Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 36154 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36154 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
She groaned. “Too many questions.”
“Come on, I’m right here.”
“With a pen and paper?” she asked, hoping he’d leave and she could hide where he couldn’t find her.
He tapped his head. “All up here.”
“Well, the white wedding is going to go without saying.”
“You’re still a virgin.”
“Is that a question or statement?” she asked.
“I know you are.”
Her cheeks started to heat up. “Let’s move on.”
“You’re cute when you blush.”
“Not helping.”
“Do you want to hit me right now?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Do it.”
“Not happening.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “I don’t want a big, lavish affair. My dad’s not here to walk me down the aisle.” She thought about the Boss being Randy’s father. “Do you think I could have Randy walk me down the aisle?”
“You’re trying to piss off the Boss?”
“Maybe.”
“I don’t know, but if it’s a personal request, I can look into it.”
“Awesome. Please do.” She got to her feet. “I need to take care of some things. Make yourself at home.”
What she really needed was to get away from this man. She didn’t want to like him, but she knew it was becoming really easy to forget her reasons for enjoying his company. Making her way back to the house, she stopped at the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water.
Henrietta was there, smiling at her. She was a lady in her sixties and had helped nurse her back to health a few times after some of the beatings. “I see the way you look at him,” Henrietta said.
“It’s nothing.”
“He could be good for you.”
“I’m fine. Thank you.”
“You know it’s not a weakness to fall in love?”
She didn’t respond. There was no way she was going to fall in love with anyone. In the many training sessions, she’d vowed to never allow herself to fall for any man, or to even give him the chance to own her heart. She wasn’t going to fall back on her word to herself.
****
When Isabella didn’t want to be found, she certainly knew how to hide. After she’d left him alone in the garden, Damon tried to find her all day. He’d gone through the security footage he’d found before all the electricity had been cut from the building. Only, it hadn’t been severed, no, this had been with the flick of a switch. Whoever had attacked the building didn’t want the additional work of rewiring. There was no other detail to provide him with which capo could have done this attack.
“I’m heading out for the evening. Isabella has an errand she wants me to run,” Randy said. “Bella’s in the basement, training.”
Damon spun around to look at the other man. “How the fuck do you keep tabs on her?”
“It’s my job.”
“What errand?” Damon asked.
“It’s personal.”
“Anything to do with the wedding?”
“No.” Randy shook his head.
“And you’re not going to share it with me.”
“If Bella wants you to know, she’ll tell you. She also likes to hide in plain sight. If she’s not in the garden, sunbathing, you’ll find her by the roses. After a fight like last night, she likes to get lost which means the library, the pool, or the basement. She also hates it when you keep track of her.”
“And yet, you’re able to.”
“I haven’t been doing this for a couple of weeks, Damon. This has been my job for years.” He stepped back.
“The errand, will it get her killed?”
“No, but it will kill her if anything was to happen.”
Damon sat back, watching Randy leave.
Pulling out his cell phone, he called his man. “Follow him.” There was no way he was willing to stay in Drago’s house without his own willing men. Over the years, he’d been able to weed out and detect all the men who worked for his father, who were in fact only loyal to him.
Damon Romano Sr. was a feared leader, and with his volatile nature, he’d created a lot of enemies. For himself, he’d been able to locate them and draw them to his side, giving him spies everywhere. He’d find out what Isabella was trying to keep secret from him.
Finding nothing on the security footage, he decided to go see the vixen in person. Making his way downstairs to the large basement, he found her alone. The sounds of her attacking a bag filled the room. Even with her damaged ankles, she was a force to be reckoned with.
His cock hardened at the sight of her.
She really was a beauty. Her training wasn’t just on a punching bag, she also had targets around the room with weapons lined up close beside her, guns and knives.
He removed his shoes and jacket.
“I didn’t invite you here,” she said.
“I know.”
“Then leave.”
“Not happening.”
“Are you doing this on purpose to piss me off?” she asked.
“Wow, your language really needs some work.”
“My language is fine. It depends on the company I’m in as to how I react.” She picked up a knife and threw it across the room. There was the right amount of force as it impaled a target. She was off-center, but close. “You don’t need to be here.”