Sweet Temptation

I opened the door and Gaia almost fell toward me. The second she saw what I was holding, she stumbled back and grabbed my cutthroat razor, pressing it to the underside of her belly. “Don’t hurt him, or I’ll cut Simona out of my belly.”

“You’d hurt your daughter for that man?”

“You wouldn’t understand!” she croaked. “I’ve loved him all my life. He’s all that matters.”

“Put the razor down, Gaia, and we can talk.”

“You’ll never let him live. I know you. It’s either him or you.”

“And you want me dead.”

“Yes.” There wasn’t a hint of hesitation in the word. “I’ve wanted you gone for so long. I want nothing more.”

I lunged, grabbing her wrist before she could hurt herself and the baby. Despite her struggles, I managed to tie her feet and hands together and carefully put her down on an array of towels. I covered her mouth with tape so her screams wouldn’t alert Daniele. “I can’t allow you to kill our child.”

Her eyes were frantic as I straightened and left the room. I closed the door with a soft click. Andrea had stumbled to his feet, but I got to him before he could flee. I chained him to the heater with the handcuffs then taped his mouth as well. We’d talk later.

Taking a deep breath, I checked my clothes for blood then changed my shirt before I went downstairs. On the way, I texted Faro that he needed to come over with a doctor who could treat Gaia. I ignored his following questions.

Daniele hovered in the center of the living room, the tablet still in his hand. His small face showed confusion. I smiled despite the darkness swirling in my insides. “You were right. Your mom and Uncle Andrea were playing.”

“I heard screaming.”

I chuckled, even as my throat tightened. “Yeah. They were chasing each other and Mom got startled.”

Heading to his side, I stroked his head. “I’m going to take you to bed now. You can keep playing if you want.”

He nodded. I lifted Daniele and carried him upstairs, relishing the feel of his warm body. He called to the good part of me, a part Andrea wouldn’t get to see today. After I put Daniele in bed, I left and locked his door.

I returned to Gaia’s bedroom. Before I dealt with Andrea, I checked on Gaia again. She still lay where I’d left her. Her eyes begged me to spare Andrea—the man she’d been fucking behind my back for eight years.

I turned my back on her, not able to bear the look in her eyes, and went to Andrea. After unfastening the handcuffs, I grabbed him by one wrist and dragged him after me, enjoying the sound of his muffled cries. He struggled like a madman. I pulled him down the staircase, when Faro entered the lobby with his keys, our most-trustworthy doctor behind him.

Faro’s eyes dipped to Andrea’s bleeding form, widened, then shot back up to meet my gaze. The doctor’s face remained unmoving—he knew the rules. None of what he saw would ever leave this house.

“Gaia’s upstairs,” I said. “Treat her, make sure she and the child are all right. And don’t leave her out of sight for a fucking second. She threatened to hurt the baby.”

I didn’t wait for a reply. Instead, I wrenched Andrea toward the basement door and shoved him down the stairs. The sound of his fall ended with his muffled cry when he landed at the base. I followed after him. Steps rang out behind me. I didn’t have to turn to know it was Faro.

Andrea lay in a crumpled heap at the base of the steps, groaning. I grabbed him again and dragged him toward a soundproof room where I hoisted him onto a chair.

Faro regarded me cautiously. “Is he a rat?”

“Maybe,” I said. “But he’s a man who fucks his sister.”

Faro’s eyes shot open wide as he scanned Andrea’s naked body. “Cassio—”

“Don’t,” I growled. I didn’t want compassion. It was worth less than the dirt under my shoes. Compassion was for the weak and stupid. Maybe I was the second, but definitely not the first.

“Fuck,” Faro said, shaking his head. He knew what would have to happen, what I needed—wanted to do.

I stepped close to Andrea and ripped the tape off. “Now we’ll talk.”

Andrea spat against my chest. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Oh, there is.” I grabbed his throat. “How long have you been fucking my wife?”

Andrea smiled grimly. “She’s been mine before she was yours.”

“What does that mean?” I shook him hard.

His eyes rolled back briefly before they met mine. He’d lost a lot of blood, was losing more with every passing second. He wouldn’t leave this basement alive. “We’ve been together since Gaia was fifteen. We’ve been fucking since she was sixteen.”

Rage boiled up in me like an unstoppable wave. “You’re lying.”