Page 71 of Revenge & Ruin

And I curse myself for ever thinking this would be the best-case scenario. That I could somehow usethisto my advantage, to manipulate him into leaving my family alone.

Because how could I have ever possibly believed that these feelings would only flow one way? All this time, I was so concerned about whether he would be able to commit to killing me.

I never once thought about the cost of killinghim.

And the tragic truth is that I can’t do it either.

Which means we’re both just stuck. We both need something from the other, but neither of us can see it through to the bitter end.

So where does that even leave us?

“Would you do it? Would you give her up?” I whisper back as his nose skims over my cheek.

“Who?”

“Would you give up your mother?”

He stops breathing.

Then, he throws himself backward as if I’ve somehow shocked him. There is a deathly darkness in his eyes that I’ve never seen before.

“Don’t you dare talk about her.” His voice is low and threatening. It’s enough to make my toes curl and my heart pound in my chest.

But I don’t back down. “You wouldn’t do it, would you?”

“I said, ENOUGH!” he roars.

“Or what, Teo?” I almost laugh at him. “We both know we’re royally fucked over this. We can’t kill each other. We can’t get what we want. What isleftfor us?”

He shakes his head. “No. Youwillgive her up.”

“You’re delusional if you think that’s true!”

“And I might not be able to kill you. But I can keep you here, alone and isolated. For however long that takes for your tongue to loosen.”

He walks to the door, stubborn pride radiating from his every step.

So I shout after him. “You can keep me here as long as you like. But someonewillfind me.”

He pauses at the door before turning back to me. “No one will find you. Not here.”

Dread begins to trickle down my spine. “Where. Am. I?”

When he smiles, it’s a cruel quirk of his lips.

“Enjoy the bunker, Miss Natali.”

19

TEO

The cold iron door of Isabella’s room is a steadying presence as I lean my forehead against it.

I can hear her on the other side, groaning in her frustration and anger. Every part of me wants to yell along with her.

When did this become such a mess?

Perhaps when she was dying in my arms, and my biggest fear wasn’t losing the closest lead I had to Ida Natali. The thought didn’t even cross my mind until the doctor had her breathing again.

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