Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 61692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
I know Franco must be back at the house by now, and my phone hasn’t buzzed once. Perhaps he was delayed in New York, but surely Gio would have noticed we’re not back yet. Maybe he can’t find me. Does he have my number? Yes. Shit. Too many thoughts race through my mind and as much as I want to, I can’t still them. Please, Franco, find us. Please. I beg. I plead. And I pray.
I’ve never been religious. Never even been inside a church. But as the barrel of a gun rests against my ribs, I find religion in anything. In anyone. And I pray with all my heart and soul.
I’ve only just found real passion, real love. I’ve finally found myself and I can’t lose it. I need to fight. I need to be strong. Glancing at my cousin and best friend, I can see them trembling, as I am. Fear. It’s such a wicked emotion. It changes you. It can either strengthen you, or it can weaken you. When Calista’s eyes meet mine, she offers a small, reassuring smile. One that tells me she’s trying to be strong. We all are.
But strength doesn’t come easy, you have to fight for it. You have to convince yourself you can do anything. Dad always used to tell me I was a strong little girl. I didn’t cry much when I would get hurt. He once said I could be a queen if I set my mind to it. Now, thinking about it, I wonder if he meant ruling an organization like Franco’s. It’s the only answer I can come up with.
In my heart, I know Franco will find me. I am convinced he’ll save me. As much as he wants to believe he’s not a hero, nothing can change my mind knowing he is a good person. He’s my knight in shining armor.
“Siamo qui.” A gruff tone comes from the driver’s seat and the doors on either side of us open. I’m shoved out of the car and stumble onto the harsh gravel. The stones bite into my palms and I can’t stop the tears that burn my eyes. A strong hand around my bicep has me whimpering as he tugs me to my feet.
“I see now why he’s so enamored with you. Those precious sounds you make are intoxicating, Raina. Is that what you sound like when your cunt is filled with thick, hard cock?” His face is inches from mine as he hisses the words. The stench of whiskey is thick in his breath and I stifle the urge to retch.
“Let me go.” The plea falls into the air between us and he laughs. It’s a full, throaty sound as if I’ve just told him the funniest joke he’s ever heard. Without answering, he tugs me toward the monstrosity that lies before us.
Even in the dark of the night sky, I can tell it’s bigger than any home I’ve ever been in, including the Moretti house. The double wooden doors that look like they’ve been carved from a tree trunk slide open and the light from inside blinds me momentarily.
Once inside, my eyes flit left to right, taking in the beauty of the house. A sweeping staircase fit for a queen with gilded railings on either side beckons, and as we head toward it, my heart leaps into my throat when a familiar man steps out from the shadows of a doorway.
His eyes meet mine. His smirk is cruel and evil, and my heart cracks. My world tips on its axis and the tears that threatened me since Cristiano first sat beside me finally tumble and my cheeks burn with the poisoned emotion that streaks down my face.
How could he do this to me? To Adria and Calista? Confusion swirls in my mind and I feel dizzy from the emotion that seems to choke me.
17
Franco
Storming into the office, with my body vibrating in rage, I feel him behind me. Gio was meant to watch her for two fucking days. Forty-eight hours and he couldn’t even do that. “Look, I had to go sort out some shit. I couldn’t take her to see what I do, what we do. You didn’t want her involved in the business.”
“So you’re pinning this on me because I was trying to keep her safe?” Spinning on my heel, I meet his angry glare with one of my own. The air around us crackles with fury. It’s dripping off him and I know it’s my fault for doing this. I told her the truth about her father and mine, but I didn’t tell her the reason I had brought her here. She didn’t need to know, but I have a feeling she will find out soon enough.
When I found the document in my father’s safe, I thought it was a joke. That he had set it there as a test of my loyalty, but when I dug into the background of little Raina Lombardi, I found out the truth. She wasn’t just the daughter of my father’s best friend, but she is also the heir to his fortune. The same fortune her brother is stealing from her.