For Better or Worse by Delaney Diamond Page A

and Emilio. He
didn’t even look at Antonio when he approached. “What are you doing here? Get
out of here before someone recognizes you.”
    Ernesto finally looked at him. “Did you
think after you called me I wouldn’t come?”
    “I didn’t call so that you’d come out
here. I thought you should know. Had I known you’d come—”
    “How could I not, Antonio? That’s my
son. If he’s ill—”
    “You have a game tomorrow, Ernesto. You
should be at home, getting your mind right for that. If it were serious, don’t
you think I’d tell you?”
    Ernesto gave an impatient snort. “I want
to see him.”
    “No.”
    Ernesto stepped closer, getting in
Antonio’s face, eye to eye with him. “Are you going to stop me?”
    Antonio didn’t back down. “No, I’m not,
but I’m going to remind you of how far you’ve come, and how close you are to
messing up everything we’ve worked so hard for over the past few months. You
want to see Val and your son? Fine. I won’t stop you. But think about what
you’re doing. Two more days, Ernesto, and it’ll all be over. Think about the
money.”
    “I don’t give a damn about the money,
Tony! I can make more.”
    Antonio clasped his brother’s shoulders
in a tight grip. “Think about it this way—that money is your son’s future, and
the future for any more kids you’ll have. It’s the future for you and Val. If
you draw attention to yourself now, you’ll give your wife leverage. We’ve been
through this, and as I’ve told you before, she may have someone following you.
Like that guy.” He inclined his head toward a man who’d walked in and stopped
at the reception desk. “It could be anyone, and all they’d need is a picture of
you and Val together with your son, and it’s all over because it’ll be easy
enough to figure out. She could drag out the divorce even longer, and it won’t
be only your name and face plastered all over the papers and the Internet.
Val’s and Emilio’s will be, too. Is that what you want?”
    Ernesto’s eyes held his, and Antonio
wondered for a moment if he’d been able to get through to him. Then, Ernesto’s
shoulders sagged as he mulled the words. He swallowed, a pained expression
coming over his face. “No.”
    He looked across the room, and the
longing in his eyes tore at Antonio. He knew how much his brother loved Val and
his son, but he was allowing emotion to override common sense right now, and
they couldn’t afford it. Not when he was so close. Monday morning, after the
divorce papers were signed, he’d be a free man. Until then, he had to remember
what was at stake.
    Antonio pulled out his wallet and
removed the key card for the suite at the Four Seasons. “This is against my
better judgment.” He handed his brother the card. “You can see them tonight.
Go, and we’ll follow behind you. Pay attention to your surroundings, and make
sure no one sees you going into the room. Do not spend the night. The
last thing we want is for someone to snap a photo of you coming out of the
hotel—or even worse, that room—in the morning. If your wife finds out, there’s
no telling what she’ll do. Val’s been there for a long time, and hotel staff
will notice if you come out of there. Be careful. ”
    Ernesto nodded. He looked over Antonio’s
shoulder again, his eyes drawn to the woman who’d held his heart for years. The
woman he should’ve married.
    Antonio clasped his brother’s face to
drag his attention back to him. “Do you trust me?”
    Ernesto swallowed. “Yes. You haven’t led
me wrong so far.”
    “In a couple of days, you can be with
your son and the woman you love. You can have your family, but you’ll
jeopardize it if you don’t get out of here now.”
    Ernesto swallowed again, nodding his
agreement. “All right.”
    “We’re right behind you.”
    Antonio watched his brother walk away
and then turned around to face Valentina. Walking back to her, he saw the tears
in her eyes.
    “It’s going to