Page 51 of Beautiful Sinner

Anger courses over his face. “But you promised to marry her to me.”

“Only if you proved yourself useful to me and so far, you haven’t. Find me a way to get close to either Dante or Matteo or Erik so I can kill one of those fuckers. And then I’ll let you marry my sister.”

Connor thinks on it a moment before he nods. “I might have a way.”

“Good. Now go and come back to me with a plan.” I shake my head the moment Connor is gone. Why is it so hard to kill Dante and Erik? Those fuckers are going to drive me to insanity and I can already feel like I’m losing a part of myself in the process.

Julia

I have the unfortunate luck to run into Connor in the hallway as he leaves my brother’s office. “Connor. I didn’t know you would be here today.” All I can think about is Matteo’s mouth between my legs. How good he made me feel. How we never should have done any of that.

I try to hide my blush but I’m sure it’s all over my face. And so is my guilt.

Connor narrows his eyes at me right before he grabs my wrist and pulls me down the hallway.

“Ow,” I whimper, trying to pull free but he’s holding on too tight.

“Your boyfriend just tried to kill me today.”

“Boyfriend? What? What are you talking about? Let me go.”

Connor ignores me and instead, only tightens his hold. “I know you have something going on with Matteo. You were spotted at a hotel together. I saw the way you looked at him when we were on our date.Ourdate. Yours and mine. Not his. I saw you leave the club with him that first day we met. I know something is going on.”

“Nothing is going on.”

“But what? Are you seeing him in secret? A love affair? Or are you feeing him intel about your brother? Is that why my plan to kill Dante and Matteo failed?”

“What plan?” Except I know exactly which one.

“The one Viktor had planned to attack Dante’s club. Dante and Matteo weren’t there that night. Why weren’t they?”

“Bad luck? Please just let me go.”

Somehow, he tightens his grip even more. “Why would Dante and Matteo come after me? Why try to kill me?”

“Because you’re working with my brother?”

“Sure. That’s one reason. But I think there’s another. Does Matteo not want us to marry? Is it personal? Is that why he wants me dead?”

“What are you talking about? Just let me go, Connor. Please.”

Finally, he flings my arm back at me. My wrist feels tender and sore. Bruises are already forming.

“Have you been meeting Matteo in secret?”

“No!”

“Have you?” he seethes. Spit flies from his mouth.

“No. I haven’t.” I will not cower to Connor. He will not take what Matteo and I have.

His eyes trace my face, looking for any sign that I may be lying. Of course I’m lying but he’ll never know that.

He huffs, stepping back. “Fine. Maybe you’re not. But something is going on here. Matteo knows too much. I can feel it in my gut. And I think it’s because of you.”

“I am not talking to Matteo in secret.” Just doing other things with him… “If you try to hurt me again, I’ll tell my brother about this.”

“If you try to tell your brother I hurt your wrist, then I am going to tell him that Matteo did that to you during one of your secret meetings. He’ll believe me because I can tell him all about your little adventure out to Dante’s club. You may be able to lie to me but can you lie to your brother?”