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Leaning in, he kissed her forehead. “You too, my love. Now go. Hurry.”
Cat climbed out the window with Rafe’s assistance, dropping onto the wet with rain ground and breaking out into a full-on run when Rafe gave her the signal by flashing her the peace sign with his fingers.
She hoped her sister or her mother didn’t notice. Was thankful when she saw the car pull forward, cutting her running distance by quite a bit. Matteo climbed out of the car and glanced around, hopefully making sure no one else was in sight, and she increased her pace, thankful for Rafe, for his brother, for his family.
They would keep her safe. She knew this without a doubt.
“How did she react? Is she mad? Is she upset?” Annalisa asked eagerly when he stepped out of Cat’s room, closing the door firmly behind him. “Should I go talk to her?”
“Absolutely not.” Christ, she was sick. “She asked that we give her some privacy. She’s very upset.”
“I knew she would be.” The triumphant smile on Annalisa’s face was beyond disturbing. “But it’s for the best. She’ll see it. Just like you’ll see it too.”
“I already see it,” he said automatically, wanting to please her. Not wanting to give her an ounce of suspicion that something was amiss.
Worry consumed him. He hoped Cat made it to his brother okay. The distance was short and he’d distracted Annalisa, but still. What if her mother saw? That poor woman would tell Annalisa everything in a heartbeat. Her oldest daughter treated her terribly, yet her loyalty stood true.
The family was a mess—and the curator of the mess was Annalisa.
“I’m glad you see that we belong together,” Annalisa said, her voice soft, her eyes sparkling. She was pretty. And smart. But the crazy edged all her positives out. Such a shame too, because she could’ve married and married well if she wasn’t so hell-bent on having him.
He still didn’t quite understand why she was, either.
“We should leave. Will your mother be all right here alone for a few hours?” he asked, his voice full of concern as he took Annalisa’s arm and led her down the hall toward the living room.
“She’ll be fine. That feeble, old woman act she puts on is just that—an act.” Annalisa gazed up at him. “Where do you want to go, though? I thought we could stay here. I’d like to make you dinner.”
What, so she could drug him and tie him up and keep him her prisoner forever? He didn’t think so. “I’d like to take you to my family’s home. I’d like you to meet my mother as my fiancée. I know the two of you have met before, but never under this important circumstance.”
The joy on her face from his lie was unmistakable. “Are you serious? Oh, that’s wonderful, Rafe. I would love to go see Claudia and tell her our happy news.”
“It’s decided, then. It will take us almost two hours to get there, so maybe you’d like to pack a small bag? We could stay overnight. Then come home tomorrow. Will your mother be fine with that?”
Annalisa waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t worry about her. She’ll be fine. I’ll go right now and pack some things. Give me a few minutes and then I’ll be ready.”
He watched her go, grabbing his cell from his pocket as soon as she disappeared into her bedroom. Hitting speed dial, he called Matteo, who answered on the first ring.
“I have her in the car with me,” he said.
Rafe kept his gaze trained on Annalisa’s door. “She okay?”
“Shaken up and a little confused, I think, but she’s fine. Where do we go now?”
“Head for the facility you texted me the address for. We’ll be behind you. Annalisa is packing her bag now.” Rafe paused, swallowing hard. “Thanks for your help, Matteo. You don’t know much this means to me.”
“Ah, I think I do. Just…be careful with that woman. You don’t know what she might do if she figures out what’s going on,” Matteo warned.
“You’re right. I know.” Shit. He needed to keep his wits and convince this woman that he really wanted her to be his wife.
He’d have to do some of the best acting of his life—and he was no actor.
But he could do this. All of it, if it meant he and Cat would be rid of her sister interfering with their life once and for all.
Chapter Fifteen
“I didn’t know you could get to your family’s house this way,” Annalisa said as she stared out the passenger side window.
Rafe shifted in his seat, gripping the steering wheel tight. She’d remained relatively quiet for the latter part of the drive to the facility, having filled the first forty-five minutes with nothing but nonstop chatter about his family and how much she adored his mother. How eager she was to please everyone, especially him, and become the best wife he could ever want.
