Page 115 of Wicked Rivals

Why couldn't I pick up the fucking phone and tell Capaldo I would be at that church to marry his daughter?

“Boss?” Tony asked.

“I only see one option with any benefit,” I murmured.

A pathetic fucking attempt to give me the excuse to do the unthinkable.

“We’re not out of time yet, Stef. Let us figure this out. Give us a few more hours.”

“Fuck, Tony. We don't have a single legitimate lead. We’re grasping at straws. Those cameras near Con Amore won't pan out. They didn't the first time.

“And what’s the likelihood of finding anything on the feed at the train station over the next few hours? If I don’t act now, I will lose everything, and she will probably still die.”

While I paced, Tony's focus remained on me. Neither of us saw Enzo sneak back into the room.

When I noticed his small form hovering near my desk from the corner of my eye, I turned to scold him. But instead, I froze.

Not a goddamn muscle in my body would move.

He had the photo of his mother in his hand.

“Don’t look at it, Enzo,” I said.

Too late.

He jerked his gaze from the photo to my face.

“I know where this is,” he said.

CHAPTER 24

VAL

Donnie Luka’s bullet hit my right arm.

I sucked air in through my nose and released it slowly from my mouth, fighting to keep my breathing steady and to push past the searing pain. I refused to cry out.

The depraved bastard would never get that from me. I knew what he wanted… to be in control, to have power over me, to feel like a powerful man.

He wasn’t strong. Not at all.

Just another sick asshole.

Never would I let him take my power away and own it.

Whatever psychotic bullshit he pulled out of his bag of tricks next, I wouldn’t fall for it. He couldn’t break me. I would die before giving him the satisfaction of watching me fall apart.

“This is your fault,” he hissed. “If you weren't such a stuck-up bitch, none of this would’ve happened. All you had to do was be nice and know your place.”

“My place? You have no idea where that is. You don’t even know who the fuck I am.”

“But I know what you are,” he fired back. “A worthless bitch who used her body to trap a wealthy man, so he’ll take care of you. And you did it only to find out he doesn’t want you.

“He wants someone worthy, like Benedetta. You couldn’t take it, could you? So you went crawling back and opened your legs for him again.”

I clenched my teeth.

“You better hope you’re right…” I said, “that he doesn’t want me. Because if he shows up, you’ll pray for death before he even lays a finger on you. Stefano will rain hell down on you for taking me. And I think you know that.”

---