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MotherfuckingAlto.

Jasmine stands before me with tears clinging to her lashes, visible pain on her face and utter distress in her voice. She’s falling apart and as I stare at her, the answer to my father’s threat becomes crystal clear in my mind.

There is no winning with him. No matter what I choose, it will never be enough. Jasmine will never be safe. And I can’t keep her safe so long as he and my cockroach of a brother still walk this earth.

But there’s only one way I can get close to my father to kill him now.

One way.

The realization brings one final epiphany.

I love Jasmine. I love her in the deepest parts of my soul.

And I have to break her heart.

It’s the only way I can keep her safe.

In a single second, her safety becomes the single most important thing in my life, and the only way I can ensure she is safe is to do what I’ve been planning to do from the start. I need to wipe out every last Gatti. She and my mother’s memory both deserve that.

But the only way I’ll get close to Santino is to make him think I’ve chosen him.

Which means Jasmine needs to hate me. Visibly hate me. He won’t believe anything else.

“Well?” Jasmine gasps. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”

God I want to. I want to tell her I love her. I want to tell her she’s the strongest and most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. That her friends and family are lucky to have her. That I’m honored to have been given even a touch of her affection, and that if we lived in a perfect world, I would sweep her away and give her the fantasy life she deserves.

But I can’t.

Reality is cruel.

“It was me.”

“What?” She stares at me with open confusion. “What was you?”

“Those messages to your mother weren’t from Alto. They were from me.” The lie tastes like burnt copper in my mouth and pain spears across my gut, but I stand firm.

“I don’t understand,” she says hoarsely, frowning. “That doesn’t make…makeanysense. Why are you saying that?”

“It was part of my plan from the start. I knew your mother was a weak link. Getting close to you was handed to me on a platter with the Mancinis, but the plan with your mother was already in motion. Woo the daughter and manipulate the mother.”

“No,” Jasmine whispers. “Stop it. Stop saying those things!”

“Santino tasked me to bring you down from the inside, dismantle everything so you’d be weak for a complete take over.”

“Stop it!” she screams. “Stop it, you’re lying!”

“No I’m not, Jasmine. You have to believe me. You know it’s true.”

“No, it’s not true. It’s not. You’re my…you’re supposed to be on my side. This doesn’t make any sense.”

“Yes it does!” I yell suddenly, fighting my own heartbreak. “Think about it, why would I be interested in you? I mean really, you’re young. Stupid. So fucking naive. So you shouldn’t trust me, do you hear me? You shouldn’t trust any one of us. My entire family is dangerous and we’re out to get you, Jasmine. We’re coming, so if you know what’s good for you, you’ll lock down and make sure no Gatti comes near you ever again, understand?”

I have to make her angry. I have to make her so angry that she goes into overdrive and protects herself. It’s the only way I can make sure she’s safe until I get back to my father and end his life once and for all.

Because if Alto has been in communication with her mother, then there’s no telling what other traps he’s been laying for her, or what plans are already in motion to hurt her. My very presence here could be just as dangerous.

“No!” Jasmine yells back. “It’s not true. Why would you come here, huh? Why would you even tell me all of this?”