Untamed Italians. Janette Kenny

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       CHAPTER SIX

      “I HATE you!” She tossed her napkin on the table, unwilling to sit here a moment longer with such a ruthless man. Mio Dio, what a nightmare!

      “I could care less what you think of me, Miss Cardone.”

      She wasn’t surprised for he was surely the most heartless man she’d ever had the displeasure of meeting. “Did you gain great satisfaction stripping my brother of his means to make a living?”

      Stefano’s muscular frame tensed, like a large cat waking from a nap and sensing trouble. “Your brother offered the vessel in order to remain in the game. If I hadn’t paid his price, someone else would have.”

      She knew he was right, but facing the awful truth was crushing. Behind her back Emilio had been living the life of a playboy even though he didn’t have the funds to squander. For how many months had he deceived them all?

      Too many, she feared. She truly believed her brother had beaten his addiction over a year ago. But she’d been wrong.

      She’d never dreamed he’d lie and hide the truth from her and in the process lose the business their father had worked and died for. And now because of his false promise to help her tonight, because she’d trusted her brother, she stood to lose her half of the inn!

      “Scusi,” she said and made for the door, her mind racing to find the swiftest means to reach Monte Carlo.

      “Where are you going?”

      “To my brother.”

      “Why? What do you hope to accomplish by going there?”

      “To stop him from this gambling binge he’s on.” And if possible, claim what was due her before the dreaded deadline.

      “He won’t listen to you, bella.”

      He grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, his gaze darkly intense and pulsing with anger and vengeance and another emotion that was there and gone before she could recognize it. And then there was the power of his long, lean fingers snaked around her arm and the fire and energy arcing from him to her like a lightning storm, making her knees weak and her heart heavy.

      Why did he have to be so ruthless?

      He cupped her cheek in his palm and she blinked back sudden tears, for his tenderness mocked the animosity he held for her. “Even if you could reason with him, he’s in a high stakes game that plays hard and fast.”

      She wasn’t sure what that meant, but she knew she could only do one thing. Honor the promise she’d made to her parents. To Nonna.

      “All the more reason for me to go there now.”

      She jerked from Stefano and ran from the room, hating that she drew attention to herself, hating that she didn’t know how she could stop this avalanche of doom descending on her family.

      Stefano caught up to her just as she reached the main room. As before he pressed a hand to the small of her back and she came up short, as if there was an invisible thread between them that only he controlled.

      “How do you intend to get there at this hour?” he asked in a deceptively low calm voice.

      “I don’t know. A plane, perhaps.”

      “You will end up waiting for hours. The game could be over by then.”

      “Then I’ll rent a car and drive the distance.”

      “Unacceptable.”

      They stepped outside and he snapped his fingers, sending the attendant rushing to fetch his car.

      “I suppose you have a better idea?” she asked.

      A darkening scowl crossed his features, giving him that fierce gladiator mien again. At that moment she believed him capable of conquering anything. Her brother. Her. The world.

      “Let your brother sink or swim. It is over, bella. You can’t change him and you can’t meet the deadline. Accept it.”

      “I won’t stand by and do nothing.”

      The tendons in his neck stood out and his dark eyes blazed with anger at her defiance. Not that she cared what he thought.

      It was her family who would suffer.

      But even if Stefano had any concept of family, he’d not care about the turmoil she suffered. She had to talk sense into her brother and get him help before he was in debt so deeply he’d never get out.

      “I will not allow you to do this.”

      Gemma gaped at Stefano. Was he serious?