Page 364 of Niccolo

“This can’t be serious,” Massimo said in shock.

“Would you trust her if all she wanted was money?” I asked. “If that was the case, she could be bought off by anyone with more cash in hand.”

“Well, I don’t trust her just because she agreed to marry you.”

“It’s not justthat,”I said defensively. “We’re in love.”

“So?!”Adriano demanded.

“If there’s one thing thatallof you should understand, it’s falling in love with a woman – and her falling in love with you.”

One by one, I pointed at every man in the room.

“Youfell in love with a woman you kidnapped.

“Youfell in love with a complete stranger you proposed to after three days.

“Youfell in love with a woman you were supposed to not touch – and someone, I might add, that you absolutelyhatedin the beginning.

“Youfell in love with a woman who tried to kill Dario – and who tried to killyouin London.

“Youfell in love with a woman who literally betrayed you.

I finally got to Valentino. “And you – well, you were always in love with Cat. You just couldn’t admit it.

“So why is it so strange that Sofia and I would fall in love? Everyone in this room has a history of strange romantic entanglements.”

“Here’s the difference,” Roberto said. “Yes, a few of our women might have betrayed us individually… butnoneof them ever heldallof our lives in their hands. And none of them were working for our worst enemy.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Lau wasanenemy, not ourworstenemy,” Roberto snapped.

“Yes, well, I’m pretty sure Rachel was working for ourworstenemy,” I said.

“Hey,” Lars said defensively, “that was Roberto’s argument, not mine.”

“I’m telling you,” I said to all of them, “I can feel it in my bones that Sofia’s on our side. You all know I have a gift – that I can almost tell what you’re thinking without you saying it.

“Trust me, I anticipated all your arguments, and I have no good counter-argument other thanI know her… and I trust her… and that this case, like every other decision I’ve ever made, I’m making for the good of the family.” I looked over at Valentino before he could say anything. “Yes, sometimes I fucked up – but I was always looking out for the best interests of usall.

“So this isn’t some selfish choice where I expect you to risk your lives just so I can be happy.This is our best chance to end this.If we don’t take it, Fausto will slip away to God knows where, and who knows when we’ll have another shot at him.

“We can end this tomorrow – or it can go on for weeks, or months, oryears,while Fausto comes up with ever more inventive ways to pick us off, one by one.”

“And be helped by your fiancée,” Roberto said dourly.

“When would youevertrust her?” I retorted. “What could she do to gain your trust? Betray Fausto, right?

“Well, she can’t gain your trustthatway before we commit to the plan because it would alert Fausto that she’s changed sides. It would ruin the only shot we have. So youhaveto trust her on the first go-round. We have no other choice.”

“So,” Massimo said dubiously, “trust someone who’s given us no reason to trust her.”

“Don’t trusther,then. Trustme,”I pleaded. “What do you say?”

They all looked at each other –

And every single one of them refused.

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