my advice and decided to move on from Meka?"This was news!

"I'll never move on from Meka," Cas insisted.

Okay, maybe not.Raz wanted to argue his point but decided to let it go. How could he force his brother to let go of his feelings for Meka when Raz hadn't even let go of his feelings for Monique?

However, like Raz, at least Cas wasn't giving in to the urge to stalk Meka. Like Raz, at least Cas was looking for distractions to take his mind off the woman he couldn't have. This gala would be Raz's distraction.

Isla Miconi would be Raz's distraction. Everything in his life was now a mere distraction to keep him from knocking on his Rosa's door. He feared the day when these distractions no longer held him back.

"What do you want, Cas?" Raz growled into the phone, suddenly feeling irritated as fuck. "Spit it out. I don't have all night."

"Oh, right. I forgot. You also got a date to pick up."

He had a distraction to pick up. Nothing more.

"Are you sure you want to bring someone to the gala, Raz?"

"It's a done deal. Stop trying to get me to change my mind." He was already teetering on the edge. He didn't need Cas pushing him over. He didn't need a reason to second-guess himself.

"I think you're playing with fire, Raz. The Miconis are no joke."

"Neither am I. Do you need something, brother?"

"What if you saw Monique with another man? Wouldn't that make you mad?"

"No," Orazio lied. "I want her to be happy."

"Even if it's in the arms of another man?" Cas asked.

Hell no!"Why are you asking me this?"

"I'm just wanting you to put yourself in her shoes. If she saw you with Isla, she'd be hurt. So would you if you saw her with another man."

"I have no intention of seeing her period. Therefore, I'll never know who she was with."

Which was a good thing. Orazio had no idea how badly he'd react if he saw the woman he loved in the arms of another man. Which was why he had to stop driving past her house. He'd hate to kill a motherfucker in her front yard, right in front of her and her neighbors.

"But if you did see her..." Cas started.

"Cas, let it go. I'm not going to see her. And she's never going to see me with Isla. I know I seem like a selfish bastard. But I'm only doing this..."

"To protect her," Cas finished for him. "Yeah, yeah. So you say. But I don't believe you're truly ready to let her go."

He wasn't. But Cas didn't need to know that. His brother had been pestering him about this all day. Had Cas learned that Raz sometimes took detours and drove by Monique's house? Was that why he was suddenly acting like this?

"Raz, you could really lose her if you don't get your head toget..."

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