Page 111 of Tainted Obsession 1

I trust the brothers to make quick work of our enemies.

Rocco won’t get such a swift end. He killed my parents. He terrorized Evelyn. She won’t be safe until he’s in the ground.

She matters far more than any potential conflict with our rivals. I’ll go to war for her any day.

Rage and years of hatred drive every vicious strike as I methodically break Rocco’s body with my bare hands. His bones crunch beneath my fists, and his screams cleanse the darkest parts of my soul.

I beat him until his face is such a pulverized, bloody mess that he can’t manage more than a gurgling moan of horror. I wrap my hands around his throat and squeeze. He thrashes, his limbs too broken to fight me off. His ruined face darkens to a deep shade of purple, and red veins burst across the whites of his eyes.

“He’s dead.” Gian’s voice is low and reassuring, and he touches a tentative hand to my shoulder—as though I’m a rabid beast that might turn on him if he spooks me. “Evelyn needs you, Massimo.”

Evelyn.

My heart twists. I let myself become feral, and I just beat a man to death right in front of my delicate little butterfly. The last time she witnessed such a vicious kill, she turned from me in revulsion.

Fear clutches at my chest again, a budding anxiety that I’ll see my mother’s final look of horror reflected in Evelyn’s light green eyes.

“Massimo.” She flings her willowy body against my chest, seeking the comfort of my embrace. Her small hands rove over me, searching for injuries. “They hurt you.”

“I’m all right,dolcezza,” I promise, my knees going weak at the rush of relief that sweeps through my system.

Her arms around me give me the strength I need to remain standing. My head and my ribs ache, but I’m not seriously injured.

I pull back slightly so that I can peer down into her lovely eyes. They’re still wide with fear. My stomach turns.

“Don’t be afraid,farfallina.” I practically beg her not to fear me.

She caresses my tight jaw. “I’m not afraid of you. I’m afraidforyou. They beat you.”

“I’m okay,” I promise. “I’ve survived a lot worse. They’ll have to do more damage than this to take me from you.”

I touch my fingers beneath her chin, turning her face to inspect her. The tiny bead of crimson at her throat remains, but the cut is so shallow that the bleeding had already stopped. Otherwise, she’s unscathed.

My sweet girl was tormented, but she’s concerned for me.

“Let’s go home.” I pick her up and cradle her to my chest. “Close your eyes. I’ve got you.”

I don’t want her to have to look at the dead bodies that litter the basement.

“We’ll clean up here,” Enzo promises.

I nod my thanks, and Evelyn obediently closes her eyes, tucking her face against my shoulder.

“And I’ll handle Rocco’s boss,” Enzo adds. “There won’t be a war. I’ll make sure of it.”

I don’t linger to ask about his plans. If he has a way to avoid a conflict, I trust him.

Evelyn is my only concern now.

My worst enemy terrorized the woman I love, but he’s finally dead. He will never touch her again. He will never hurt my family.

Chapter 44

Evelyn

“Talk to me,” Massimo urges, cuddling me against him in our bed.

“I’m okay,” I promise, crushing my residual fear and horror into a tight ball and shoving it deep into my chest.