Page 4 of Angelo

He shook his head. "I do not think that is possible. I have always been my father's greatest disappointment. Ever since I was a boy, I did everything I could to stay out of the way while my brothers fought for my father’s approval. I watched them kill each other.One by one. It is laughable that I outlived them all. I never wanted the fucking crown."

"Alessio…"

"It is funny. Because my mother never wanted to be thecapo'swife, either. Myfather was right. Our lack of ambition makes us useless."

"I disagree."

Alessandro fired back, "My mother died because she was too weak."

Instantly, his admission stole her breath. Elyse became still and quiet. "What happened to her?"

He stated bluntly, "She was killed, of course."

"By who?"

"Her father's men."

"Why?"

"She tried to escape."

Like a phantom serpent, dread slithered over Elyse as her husband's harrowing admission sank in. Renata's murder sounded like another cautionary tale. The moral of this fucked up story? Escape from the mafia was only possible when one's heart ceased to beat.

Elyse's anxiety clenched with distress.

Had her mother suffered a similar fate? Against her will, fear roared back to life like a creaking merry-go-round in an abandoned amusement park. Dismay sank in as dots began to connect. Last night, Benedetto hadn't been able to finish his story about Gianna. Did her grandfather have a hand in her mother's death?

Elyse recoiled right then. She couldn't allow her mind to wander down this sinister road. She rested her cheek against Alessandro's chest. Elyse no longer knew whether she was trying to console him or seeking comfort for herself.

"How old were you," Elyse asked softly, "when she passed away?"

"Sixteen," Alessandro muttered as his arms tightened around her, "I was in London for school when I heard the news. My father would not let me come home for her burial. He did not even give her a funeral. I am pretty sure he was already fucking Carmen behind my mother's back at the time."

His voice was steeped in bitterness. Elyse could feel his pain. "You adored her, didn't you?"

"Sì," he admitted, "she was nothing like my father."

"Why did your mother try to leave?"

Alessandro smiled tritely. "The same reasons, I imagine, that make you unhappy. Our way of life takes a toll on some people. Those who are not soulless, anyway."

Truer words had never been spoken, and it was troubling as hell. Elyse burrowed herself into Alessandro's embrace. In the quiet of the study, she clung tohim like a drifter lost at sea. Fighting the turmoil within, Elyse mumbled, "You make me happy, Alessio. But our way of life?I fucking hate it. Even angels are forced to kill for survival."

"I will play thediavolo," he assured her, "so you do not have to."

With a heavy heart, green eyes drifted to the ink on his wrist. Its significance wasn't lost on her.The angel who saved the devil.As though drawn to it by an unseen thread, Elyse's hand soon followed her gaze. Alessandro froze when she touched him. Their gazes clashed. This time, though, Elyse didn't pull away. She started to caress his wrist, mindlessly tracing the wings and blade with her fingertips.

"No," she said, "we're in this together."

One of his eyebrows rose. "You wish to burn with me?"

Her hand slipped away from him as she gave a shrug. "Pretty sure we're already going to hell. Might as well follow you into the fire."

His eyes flickered. "Why would you sacrifice so much?"

"Because you're the man that I lo—"

Elyse caught herself and tucked the word back inside her heart. Alessandro's arms tensed around her, prompting, "What, Elyse?"

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