Page 130 of Righteous Deceit
Lorenzo sighs as he stands. “Good work, Diego. Keep digging. I need to know how involved Oisin is in her plot to bring me down.”
I nod.
“I’m heading back to New York to make sure I’m there to meet the newest member of the Ferrari family when he or she arrivesandas my brother so eloquently put it, hold Vincent’s hand. I don’t need the psychopath killing a doctor while his wife is pushing.”
Leonardo follows his brother, slapping my back goodbye as I open the front door.
Lorenzo taps a single step before turning back. “Did Salvatore ever tell you why he killed his father? The narrative he and Alessia stand by doesn’t add up for me.”
I lean casually against the doorframe. “I’m loyal to you, Enzo. But I’ll never tell a soul anything that could cause Sia harm. All you need to know is that it was warranted and wasn’t done for power or lack of loyalty.”
EPILOGUE
ALESSIA
18 months later
The grass is wet under my feet, and freshly cut blades stick to my skin with every hurried step I take. Mud pushes its way up between my toes, and I clench them inward, letting the soft sludge ground me to the earth. My heart flutters in my chest. My breathing coughs out in short and sharp rasps. Fog dances from my lips, and I watch it dissipate into the dark night before angling my head and listening for any sound of movement. A twig cracks to my left, and my lips tip upward as I dart to the right behind a thicket of trees. The purple silk of my cape billows in the wind I create as I run. I push my legs faster, eyes darting over the ground ahead.
I keep my breathing shallow and listen intently to the world around me. My adrenaline is at an all-time high. Fear trickles its way down my spine even though I know I’m in no danger. But the anticipation still heightens my anxiety. My flight-and-fight mode at war.
Run, my mind screams.
Stay, my heart pumps.
Diego has always considered himself superior in the hunt.
He’s good. I’ll give him that.
But I’m better.
I’ve been a part of this lifestyle for over a decade.
Ten years of running and letting my heart run free in a darkened forest. Chased by a man in a black hood who was forbidden to touch me. My hunter changed often, but the freedom that coursed through my veins never did.
And then Diego stepped into the game, and it wasneverthe same.
I no longer craved freedom. I longed for capture. I wanted to know how violently he pined for me. I wanted to know that his obsession was aimed atme, not the game.
I discovered my liberty among these very trees, and then I found my heart.
This is the first hunt we’ve managed since the birth of our son. Matteo just hit six months, and he’s the most glorious gift I’ve ever received. We were pregnant within a month of our reconciliation in the art studio. And while I would lay down my life for the chubby boy who has his father’s eyes and my auburn hair, I needed this time with Diego.
The Quest looks very different for me these days. Grace still works as the head nurse on the estate, but she only agreed to remain if CJ cut me out of the business in its entirety, as an entrant and a controlling party. I agreed immediately. Grace still refuses to speak to me, which I can’t say I blame her for. Lucy has been relocated to a mental health facility close to her sister. CJ assures me it is the best in facilities and care. He gives me updates, but only as Grace provides them, which isn’t often. She doesn’t trust him not to share the details with me.
The Quest finished up for the season last month, so the estate is deserted with the exception of the caretakersandDiego and me for the night.
He upped the stakes as well. Hunting me wasn’t enough. He wanted me at a disadvantage.
Which is why I currently have my palms braced against a tree, riding out the hum of the small vibrator secured into my underwear courtesy of my husband. He’s controlling the device through his phone, alternating the speed and intensity at any given time to catch me off guard and slow me down.
The vibrator stops, and I don’t know whether to be elated or disappointed. I arch my back, my clit throbbing so vigorously that, not for the first time tonight, I’m tempted to slide my fingers into my panties and put myself out of my misery and come.
But I know the orgasmwithDiego will be worth the delay.
Letting go of a purposeful breath, I take a shaky step forward. I’m so damp. My excitement has escaped my underwear and found residence on my upper thighs. I’m dying, desperation coursing through my veins.
“Hurry up and find me, Diego,” I whisper.