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Top Dog

Page 54

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“So you didn’t kill them?” I asked.

“Let me rephrase that. I think he’s planting evidence to make the police look my way.”

“So you did kill them.”

“Julia. I—”

He groaned and put his face in his hands and worry started to bubble in my gut.

“Okay, okay. My uncle’s planting evidence on you. Why?” I asked.

“To get me out of the way so he can take over the Martine empire.”

“Have you been drinking?” I asked.

He smelled lightly of scotch and I wondered how much he’d had before he came here.

“Look, I went to go talk to a trusted friend of mine. Someone who worked alongside my father for years. He has proof that Stefano has orchestrated everything to get to this point. So he can take over my family’s business.”

“What would there be to orchestrate?” I asked.

“The death of my father,” he said, taking a deep breath. “And the death of yours.”

I felt my blood run cold in my veins.

“You’re accusing my uncle of killing his own brother?”

“Julia, my father and your father were having backdoor discussions on peace between the two families. Your father told mine about Matteo. He said that the future generation of both families deserved a better life than the ones they’d been given. My father knew about his grandson, Julia. He was reaching out to broker peace with your father so we could make things better for our son.”

I scooted away from Romeo when he reached out for me.

“Where are you getting this from?” I asked breathlessly.

“Stefano’s been working behind the scenes, Julia. My father? He was nowhere near the site of the accident. My trusted source was with him when the accident occurred. But Stefano was in a restaurant two blocks from where the accident occurred.”

“I know,” I said. “He was the one who went running after my father’s body!”

I shot up from the bench and backed away from him.

“Julia, none of this is what it seems. And it’s hard for me to process as well. But Stefano’s out to frame me for the murder of—”

“There’s no framing, Romeo. You killed them!”

“Not out of spite, Julia.”

I felt sick to my stomach as tears rose to my eyes.

“Stefano’s encouraging you to spend time with me so he can get close to me and take me out.”

“No. My uncle’s goal is to take you under his damn wing, put old grudges to rest, and unite our families for Matteo’s sake!”

“No, it’s not. It never has been, Julia. Your uncle killed his own brother to take control of the Bianchi empire. And now that I want peace so I can have my family, he’s using my own family as a pawn against me to take me out and get what he wants. He’s power-hungry, and I have to get you and Matteo to safety. We have to go.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I said breathlessly. “How dare you. How in the world could you accuse my uncle of killing his own flesh and blood?”

“Think about it, Julia. Who was the first one to scream that my family was responsible for your father’s death.”

“That doesn’t mean anything. Your family did kill both of my brothers!”



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