Page 127 of Die for You

“I’m not,” I counter, hoping she buys through my shit. “I acknowledge my mistakes in this marriage, but I didn’t fucking go out of my way to destroy you! I loved your father. I loved you.”

The minute I mention Aldo, tears fill her eyes.

“I know you’re hurt. I fucked up. I went back on my promise. You never got revenge, and I am sorry.”

“My father was good to you.” She sniffs, her lower lip trembling.

“I know he was. Everything we’ve built has been to honor his legacy. You’re his legacy, Bria. And this is how you honor him? By siding with his enemy? The woman who killed him in cold blood?”

A tear trickles down her cheek. “I got my revenge in the end.”

“How?”

“Gianna and I made a deal. I would overthrow you from the inside, so to speak, and in return, she would give me Valentina. I would give it all up for revenge on that bitch because she’s the real reason my father is dead.”

“That’s the reason Gianna wanted me to bring you to her? In reality, she wanted me to bring you to her so we all would be in the same place at the same time?” Valentina asks, piecing things together.

“Not just a pretty face,” Bria spits, walking over to a steel table with an array of tools.

She picks up a box cutter.

“But that’s soon to change.”

“You did me a favor killing Gianna. Yes, I was planning on killing you, but once I was done, I was going to kill Gianna and take her kingdom, which she stole from my father. This world is rightfully mine.”

“You were aiming that gun at Gianna, not Valentina,” I say. “She thought you would ‘save her,’ but you were going to double-cross her the entire time.”

“She was an ignorant woman, and her arrogance got her killed. We were both going to double-cross the other. I just got to her first. We both knew better, but our hatred for you both was far greater than the risk of working together. Poetic justice, really. She got what she deserved.”

As Bria walks close to Valentina, I have to distract her. “You can’t do this on your own.”

“Who said I’m on my own?” she counters. “I disposed of your most loyal men. Now, the ones left bow to me. I have your kingdom as well as Gianna’s. It’s what is owed to me!”

“Baby, don’t do this. You can’t do this on your own.”

From the corner of my eye, I see Valentina working subtly at the ties.

It won’t be long.

“You’ve had your chance.”

“You need me. You know we’re stronger together. It’s only a matter of time before the men revolt. They will find out what you’ve done, and someone will challenge you.”

She pauses, mulling over what I said.

“You can’t think Hugo the pirate is really a suitable candidate to sit on the throne next to you?”

Hugo stands guard.

His time is coming, however.

“Of course not! He’s an imbecile with a childish need for revenge for something that happened a hundred years ago.”

Hugo doesn’t appreciate the insult.

“So who can you trust?”

When she doesn’t answer, I smile.