Page 23 of Dangerous Games of Trust

“Maybe, what you thinking, sweetheart?”

“I want to know everything about him. How else do you destroy the man who knows everyone and has most of the city on his payroll. I need to find his weakness.”

“Elisa,” he calls, jumping off the stage and moving toward the door before I can really get my answer.

I turn in the direction he’s looking. There standing in the doorway is the very same raven-haired beauty Valentina pointed out to me during the rehearsal dinner. His little sister. What on earth?

Her long sleek hair fans out behind her and she runs toward Geovani. She is followed closely by another young girl. Her friend’s short, platinum-blonde hair is cut into a pixie style, showing off her sharp jawline and high cheekbones. She’s got a laid-back vibe about her in ripped jeans, sneakers, and an oversized hoodie. They both look nervous, the blonde twisting her hands in front of her before shoving them in the front pocket of her hoodie.

Elisa throws her arms around her brother in a tight embrace. “Ian,” she cries, “thank you so much for meeting me. I know howdangerous it is for you both. But I had to see you. This isn’t a conversation I wanted to have over the phone.” She speaks with a stifled and desperate tone, as if struggling to hold back tears.

“Are you okay?” He keeps her at a distance, examining her carefully. She has red eyes, as if she has been crying, and there is a noticeable dark bruise forming under one of her eyes. She looks shaken up and frightened. What the hell, who’s been hurting her?

She lowers her face out of his scrutiny, trying to hide in the shadows. “He’s back,” she says with an edge of panic.

Geovani stiffens and looks straight at me with an expression I don’t see on his handsome face too often—pure fear.

Chapter 12

A shiver slithers downmy spine. I knew Carlo wasn’t going to stay in hiding forever, but I had hoped we would have a little longer to work things out before he started causing more trouble.

“Our pa did this to you?” As Geovani’s furious voice booms off the vacant space, some drywall crumbles to the ground.

Elisa’s bottom lip trembles, and her brother wraps his arm around her in a warm hug. He’s different with her, softer. I can see how important she is to him. “Ian, did you know what he had planned for me? He’s forcing me to marry Ricky to reunite the Morettis and the D’Amicos. He thinks it’s going to be like the great old days when they were unstoppable together, before they started fighting. But he’s delusional. You know he is. I really think he’s lost his fucking mind this time. He won’t take no for an answer. Ian, I’m scared, for my life and for Catherine,” she cries, streaks of black mascara sliding down her cheeks.

I feel awful for the poor girl. She’s clearly distressed, with good reason to. I only met her pa once, and I’m praying I never havethe pleasure again. He was terrifying. She had to grow up with him. I can’t even imagine how horrifying that would have been. From every account I’ve heard, she wouldn’t have been allowed a normal childhood just like Geovani, and I can only imagine the horrors she must have witnessed under his control.

“When did he come to see you?” Geovani demands.

“At my apartment tonight, right before I called you. He just showed up, furious. I was lucky Catherine was there or who knows how far he would have gone.” Her dark eyes flash with fear. “When he finds out you have her…” She looks my way, and I know what she was about to say. Heads will roll. He wants what he was promised by my papa.

“Give me a minute.” Geovani takes out his phone as he walks away, making a call. “I need two men…” he barks down the line, but that’s all I hear before he’s out of earshot.

“Harley?” Elisa says my name softly, bringing my attention back to her.

I look her over, wondering what she wants with me. She’s even more stunning up close, and even though I’m furious with Ricky, a ping of jealousy still kicks me in the gut at the thought he might actually marry her. “Elisa.” I say her name with more bitterness than I intend. It’s not her fault she has a controlling motherfucker for a father.

“I know you don’t know me and probably don’t care about my current situation, but I’m not sure anyone else can help me now,” she says softly, glancing over her shoulder in her brother’s direction.

I point to my chest. “You want my help? I’m pretty sure I’m just here because Geovani is too scared to leave me alone. What help could I be?”

She sighs heavily, a visible tremor wracking through her small frame. “I can’t marry Ricky. He’s nice and all, but I can’t. You understand that, right? They tried to force you to marryAlessandro until you escaped. Can you help me do the same?” Her sad eyes plead with me to be her savior. And I wish I could. No one should be forced into an arranged marriage. I should know.

I shake my head, feeling the weight of her situation on my shoulders. “I can’t even help myself, Elisa, what makes you think I can help you?”

She takes my hands in hers, gripping them tightly, her pretty eyes glistening with fresh tears as she meets my gaze. “Geo listens to you. Please, you have to try and get me out of this engagement before it’s too late.”

My stomach is in knots. Is she delusional and really thinks I can help her? “I’m just another girl trapped in this fucked-up world where money and power seem to rule and if you weren’t born with a dick, you have nothing. If there was something I could do…”

“I’m in love with someone else,” she says desperately. Her eyes dart to the edgy-looking girl she came in here with. And I assume that must be the Catherine she was just talking about. She motions for her to join us, and Catherine moves in by her side, slipping her hand into hers, her dark, almond-shaped eyes meeting mine.

“Hi,” I mutter, not sure what else to say. She looks nice enough. Catherine is the opposite of Elisa. While Elisa is very put together in her expensive-looking dress, Catherine is more relaxed. She has a piercing in her nose, and I spy a few tattoos peeking out from under the arms of her hoodie.

“Please.” Another tear falls down Elisa’s cheek, her dark eye make-up smudging as she wipes it away with a sniffle. “I know you feel just as helpless, but you’re not, you’re different.”

I close my eyes, needing a second of calm to process. I’m not exactly sure what we’re up against, but if Carlo is back in Ravens Hollow, I would say both sides will be pushing for this. It joinsthe two families and will strengthen their ties in the precious mafia world. But Geovani wants no part in any of that, and he’s able to hide me, so why couldn’t he do something to help her? Ricky, maybe he could just tell Enzo he won’t go through with it. I don’t understand why he agreed in the first place. Sounds so simple, even though I know it’s not.

“There’s something else,” Catherine pipes up, her panicked eyes coming to mine. “Something worse than us falling for each other when we both knew it was extremely dangerous, considering my job and Elisa’s family.” Like they need more reasons for me to want to help them. I was already on board, I just don’t know how.

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