Page 83 of Tormented Diamonds
When she looks up, there are tears in her eyes. “I overheard bits and pieces a couple times before that, but it wasn’t until you came back that things got intense. That’s why I started digging into his finances.”
“And Becca?” I ask sharply.
“My father’s paranoia escalated a few days ago. I only got one side of the conversation, but from what I gathered, he was talking to one of Marcello’s contacts from Providence. It seems your father didn’t tell either of them he was framing you for the operation, so mine used it as leverage. He contacted this man after your wedding and promised him Becca in return for getting rid of you.”
“The fucking coward knew the writing was on the wall.” Turning, I slam the envelope on the table so hard it rattles. “Why are you telling me this? What’s in it for you?”
“I’m being used, and I want no part of it. I won’t have another woman’s blood on my hands.”
I snap my chin over my shoulder. “Whatdo you meananother?”
Her shoulders curl inward as if she’s trying to disappear. But she can’t. She’s standing at the mouth of Hell, and the only way out is through a wall of fire. “You have to understand, Gianni, I never meant for it to happen.”
Dark energy vibrates off me as I slowly erase the distance between us. “The truth,now.”
Tears spill down her cheeks. “My father blackmailed Marcello because of me.”
“If you’re hinting that our so-called ‘arranged marriage’ was Carmine’s attempt at forcing Marcello to buy his silence, you can save your breath. We figured that out already.”
“No, you don’t understand. I knew about Victoria,” she says, the sadness in her voice sharpening my defenses.
“I suggest you back the fuck away from this topic.”
She shakes her head, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. “I can’t, not anymore. You deserve to hear the truth.” Fear and regret fill her eyes, but I care nothing about either. My blood has already turned cold. “My father didn’t tell me much about the deal he made, only that he’d uncovered a secret Marcello would do anything to keep quiet. I didn’t ask questions. I’ve been in love with you since we were kids, Gianni.” A bitter laugh accompanies her small shrug. “I thought fate had intervened.”
“Get to the point.”
“I was heartbroken when I found out you’d rejected the contract. I wasn’t thinking straight. All I could see was my fairy tale being ripped out of my hands. So while our fathers were meeting, I snuck out and followed you. That’s when I saw you withher.”
A wave of black rage sweeps over my eyes. Every part of me splinters, the man and husband falling away, leaving only the criminal. “You told your father about Victoria.”
The words are sharp and mechanical. No feeling,just purpose.
Her stiff nod radiates alarm, but she doesn’t run. “I was hurt. I didn’t know he’d go to Marcello and threaten to pull the plug on his silence if he didn’t fix it. Even after he did, I never dreamed he’d go so far as to…”
In less than half a second, I have her pinned to the wall by her throat, the muzzle of my gun to her forehead. “To what, Cathalina … murder her? Because that’s what he did. I unknowingly sent my girlfriend to her grave because you couldn’t fucking handle rejection.” A vicious smile spreads across my face. “But it didn’t work out like you planned, did it? None of you counted on eyewitness and video footage sending me to jail, or me being handed the opportunity to retaliate.”
“Go ahead,” she wheezes, her arms hanging limply at her side. “Pull the trigger, if that’s what you need to do. I deserve it. But know that while I love you, Gianni, I never wanted that love returned at the cost of someone else. I swear, I never meant for anyone to get hurt, VictoriaorBecca. That’s why I’ve been hanging around—to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this before now?”
“I was afraid of what my father would do to me.”
“You should’ve been more afraid of what I’d do to you.” But even as I say the words, I feel my finger backing off the trigger. While the man in me demands blood, the criminal recognizes a familiar situation. Cathalina is nothing more than a pawn in her father’s game. What she did to Victoria is not unlike what I did to Jack Ledger.
Same script, different actors.
I grit my teeth.
More proof of Becca’s influence altering my brain chemistry.
But not spilling blood doesn’t mean I’m not about to fuck her world up.
I ignore her exhale of relief when I release herthroat and slide my gun back into its holster. “Do you know the details of what your father is involved in?”
Her fingers brush the bright red mark on her neck. “No.”
“He kept his mouth shut and looked away while thousands of women were being trafficked through the Port of Providence. Still think Daddy has your best interest at heart?”
