Page 97 of Angelo

The dimness in Alessandro's eyes grew brighter. "Is that what I am doing?"

"Don't doubt yourself, Alessio," Elyse whispered as she placed her hands on his chest. “You’re the best man I know.”

Alessandro grimaced. "I cannot help but question everything, though. This was not how my father raised me.Omertàis sacred."

Her expression hardened. "Fuck Vincenzo. FuckOmertà, too.Rules only apply when nothing is at stake. If your father was ever forced to choose between sending himself or his friends to prison, I bet he wouldn’t hesitate to rat them out. You said it yourself.Humans are selfish by nature."

His gaze widened at the force of her outburst. Elyse wasn't done. Fire burned in her eyes as she forged on, "A traitor wouldn't fight for what's right when everyone wishes to kill him for it."

He paused again. "Elyse…”

Something in the tone of Alessandro's voice set her on edge. "What's wrong?"

Tension radiated from him. "If something happens to me over the next fewweeks—"

Refusing to even consider the possibility to losing him, Elyse interjected, "Please don't say shit like that. I don’t even want to think about it."

Alessandro placed his palms on either side of Elyse's shoulders and gazed into her eyes with an intensity that felt deeply unnerving.

"I am not saying anythingwillgo wrong," her husband reiterated softly, "I am sayingifsomething does go wrong, I want you to take that manila folder I gave you, and go to London.Do not stay in Palermo. Start over as Eve Davies and never look back. Promise me, Elyse.Per favore."

Elyse rejected him in a heartbeat, "No."

He ground his teeth."Cuore mio..."

She ground hers. "Alessio..."

"I am trying to look out for you."

"I'm not the kind of person who abandons ship the moment shit hits the fan."

“But you no longer have to be—that kind of person. You have me now. What kind of husband would I be if I fail to keep you safe?”

In the past, whenever the going got tough, she’d always gotten tougher. Elyse reminded him, "I stuck by my father, and I'm going to stand by you."

Admiration and irritation crossed his face. "I wish you would not be so fucking difficult."

"If I wasn't so fucking difficult, life would've kicked my ass a thousand times over by now."

Alessandro lifted his hand to palm her face, brushing his thumb across her cheek. "I cannot argue with you there."

She grumbled, “Because you know I’m right."

"You, Dr. Elyse Vitale, may be the most difficult woman I have ever met," his voice caught with emotion, faltering for a moment before he could continue, "but you are also the most precious part of me. You chase away the dark, and I would do anything to keep you from harm’s way.”

"Then let me protect what’s most precious to me as well,” she returned in a whisper, giving him a poignant look. “You."

The side of his mouth quipped. "My hero."

Elyse laughed softly. "Let's hope I won't need to come to your rescue."

Alessandro dropped a kiss on her forehead, "You have already saved me,cuore mio. In more ways than you will ever know.”

19

Plans continued to unfoldin real-time.

Valentina and Carmen remained cooperative under Elyse's watchful eye. Gaspare stayed one clueless motherfucker. He kept meeting up with Taddeo, partying with strippers and drinking himself into a stupor from midnight to sunrise. Her grandfather continued to fulfill his role as their go-between with the authorities. Alessandro worked discreetly with Benedetto to release names and evidence to Boris and his men.

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