Page 91 of Tainted Obsession 1

She regards him with incisive eyes. “In our world, it’s common for men to think they don’t have to explain their actions. Massimo answers to no one except his boss back in Naples. It’s not hard for me to believe he fucked up like that.”

“You told me before that you understood my situation with Massimo,” I say carefully. “Was it the same for you? With Stefano?”

Her perfect black brows rise, and the regal, cold queen replaces the concerned woman. “No one has ever dared to ask me about that.”

My confidence wavers at the ice in her voice, but I square my shoulders and gather my courage.

“I need advice. I don’t want to offend you.”

She sighs and relaxes back into her chair.

“Yes, I was Stefano’s captive, if that’s what you’re asking.” She says it so casually, as though it’s commonplace. “He was my most hated enemy, my rival. Then one day, he captured me and tried to take everything I’d worked so hard to attain.”

I swallow. “What happened?”

She smiles. “He fell in love with me. We formed an alliance, and now we’re more powerful together than we ever were apart.”

“But how did you know you were making the right choice? Why did you choose to stay with him?”

“Ah.” She nods at me, understanding. “You’re thinking about going to Italy with Massimo.”

Now that she’s said it out loud, it seems insane. Impossible.

“I should go back to America,” I say, as though I’m reasoning with myself.

She leans toward me, speaking earnestly. “I love Stefano because he would burn down the world for me if I asked him to. His love is a fierce and terrible thing. But so is mine.” She searches my face. “You’re not fierce; you’re soft and kind. Gentle. Can you withstand the kind of love a man like Massimo would offer?”

“Who said anything about love?” I ask quickly, dismissing the notion.

It’s far too soon to call whatever we share love.

After George’s betrayal, I’m not sure if I even knew what love looks like. I don’t trust myself to recognize it.

Carmen gives me a half-smile, almost pitying. “That man is infatuated with you. If you leave him, he will chase you. I can help you hide so that he will never find you.”

“I don’t want to hide from Massimo,” I counter. “I want to be with him, but I don’t want the danger and violence that comes with the mafia.”

She shakes her head sadly. “Like I said, he’s not a gentle man. But the world is a dangerous, violent place, Evelyn. How much of it you see in your lifetime can vary, but it’s not as black and white as you might like to think. You’re new to this life, but I was born in it. So was Massimo. We’ve survived by attaining power and keeping it ruthlessly. Massimo will do what’s necessary to protect you because he cherishes you. That might not always align with your sense of morality. The question is: can you accept his fierce brand of love? Because if you can’t, walk away now. I’ll help you disappear.”

I look over at my beautiful savior. His silver eyes meet mine, keen enough to pierce my soul even from across the room.

“No,” I say, clear and resolute. “I don’t want to walk away.”

I’m not sure what the future holds, but I’m done resisting my connection to Massimo.

For days, I’ve tried to forget about the cartel and the mafia, losing myself in his protective arms. I wanted to be with him, so I did my best to lock out my concerns about organized crime when I was intimate with him.

But there’s no going back now. Carmen won’t offer assistance again, and without her help, there’s nowhere on this earth where I could hide from him.

I don’t want to hide.

My life in Albuquerque is over. I can leave my painful past there.

Massimo promised to take me anywhere I want to go in Italy. I’ve always dreamed of visiting the Amalfi Coast with my camera. He’ll make that dream a reality. He believes in my art. He values and respects me.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Carmen says sincerely. “I’ll let you get back to your beloved now.”

Just as I open my mouth to correct her, a deafening explosion erupts from the empty club below. Glass shatters and metal squeals as it crumples against a solid barrier. The mezzanine level shakes.