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“Yes, Madalina but that’s not what’s important.”
“She can’t be, she would have told us.” Her head shakes.
“She couldn’t. She couldn’t tell anyone, my father swore her to secrecy because of her age and how it would have affected his marriage. This is where we started meeting when I got older.” I look around the space that we’ve made our own. “Of course, my father had no idea, he still has no idea. He doesn’t even know that I know who she is.”
“I’m sorry, that must be tough,” I feel her sympathy but that’s not what I want.
“Now you know what I mean when I say, you were mine before you were Dario’s. I saw you first. I fell in love with you from the stories my mom used to tell me about you. And now, I’m making it right.” I stroke my hand over her tummy again, trying my best to fit the two little girls she’s carrying into my perfect picture.
“Cassio, I’m married to Dario and I love him.”
“No, you don’t!” I feel the flickers of rage building up in my chest. “You have trained yourself to love him because you had no other option. You didn’t want to marry him, you wanted to fall in love and be swept off your feet. Just like the women in all those chick flicks you and Mom used to watch together.”
“But life isn’t like tha–”
“Shhh.” I use my hand to cover her mouth and stop her from saying anything more to anger me.
“That's what I’m trying to tell you. Itcanbe like that. I’m making a new start for us. For all four of us. I will love these babies because they belong to you, and everything you do is perfect.”
“But you tried to kill them, you killed Lucian. How is that even possible? You were right there. You helped me.” My poor girl looks more and more confused.
“I got to be your hero, and even you have to admit, from that day you saw me differently,” I remind her. “Silvano Fabriano already had his issues with Dario, my brother was supposed to marry his sister, and his father lost his district because of Dario’s obsession with you. I convinced him to help me, knowing that he had already pulled off the hit on your father.”
“You arranged for my father to be killed?” Her head shakes as fresh tears fill her pretty, blue eyes.
“No, no! That was my father, he wanted your old man dead and he let Fabriano have the pleasure of seeing it through. Knowing that the guy had a motive, I asked him to cause the accident. He shot my brother's best guard with the condescending little gift he gave me when I turned eighteen.” I laugh to myself when I think about the irony of it all.
“So, you arranged all that in the hope that I would lose mybabies?” She clutches at her middle again, which only proves that she’s not taking in what I’m telling her.
“I was convinced the shock and trauma would cause a miscarriage. All Dario ever went on to father about is how fragile you were in your condition, and I’ll be honest I wanted him to hurt. Since the day he was born he’s had it all, I wasn’t going to let him have you too.”
“You’re a monster.” She shakes her head in disgust and I slide from the couch onto my knees in front of her.
“I’m not proud of myself, and I swear, when I saw how scared you were for them, I prayed for them to be okay. I promised myself that if they survived I would accept them and love them, wholeheartedly.” I place the gun on the floor close to me, cradling her stomach in my hands tight enough for her to know I mean it.
“I get that you hate me now, but you’ll learn to forgive me and to love me, just like you learned with Dario.” I smile up at her as I slide my hands down her soft, smooth legs.
“I have a bag packed for you, it should last a few days, and I have plenty of money. We’re going to have to go off-grid for a while, but it’ll be good for us. It will help you accept me without distraction.”
“No.” She shakes her head and sobs.
“Come on, stress isn’t good for our little ones, you must think of them.” I rub my thumb against her ankle and slowly undo the buckle. “You must be uncomfortable in these shoes. You can travel barefoot.” I slip the high heel off her and move over to the next one and when both shoes are off, I massage her ankles, hoping it will calm her. I understand this must be scary for her, my brother has spent months brainwashing her. It will take some time, but I will make it right.
“Cassio.” I look up, and when I see her smiling down at meI smile back. “Go to fucking Hell!” She kicks me hard in the face and then stamps on my balls before she bolts for the door.
MADALINA
My instant reaction was to go for the gun, but the bastard's body falls on top of it when I kick him in the face, so instead I go with plan B and run.
Or, at least I try to.
I didn’t pay much attention to my surroundings when we arrived here, but I did see a few other boats and surely that means there are people here who can help.
I somehow manage to climb off the boat and back onto the wharf, refusing to look back when I hear him calling out behind me.
I run toward the car at the top of the walkway. Screaming at the top of my lungs for help as I clutch my bump and try to run faster.
I have to stop and catch my breath as I make it to the car and when I fling open the door and see no keys in the ignition my heart falls into my stomach. I’m out of oxygen, I have a stitch in my side and when I look up and see Cassio racing toward me, I have no choice but to keep on running.
