Kidnapping His Bride (21 page)

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.

Praising all of his brothers, his sister, how badly she wanted to be a good sister and daughter-in-law to everyone. How she wanted to provide him with plenty of babies and stay at home to take care of them. Wherever he went, she would go, she told him in a singsong voice.

She even tore down Cat with a string of vicious, angry words. How much better of a wife she would be compared to her sister. How undeserving Cat was, to have such a good and handsome husband handed to her when she’d done nothing to deserve it. How hard Annalisa had worked her entire life to be the good daughter, the good employee, the good potential wife.

Finally, finally, she was being recognized for her achievements, she told him proudly. As if someone had given her a blue ribbon and she’d won him as the prize.

Years of resentment had built up inside this woman that no one seemed to know about. Anger and frustration had festered inside her, bubbling up until it resulted in this crazed lashing out against her sister, who’d never done anything but admire and love her all this time.

He could almost—if he forgot what she’d done to Cat—feel sorry for Annalisa.

“I’m taking a shortcut,” he finally said, turning right onto the road that led to the facility. Uneasiness crept over him at what he was about to do. She acted relatively in control at the moment but who knew what this revelation might do to Annalisa? She could totally lose it.

Or she could end up cooperative. He hadn’t a clue how she might react.

“Wait a minute.” Her voice was quiet and she turned to look at him, her expression wary. “I’ve been here before. I’ve been on this road.”

Considering the road led to the facility and nothing else, this surprised him. “Really? Where were you headed?”

She remained silent for a moment, turning away from him to stare out the window once more. The facility’s sprawling building loomed in the near distance as they came to the end of the road, a giant circular drive with a cascading fountain in the center before them.

“Oh my God.” Her voice was shaky, and she turned to look at him, her lips trembling as if she might burst into tears. “You spoke to my father, didn’t you? Does he know what I’ve done? Am I in trouble? Is that why you’re bringing me back here?”

Well. He hadn’t expected this. “You’ve been here before?”

She nodded furiously, her dark hair falling into her face, her eyes wide and full of panic. “A long time ago. When I was supposed to be at university. Father lied. He put me here instead. I needed to get well and stop doing all of the bad things.”

Hell. This had gone from bad to worse in a split second.

“I promised him I would be good. That I wouldn’t be bad anymore, so they let me come home and go to work. I was happy. I had a place to go that gave me purpose every day. But then my father left. He hasn’t been around much and I…I slipped.” She put her hands over her face and promptly burst into tears. “I’m sorry. I’ll be a good girl, I promise. Just don’t make me go back there.”

He said nothing as he pulled onto the circle drive and headed to the front entrance. Annalisa sobbed into her hands, the sound pitiful but grating. What a sad situation. Her father had kept her mental illness a secret. Though the mother had to know as well. Most likely this was why she behaved so strangely earlier. She knew what her daughter was capable of.

And did absolutely nothing to stop it.

Rafe put the car in park and shut off the engine at the check-in entrance. Matteo’s vehicle was parked in the lot, he’d noticed it when he pulled in, but his brother stood just outside the entrance, his expression grim, his hands shoved in his jeans’ pockets. Seeing the car, Matteo headed over and Rafe rolled down his window.

“Cat’s mother called her on the way here and Cat admitted to her what we were doing,” Matteo said quietly. “Annalisa’s been here before.”

“I know,” Rafe said just as softly. “She just confessed.”

“Cat’s inside now, talking with someone from the staff. Her mother just called into the care facility to speak with Annalisa’s old doctor. They’re prepared to talk to her and hopefully convince Annalisa that she needs to check in.” Matteo shook his head in seeming disbelief. “Cat’s in a total state of shock. She never knew about her sister being here before.”

“A family secret that appears some of the family didn’t know about,” Rafe said. Irritation ran through him. He hated family secrets. He’d witnessed the destruction first hand when it came out that his sister had a different father than the rest of them. The revelation had nearly destroyed her and had also sent all of them reeling.

But a secret revealed could also help a family heal and eventually grow stronger. Considering the weak links in the Campioni family, Carlo Campioni being the worst, Rafe could only hope they recover from this. It would take a long time, but the possibility was undoubtedly there.

“Are you going to make me stay here, Rafe?”

He turned to find Annalisa watching him, the sight of her tear-stained cheeks filling him with sympathy despite the anger he felt toward her. “You know it’s for the best,” he said carefully. “What you did to me and your sister, it wasn’t right, Annalisa. Someone could’ve been hurt.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. I just wanted what I thought I deserved.” She pressed her lips together. “Tell me what I should do, Rafe. What do you think is right?”

Her voice was filled with so much sadness. “You need to get help. You can’t keep doing this. You love your sister. Why would you ever want to hurt her?”

“I don’t want to hurt her. Not really.” She started crying in earnest again, her face red and blotchy, her eyes swollen and bloodshot. “Please tell Cat I’m sorry. I hate what I’ve become. I don’t mean to be so awful. I just end up doing so many awful
things
to the people I care for.”

Without a word, he slipped out of the car and rounded it, opening Annalisa’s car door for her. She stood and went to him, throwing herself at him so he had no choice but to hug her. Clinging to him, she cried into his shirtfront, dampening the fabric with her tears, and he had to pry her off of him so she’d stand on her own once more.

“We’re going inside,” he told her, sending a quick look to Matteo. “You’re going to speak with your doctor.”

She nodded with a little hiccup. “He’ll want me to stay.”

“He knows what’s best for you,” Rafe said.

“They all think they know what’s best for me. I think
you’re
what’s best for me.”

“Annalisa…” he started, but stopped when she hung her head.

“I know. You don’t want me. I understand. You’ve never wanted me. Ever. You’d rather be with Cat.”

He had no answer. How could he deny the truth? And she didn’t want to hear it.

“Thank you, though. For pretending you cared, at least a little while.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “My little sister is a lucky woman.”

And with that, she turned and walked into the facility, never once looking back.

“…she was actually very agreeable. My mother was in near hysterics on the phone, crying and carrying on, but Annalisa took it all very well,” Cat explained, a little sigh escaping when his gaze met hers. “This has been the craziest week I’ve ever experienced in my life.”

“I agree.” He wrapped his muscular arms around her and pulled her in close, his cheek resting against her hair. They lay sprawled on the giant bed in the hotel room they obtained not thirty minutes ago. Both of them too tired to return to either of their homes, not that Cat wanted to go back to her mother’s house.

“At least Mama has someone to be with her for the next few days.” She was so thankful Rafe had arranged for a part-time nurse to stay with her mother while they went back to New York. “Thank you for helping her.”

“Anything for you. Your troubles, your burdens are mine.” He kissed the top of her head, squeezing her tight. “I never want you out of my sight again, Cat. When I didn’t know where you were and when Annalisa admitted she’d drugged you, I’ve never been filled with so much panic before.”

“I know.” She sniffed, blinking hard to stave off the tears. “I hated it when you were in jail. I was so scared.”

“I didn’t like being in jail either,” he said wryly. “Your sister went to extreme lengths in keeping us apart.”

“I know.” Tilting her head back, she gazed up at his handsome, beloved face. “I’m so sorry she did this to us, Rafe. I had no idea she was so…unwell.”

Thank God Annalisa had agreed she needed treatment and voluntarily signed herself into the facility. She’d protested at first, but her doctor had spoken with her for over an hour, convincing her she needed help.

Such a sad, terrible shock. It angered Cat that no one had told her just how ill her sister was—and had been for years. Her parents treated Annalisa’s mental condition like a dirty little secret, so of course she’d have issues dealing with it. What did they expect?

At least now everything was out in the open. No more hiding, no more secrets. Her sister would get the care she needed, as would her mother, and eventually, everything would be somewhat normal in the Campioni family.

Cat didn’t bother counting her father as a bona fide member, since he was rarely around. He’d ditched them all in their time of need. There was no point in trying to contact him about Annalisa. He’d abandoned them long, long ago.

It hurt to realize but better to face reality now than keep up the façade as the Campionis being one big happy family.

“It’s not your fault. And I would do anything for you. I hope you realize this.” He kissed her, his lips warm and sweet, the kiss full of just the right amount of comfort she needed. “I must confess…I’m eager to marry you and make you mine in every way,” he murmured, his fingers caressing her face.

She smiled, thrilling at his words. “I’m eager for the wedding too. Tomorrow at the courthouse?”

“Exactly. Sounds perfect.” He kissed her again, his lips lingering. “What happened the last few days has helped me realize something, Catalina. I just want you to know that I’m in love with you.”

Cat sucked in a sharp breath, happy shock washing over her. He said the words so simply, so beautifully, it was hard for her to respond, she was completely overwhelmed with emotion. “I…I’m in love with you too, Rafe. And we’re not rushing things. We’ve known we’re going to marry each other practically our entire lives.”

He kissed her again, this one deeper, hotter, his tongue thrusting against her own, his hands beginning to wander. She shifted closer to him, sliding her hands beneath his shirt, touching his warm, bare skin. A thrill buzzed through her at his murmured groan of appreciation.

“I want you,” he whispered. “I know you’ve been through a tremendous amount of stress today, but…I need to be inside you.”

“Yes.” She tugged at his shirt, laughing when he took over and tore his shirt off with a savage tug. Running her hands over his smooth, hot skin, she leaned over him, kissing him everywhere, licking his nipples, his stomach, attacking the waistband of his jeans.