Sweet Temptation by Cora Reilly

on. That made two of us. My heart raced in my chest and terror still clogged my
throat, but I managed a smile.
“Why don’t you go to your room and play another game. I’ll take you to bed
soon,” Cassio murmured in a forced calm voice. Daniele clutched his tablet then
slowly trudged away. I heard the door of his room a few seconds later and Cassio
turned back to us, closing the door. Christian stumbled to his feet, his body tense.
I positioned myself between my brother and my husband, determined to stop
Cassio from another attack.
Cassio’s eyes sent a stab of cold fear through me. He only looked at
Christian. From the corner of my eye, I saw my brother pull his own knife.
“I’ll ask one last time. What. Are. You. Doing. Here?”
“Is that why Andrea disappeared?” Christian pressed out.
Cassio staggered forward. I tried to shove him away, but he was too strong.
The men began grappling. “Cassio, please!”
A fierce pain burned my arm and I cried out. Cassio jerked back, his eyes
wide as he peered down at me. Blood trickled from a long shallow cut in my
forearm. “Did you—” he snarled at Christian.
“It was you, Cassio. You hurt me in your blind rage,” I lied. I wasn’t sure
who had cut me, and it wasn’t that bad even if it burned fiercely. I clutched the
wound with my palm, shaking.
Cassio took a step back. He looked at his blade, which was smeared with
blood. It might as well have been Christian’s. My brother sheathed his knife but
didn’t take his eyes off my husband when he asked me, “Should I take you to the
doctor?”
Cassio’s jaw tensed.
“No,” I said firmly. “Leave now.”
“Giulia—”
“Leave!”
Cassio breathed harshly, his nostrils flaring as he watched the blood
squeezing out between my fingers.
Christian slowly backed away, not turning his back to Cassio. “I’ll call you in
thirty minutes.”
I gave a small nod, stunned by what had happened and completely at a loss
why Cassio had reacted that way.
Before my brother could slip out, Cassio said in a low voice, “There’s
nowhere you can hide if I find out you betrayed me, Christian. Even Baltimore
won’t be your safe haven if I want you dead.”
“If you hurt Giulia, I’ll find and kill you, Cassio.”
Cassio slanted my brother a dark look. Christian disappeared.
Suddenly I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to send him away. Cassio had
lost his mind minutes ago for no apparent reason. His wife had died… or been
killed, and nobody knew anything about it.
Our eyes met and the terrifying fury lessened. What remained was blatant
distrust and a hint of guilt. He sheathed his knife then moved closer. I tensed,