Page 83 of Die for You

“If you help me…I promise you, you’ll get his kingdom…as well as his head.”

Gianna weighs my proposition. “You have disappointed me, Valentina. And honestly, I should have you killed for what you’ve done. But perhaps I too have failed at my own teachings.”

She reaches out and caresses my cheek.

Bile rises, but I swallow it back down.

“Are you certain he has your daughter?”

I shake my head. “I am not. But who else would take her? I’ve been careful, here and in Italy.”

Gianna is the perfect actress. She deserves a fucking Oscar. “Yes, this is true, as I was not aware of her. But we both know how persistent Lenny can be. We also know how charming he can be when it comes to getting what he wants. I’m ashamed to say I have fallen victim to those charms.”

She’s baiting me, but I simply nod.

“Okay, I’ll help you.”

“Thank you, Gianna.”

But things aren’t that easy. I know a sacrifice will have to be made to regain her trust.

“I’ve lost everything. Calling this place my home confirms this. I was once a queen, now merely a peasant, watching Lenny steal everything that is rightfully mine, all because he’s a man. Those men couldn’t bear a woman as their leader.”

Wrong…those men couldn’t bearheras their leader because she isn’t fit or deserving of the title.

“How did we end up at the bottom of the food chain? Perhaps my sympathy for you both is the reason.”

Once again, Gianna is playing martyr. At least this time, I’m privy to her manipulations.

“I understand being here may evoke unpleasant memories.”

“On the contrary, it’s because of this place I am who I am today.”

“Brava.Let us get to work, then. Not a minute to spare.” She claps her hands, and the person who enters the chapel has me almost tripping over my own feet.

It’s Lewis.

Lenny failed to mention that his brother is now Gianna’s gofer boy.

This is a test.

Gianna watches me closely.

I remain aloof.

“Lewis, Valentina will be staying with us. Will you show her to her old room? The attic, correct?”

That fucking…bitch.

I envision grabbing her by that long hair and using her face to wipe the altar clear of the religious relics. That heavy gold candelabrum would be the perfect object to smash her face with, knocking out her perfect straight teeth.

I push aside these thoughts and nod.

“Wonderful. Rest now, for tomorrow is a big day.”

Lewis is still a junkie. The scabs on his scrawny arms and pale, gaunt face cement that some people just don’t want to be saved. No matter what Lenny did, it would never be good enough because Lewis chose this life.

Lenny sacrificed so much for his brother, and this is the thanks he gets.