Page 94 of Beautiful Devil

“What? What are you talking about?”

“I thought as much, although I thought your husband would at least have told you about our dealings or even mentioned my name at the very least. I have to admit, I was surprised by how quickly he jumped at the opportunity to help me. But Gallo was money-hungry, and it didn’t take much convincing. As soon as I told him what his cut would be, he was all in. Little did I know just how greedy he was, because he started laundering money for himself, which is what ended up getting him caught and behind bars. Anyway, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Dante Bonetti. It’s nice to finally meet you, Gia.”

Dante. Dante.

Why does that name sound fam-

Oh, my God! Realization kicks in about who this man is.

He lifts a hand to readjust the hat atop his head, revealing more of his face. The action reveals those same dark, beady eyes from the day of Gallo’s trial. Horror washes over me, bringing with it that same chill down my spine. The man sitting in front of me isDante,the man who tried kidnapping me the same night as Fabi. The one who Fabi warned me about and said would have grabbed me if he let me go. Looks like he wasn’t lying about the man or his intentions. I barely made it two minutes outside of Fabi’s compound before Dante and his men found me.

My heart kicks up a notch beneath my breastbone, sending a shiver the length and breadth of my body. I’ve never experienced such a gut-wrenching fear as I do at this moment and my heart cries out for safety.

For home.

For Fabi.

So many thoughts are swirling around in my head, and at the center of each one lies Fabi. And it’s pointless, because our marriage means nothing to him. I’m a means to an end, a pawn on his chess board to be moved at will. And since Dante already has me, I’m not even that anymore. Fabi can continue to go about living as he did before me. After all, he’ll be a widower by morning. The thought sends a wave of nausea through me. Despite everything, all the horrible things he said and the obstacles between us, I miss him. I want him.

Something Dante said finally catches up to me, and before I can fully think it through, I open my mouth and speak. “I don't know if you’re aware, but Gallo is no longer my husband. So I’m not sure what this has to do with me.”

“I could sense from the second I walked into his office how bad he wanted it. The money, the power. And I had a feeling he would do just about anything to get what he wanted. You may not be husband and wife anymore,cara,but I needed him in order to get to you.”

“Me? What the hell do you want me for?”

A low, deep chuckle sounds from Dante, but within seconds, he's reaching for the handkerchief again. I study him while he has another coughing fit and wrack my brain trying to think what on Earth this man would want with me as he puts the blood-stained cloth back into his jacket pocket.

“Where were we? Ah yes, your husband.”

“He’s coming for you, you know. He’s not afraid of you.” I try to sound convincing as I say the words, but inside my heart is breaking at the thought of yet another man I let myself fall in love with and how he will discard me like I was nothing.

“That’s a little hard, considering he’s in prison, Gia.”

“I told you, asshole, Galloisn’tmy husband. Fabi, though, won’t let you get away with this.”

“Fabi? Do you mean Fabrizio Moretti?

I nod my head slowly. “Yes.”

Confusion crosses his pale, sickly face until realization hits. “Wait. Are you saying you’re Fabrizio Moretti’s wife? Don Moretti? Vincenzo Moretti’s son?”

“That’s him,” I reply with a sense of pride at the fact that I’m Fabrizio Moretti’s wife, or at least I was for a while.

The chances of me ever seeing him again...I’m not overly hopeful.

“Dio Mio. I can’t believe my luck at what I’m hearing.”

A commotion breaks out behind me. Shouting in a language I can’t understand, but if I had to guess, I would say Russian. I can’t see the man. He’s behind me and being tied to the chair. I can’t turn around to see him, and he doesn’t move into my line of sight. Something tells me that’s intentional. His voice is deep as he speaks with a heavy accent.

“The deal is off. You did not tell me she was Moretti’s wife. I did not agree to this. Make sure he knows I was not part of this, or I will kill you myself.”

“Igor—” Dante starts, panic evident in his voice.

Igor cuts him off in a slew of very fast words in a language I don’t understand. Dante gets up on shaky legs as his frail hand wraps tightly around the head of the cane, which assists him as he walks away from me and toward the angry man.

My pounding headache comes back full force and the urge to curl up into a ball and hold my head until the pain goes away is strong. I’m so focused on my head that I don’t realize it's gone quiet. I strain my ears for a couple of minutes to listen but still nothing.

I immediately start to pull on my bindings, but it's no use. The rope they used is so tight that it won't budge. The only thing itisdoing is digging into my skin and causing rope burns. I take a break before starting back up again, trying to locate a nail or screw or anything on the chair that would help me cut or unravel the rope, but I come up empty.

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