Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 86325 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86325 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
"I'm not going anywhere," I shake my head. "Where is Ryder? Does he know about this?"
"Signore Bernardi has decided you are no longer needed," one of the men tells me with twisted, sick pleasure. "You've been sold to a new owner. We're to escort you there."
I swallow thickly and fight the urge to rest my palm over my belly. I can't betray my secret to these men, I already know I shouldn't trust them.
"Coming, signorina?" the other man asks and I shake my head vehemently.
"Not until I speak to Ryder or Bruno."
They exchange glances and laugh. Then, before I can react, one man wraps his hand in my hair and I shriek as he pulls me to my feet.
"You'd better do yourself a favor and do as we say, signorina," he hisses. "You need to come with us. Or we can shoot you down right here. You're already proving to be more trouble than you're worth."
"We'd rather bring your new owner your body than your head," the other one smirks. "But we can kill you here and now, if you so wish..."
He exposes a gun in his belt and I swallow thickly. Whatever is happening, I need to go along with, or I risk endangering my baby boy.
“Alright, I’ll come,” I tell them, glancing between the two of them with uncertainty. But they don't allow any room for questions. They each grab me by an arm and half-drag me out of the cell.
It's dark outside, and there's a running car waiting at the exit from the dungeons. I take hungry gulps of the cold, fresh air, grateful for the reprieve from the stuffy atmosphere in the cell.
"Where is Ryder?" I demand again, trying to convince myself my ex-fiancé wouldn't let me leave without seeing me one last time. "I want to say goodbye."
My heart is breaking but I know I need this. Need to take my secret and get the hell out of here.
But the men pay me no mind, shoving me into the car and barking at me to shut up. I bang against the window but they've already locked me in, and there's a stone-cold woman sitting next to me. She grabs my hand and pulls it painfully. I yelp and look up at her.
Those cold-blooded eyes could only belong to one woman.
It's Livia – Ryder's former flame.
"What is h-happening?" I stutter. "Where are you taking me?"
"Shut up," Livia says. "All you do is talk, stupid girl. I've had enough of you already. Don't make me gag you."
I scream but she slaps me right away. Shocked into silence, I helplessly watch as the car pulls away from the Bernardi mansion. I turn to face Livia, my brows knitting together in worry.
"Do you have Ryder's permission to do this?"
She merely smirks at me, not honoring me with an answer. A part of me wants her to say Ryder doesn't know. That she's kidnapped me for some ulterior motive, and he'll want me back. But the broken bit inside me knows Ryder will never want me again. He's done with me, for good.
Once again, I resist the urge to rest my hand on my belly while I scramble for a solution.
First of all, I can never let Livia know about the baby. She can't find out I'm pregnant or she'd surely use it against me. The only way I'll reveal my secret is if they threaten to kill me.
As that possibility dawns on me my heart hammers in my chest. I can't let them kill me. I can't let this happen.
"Where are we going?" I ask as the car heads down the winding road leading to Palermo.
"Somewhere you're actually wanted," Livia laughs. "Believe it or not, someone other than Ryder is a fan of you. I don't know what they see in you, to be honest. You're just a child."
I don't respond, just stare her down, wanting a more concrete answer. But I don't get it. And before I know it, the ride is over and I'm begging dragged out of the car.
We're in front of a gorgeous estate, sprawled out on acres of land. They have vineyards, horses and gardens. This is a well-to-do famiglia.
"What are we doing here?" I whisper as Livia forces me to walk inside the house. By now it's starting to get light outside. The sunrise is almost here, and I still have no clue where I am.
Inside, I'm handed over to a tight-lipped, gorgeous woman whom Livia greets by the name of Sophia. She ushers me into a suite on the first floor of the tastefully decorated house, one fit for a princess.
It's not unlike the room I had at the Bernardi Estate. I sit down on the bed while Sophia takes a seat across from me on the couch, piercing me with her gaze.