Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 21649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 108(@200wpm)___ 87(@250wpm)___ 72(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 108(@200wpm)___ 87(@250wpm)___ 72(@300wpm)
"Make it fifteen," he says before hanging up without waiting for a response.
I stare at my phone, cold dread settling in my chest. This isn't just a casual summons—something serious is going down. I just hope it isn’t my murder.
I quickly shoot off the half-finished email, shut my laptop, and grab my jacket. Heading out the door, I debate waking Michela up to let her know I’m leaving, but I don’t want her to worry. I know my little kitten won’t be happy with me, but I also know she’ll understand. First, I’ll deal with my future brother-in-law, and then I’ll make it up to my future wife.
The drive to The King's Castle feels longer than usual, my mind racing through all the possible reasons Lorenzo could want me to meet him there. Thoughts of Michela creep in, but I push them aside, needing to stay focused.
I pull up to the nondescript building, the neon sign casting an eerie glow over the dark street. Taking a deep breath, I get out of the car and head to the entrance. The doorman gives me a knowing look and lets me in without a word.
Inside, the air is thick with the scent of expensive cigars and the low hum of whispered conversations. I navigate my way through the dimly lit corridors, finally reaching the private rooms in the back. Antonio, Lorenzo’s head of security, stands by the door, his expression grim.
"He’s waiting for you inside," Antonio says, opening the door.
I step into the room confidently; it’s the only way to deal with my friend. Lorenzo sits at a table, a glass of whiskey in front of him, his expression unreadable. Across from him sits another man I recognize—Dante Arakas, the owner of The King's Castle and a notorious mafia boss in his own right.
“Ryan,” Lorenzo says, his voice measured but icy. “Sit down.”
I comply, pulling out the chair opposite him and glancing briefly at Dante. His presence here only heightens my sense of foreboding.
I sit back in the chair in a casual pose. “I’m here. What do you need?” I ask, staring into his eyes, looking for some clue as to what he’s thinking.
Lorenzo takes a sip of his whiskey and then sets the glass down with a deliberate slowness. “You and Michela.” His nostrils flare. “What in the fuck were you thinking taking my sister to a goddamn BDSM club? Have you lost your motherfucking mind?”
At least he didn’t just shoot first and ask questions later. All the speeches I’ve been practicing for this exact moment evaporate. “I’m a single, adult male, and Michela is a single, grown woman. We can go to The Sterling Rope together if we want to.” Probably the wrong thing to say, but the words are out there now.
Dante leans back in his chair, observing me with keen interest while Lorenzo stares at me with enraged eyes. “Ryan, you and I have history. I’ve always thought of you as my best friend.” He pauses to take a deep breath. When he pinches the bridge of his nose, I realize he’s trying to maintain his control. “But Michela is my sister.”
“And she’s my woman. I fucking love her.” I want him to know this isn’t some fling for me.
He blinks at me for several minutes silently. “You love her?”
“I do,” I tell him and glance over to find a smirking Dante Arakas glancing back and forth between us.
Lorenzo lunges to his feet and slams his hand down on the table. “How long has this been going on behind my fucking back?”
“Nothing has been going on behind your back. I haven’t seen Michela in years.”
“Then how the hell did you go from not seeing her in years to being in love in one goddamn week?”
“It isn’t unusual in Silver Spoon Falls.” Dante Arakas speaks for the first time. “They say drinking the water in town helps romances along.”
Lorenzo turns to stare at the other man like he’s grown a second head. “Excuse me?”
“It’s a legend in town.” He shrugs nonchalantly. “You can’t argue with the number of happy couples here in Silver Spoon Falls.”
“This whole town is fucking nuts.” Lorenzo downs his whiskey in one gulp and then turns to me. “I’d shoot your ass myself if I wasn’t dealing with a fucking meltdown in New York. The head of the Grimaldi family died suddenly without naming a successor. Now, his family is fracturing. They have two factions determined to seize control.
“One of the dumb fucks vying for control decided to flex his muscles by taking on the other New York families. Yesterday, his men took it to a-whole-nother level.”
That gets my attention. As the most powerful “family” in New York, the Amante family doesn’t usually have to deal with this bullshit. “What happened?”
“Marty Cierra was gunned down in front of his wife and daughter yesterday.” Fucking hell. Marty was Uncle Leon’s right-hand man. “It was a message for us to watch our backs. All the families are on high alert.”