#3 Chapter 49

Enzo stayed silent and the two men stared each other down.

I licked my lips. "You can't hurt him."

"And why not?" Fausto asked.

Because he is a tortured, misunderstood man who loves his children.

Because he is the first man to ever really get me.

Because he is the man I love.

I straightened my shoulders. "Because you've both done enough damage to the other. This has to stop."

"You know nothing of which you speak," Fausto said.

"I know everything," I said. "I probably know more than you do. You can't kill him. I won't allow it."

"You assume he can get the better of me?" Enzo said softly, lifting his gun threateningly.

"That gun is out of bullets," Fausto said. "So I think we all know who has the upper hand."

"No one is killing anyone," I snapped.

"Get on the boat." Enzo sounded like he was grinding his teeth.

"What? No." I searched his face for clues, but he stared only at Fausto. I crossed my arms over my chest. "I'm not leaving you alone with him."

Enzo dragged his eyes off Fausto briefly, and a muscle jumped in his jaw as he glared at me. "Do as you are told."

"I won't, not when it means you die."

"I don't need you to protect me."

He clearly did, if the grim mood in the room was any indication. Fausto would shoot Enzo dead the second I left. So I would do whatever it took to prevent that.

"Cugino," Fausto called. "Get Gianna on the boat."

Enzo took a step toward me, his body swelling aggressively. "Whoever touches her will permanently lose the use of both arms."

I couldn't help it. I moved closer to him, my mouth fighting a smile. Most women-sane ones-would've been horrified by a blood-soaked man making threats on her behalf . . . but I wasn't. I was a mafia princess, born in this life. Violence and danger ran in my veins, and no amount of pretending or moving or dating boring men would ever change that.

Maybe that made me fucked up, too, but I couldn't deny it any longer.

"Il pazzo," I said quietly, my palm caressing the side of his face.

"Madonna!" Fausto barked from behind me. "What have you done to her?"

Enzo swallowed hard, his expression pained. "Get on the boat, micina," he murmured. "Please."

"What the fuck? You think I'm going to leave and let him murder you? I'm not going anywhere."

"Do as you are told," he snarled, grabbing my wrist and shoving me away from him. "Vattene! Go, woman!"

I didn't want to leave him. Not like this, when I knew he would die. "No. I'm staying with you."

His eyes were flat and cold as they raked me from head to toe. "I don't want you here. You were just pussy to me, nothing more. I wanted to ruin you and I did. Look at you! Begging to stay with a man who treated you like nothing better than a whore."

I knew he didn't mean it, but it was still hard to hear. "Stop," I said weakly.

"Why? Can't handle the truth? Should I tell them how eager you were for it? Should I show them the videos I made of you on your knees, sucking-"

"Stop! Don't do this, Enzo. I know you're saying it just so I'll go."

We stared at each other. Finally, he said, "Leave, Gianna. You'll always be the enemy, the woman I used for revenge. Nothing more."

Pure revulsion filled his expression, like I was dirt beneath his shoe.

It was how Papa's guards looked at me years ago when they called me names.

And it was also how Grayson looked at me when I caught him cheating, like it was my fault.

It hit me then. This wasn't about Fausto or the Russians or my safety. This was about me. He meant those hurtful words, even after I'd opened up to him. Trusted him.

I couldn't breathe. My heart tore in half, crumbling right inside my chest. I willed him to take it back, to tell me he cared, but he didn't. The silence spoke volumes.

Enzo didn't want me.

I'd been a goddamn game, a piece on his chessboard. He hadn't cared about me at all. None of them ever cared about me enough for something lasting.

It was a blow but I wouldn't beg. I wouldn't remind him of everything he said and did during the two weeks I was on this yacht. If he wanted me gone, I would walk out with my head high, no matter how broken I was inside.

But I couldn't leave without securing a promise first, even if Enzo didn't deserve it.

I turned to my brother-in-law. Fausto was frowning, his eyebrows pulled low in confusion. I closed the distance between us and said quietly, "Swear that you won't hurt or kill him."

His lips pressed together. "Gianna-"

"No, Fausto. Swear it. Swear on the lives of your children that you won't do anything right now or else I'm not leaving with you. You'll have to tell my sister that you failed in getting me back."

Oh, he didn't like that one bit. His voice hardened. "You threaten me?"

I let out a trembling breath and changed my tune. "Fausto, please. You've done enough to him. Swear it."

A long moment passed where he studied my face. "I swear it. I won't hurt him or kill him right now on this boat."

I supposed that was the best I could hope for, considering. "Thank you."

I walked out onto the deck and didn't look back.

Enzo

Numb, I stared at my greatest enemy, the man who'd ruined my life. I had thought of this moment many, many times over the last four years. I imagined the hatred and violence I would feel when we finally saw one another again. Had dreamt of my retribution, my vengeance.

But now? I felt nothing.

The hurt in Gianna's eyes, her ravaged expression, was all I could see. I hadn't liked hurting her, but what choice did I have? I had to keep her safe. So I lied and told her those ugly words. It would be better in the end. She could hate me and move on with her life.

She would be grateful once she was in Siderno with her sisters and I disappeared again.

I stared at Ravazzani flatly. "Well?"

"You fucked her."

I said nothing. We both knew the answer.

"You're a real piece of shit, D'Agostino. It wasn't enough to kidnap my wife, you had to kidnap her sisters, too? Did you rape both of them?"

I didn't owe him an explanation. I wasn't a rapist and I hadn't touched Emma, but let him think the worst of me. I slipped my hands into my trouser pockets.

Ravazzani didn't like my silence. His mouth twisted as he glared at me. "You are making it very hard not to shoot you right now."

"It would be a mistake to try."

Shaking his head, he leaned against the wall and studied me. "You kept to the water. Smart."

"Not all of us have a castle."

"Mine is nicer," he said off-handedly, gesturing to the interior. "Bigger, too."

"How did you find me?"

He flicked a piece of imaginary lint off his suit jacket. "The Russians. They led us right to you."

"Cazzata. How?"

"My contacts in Milan helped us track Emma down when she went missing. Imagine our surprise when we missed you by just a few hours. At that point all we had to do was wait for the Russians to go looking for you. Apparently they put a tracker inside Emma when she was first captured. No doubt they sedated her so she wouldn't remember, but it was foolish of you not to check for one."

Yes, clearly a mistake. I didn't regret going after Emma or leading the Russians here. I'd done it for Gia, to save her twin. To make her smile at me like I was a king among men.

Though I was impatient, I waited and kept quiet. Fausto liked to make a big Hollywood production out of everything. I preferred efficiency, but I had to let this play out.

"Are your children on the boat with you?"

I wouldn't give him any information, so I said nothing.

He nodded when the silence stretched. "I think the answer is no. You've hidden them somewhere far away from you to keep them safe. You must miss them."

Pezzo di merda. He was surrounded by his wife and children, living happily on his estate, while I was alone and miserable. My hands curled into fists at my side.

"And your wife?"

Again, I gave no response. He didn't deserve to know anything about me or my family.

He pushed off from the wall and closed the distance between us. Then he lifted his gun and pointed it at me.

Calmly, I met his gaze. Did he honestly think I would make this so easy? "I wouldn't do it, if I were you."

"Fortunate that you aren't me, then. I promised I wouldn't kill you on this boat. I never said anything about another boat. Get moving."

"No, it is you who will be leaving, alone." Stepping back, I reached into my pocket and took out a small device. "Do you know what this is?"

His lips flattened, so I assumed he recognized it as a detonator.

I held it up. "I have the entire boat wired with explosives. I press this button and we end up as little pieces of skin and bone in the water."

"You would blow up yourself and your brothers just to kill me?"

"In a fucking blink. I will never be taken alive again. Not by you, not by anyone."

I let him see the truth of the words in my expression. Massimo and Vito knew of my feelings on this and had agreed. Stronger together. Even if it meant death.

Slowly, Ravazzani lowered the gun. "I have imagined this so many times, how it would play out, but you're different. You are not the same man who leered at my wife's ass and kidnapped her."

"No, I'm not," I agreed. "I'm worse."

Ravazzani cocked his head, his expression thoughtful. "That may be true, but I also think you are miserable and alone. It pleases me very much."

When is it enough for you?

Gia's words from last night rang in my head, but I pushed them aside. I didn't want pity from anyone, especially Ravazzani. "Get off my fucking yacht."

He moved toward the doorway. "You know how all of this ends, no?"

"With one of us dead, obviously. Because I will never give up half of my computer empire."

Pausing, he sneered at me over his shoulder. "No, that's what I wanted before you kidnapped my wife. Now I want half the computer fraud, half your drug business, and all of the construction contracts in Napoli for the next fifteen years."

Che palle. Acid churned in my stomach at the outrageous demands. The stronzo had no right to any of it. "You will be disappointed, then."

"We will see, D'Agostino."

He stepped out onto the deck, and I couldn't resist adding fuel to the fire. "Before you go, I have one final piece of advice for you."

"And what is that?"

"You better stay inside your castello in Siderno. Because the next time I see you, I will kill you. Even if I must also kill myself in the process."

"Fucking lunatic," he muttered before shaking his head and disappearing.