Page 14 of Driftwood Daffodil 3

Sounded like a simple plan.

“They got in the room and had the guns in their hands. Everything was going as planned. Well, almost everything.”

The answer to that was obvious. “You changed your mind at the last minute.”

“No. I still wanted her dead for months after we were married.”

That didn’t make sense. If everything went as planned and they got in the room, then she should be dead. What did he do, hire the dumbest hitmen alive?

“So, what happened?” How did the great Cesare Mancini fail?

“I had the staff schedule for that day planned down to the second, but they took longer than fifteen minutes. One of the guards happened to be walking past her room and heard a commotion. He broke in, shot them, and we were married two weeks later. Things didn’t change until your mother told me what happened that night.”

What did he mean “What happened?”. “Did they rape her?”

I was going to kill him.

“No.” He waved his hand. “They were shot before things went that far.”

Why was he talking so casually about this?

“Do you know why she didn’t tell me what happened to her?”

Because he was an asshole who didn’t deserve her?

“She didn’t want me to feel guilty.” He snickered and shook his head. “Your mother had no idea that I had hired them. She thought they were just two random guys that broke in, and she was worried about my guilt. That’s the moment I fell in love with her.”

Okay, so…“What was the point of your story?”

Did he want me to hate him more?

“My point is, this…” He leaned forward and pushed the box closer to me. “It's just a ring, Giovanni. And your fiancé is just an arrangement. But they both belong to you. And one day they might be something more.”

I snorted. “Nova will never be anything more.”

“Then why is she still alive?”

“I’m not allowed to kill her.” He was the one who decided the parameters of our agreement, or did he forget?

“I wasn’t allowed to kill my fiancé either, but that didn’t stop me. If you really wanted her dead, then she would be dead. So, I’ll ask you again, Giovanni, why is Novalee still alive?”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I wanted to once again point out the agreement he made, or that I still had plans for her brother. But honestly, I just didn’t have an answer. For him or me. I should want her dead. I did at one point. Now when I thought about Novalee Ford, I wanted…

“Put me down you giant oaf! I will beat you with my shoe.”

I wanted to pull my hair out.

My father and I both turned to look out in the hall where Nova’s voice was coming from.

“It seems your fiancé is here?”

“I sent Marty to pick her up.” I should’ve told him to drown her.

“Alright bozo you asked for it.”

My father arched a brow at me. “I see you still haven’t gotten her under control.”

“I’m working on it.” Sighing I pinched the bridge of my nose.

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