Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 89032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
“I don’t know what to think,” I admit, my head dizzy and wild. “This whole dance thing was stupid.”
“Look, we finally agree on something.” He pulls me closer. His body is warm and strong. “But this is what you wanted, and that’s what I do now.”
“Dance to old songs?”
“Give you what you want.”
I let out a soft, muffled gasp as his fingers tighten painfully on my hips. I’m afraid he’s going to crush me, but before I can wriggle back, the host calls for everyone to join us. A few dozen guests pile onto the dance floor, and soon I’m surrounded by total strangers with my aggressive and scary husband gripping me tightly against him, and I’m thinking this was the biggest mistake of my life, but there’s no turning back.
I had my chance, and I fucked it up.
I thought I could handle this. He’s my ghost, right? And I find a weird comfort in that.
But looking at him now, at his beautifully terrifying face, breathing in his masculine and familiar smell, feeling his strong and dominating hands on my body, I’m absolutely sure I’m in over my head.
Finn is nice.
Marrying him would’ve been boring, but I would’ve been fine.
Cormac’s the straight-up devil.
Giving myself to him means I’m going to burn.
The first chance I get, I pull away from his grip and hurry away from the dance floor, leaving him behind.
Chapter 13
Bianca
“Are you sure it’s too late for me to change my mind?” I ask, staring out at a very fine-looking brownstone in a Bronx neighborhood called Mott Haven. On the drive over, it looked like parts of this area are pretty nice, while the rest are decaying and riddled with ruined cars and broken windows. Definitely in transition.
“I’m sure. Padraig would lose his mind.” Adriano smiles to himself. “Though it might be nice to see that bastard suffer after what they pulled.”
“Don’t blame him. From what I can tell, it really was all Finn and Cormac.”
“God, what a crazy wedding. I’m shocked nobody got killed.”
“It was a pretty close call. For a second, I thought you were going to have a heart attack.”
“Fucking felt like I might,” he grumbles and looks at me. Some of his hard mafia Don facade falls away, and for a second, he’s just my older brother. “You know you can call me if anything feels off, right?”
“And you’ll come tearing ass two hours to my rescue, I’m sure.”
“I can probably do it in one and a half.”
“It’s fine, Adriano. Honestly. Cormac’s intense, but I trust him.”
He scowls at that and glares at the house. “We’ll see, I guess. Just wish this hadn’t been so fucking messy. That’s not what I wanted for you.”
“I know. Honestly, I do. You put a lot of effort into this.”
“You’re my sister. I know you feel like I’m abandoning you—” His fingers grip the steering wheel. “But what we’re doing is important.”
“Are you sure?” I ask quietly. He looks at me, his lips pressed into a tight line. “Adriano, you run a criminal empire. I know that’s insane to say out loud, but it’s true. Is this really worth it?”
“We take care of people.”
“You take care of our people, but everyone else—” I gesture vaguely out at the world.
“None of them matter. Fuck everyone else. You think they’d help you?”
“Grace House would.”
“That’s different.”
“I’m not really sure it is.”
He shakes his head, getting frustrated. “I don’t want to have this conversation with you again. I get it, you don’t like our business, but that’s life.”
I sit still for a moment. I know he’ll never agree with me. Adriano’s much too involved in the Famiglia to ever see things my way.
And sometimes, when I’m feeling bleak about the world, I can see it from his perspective. At least for a little while. Because everything’s so fucked up anyway, what does it matter if we’re selling drugs and breaking legs and doing god knows what else? Adriano’s good to his people. He gives back to the community as much as he can.
That’s always the tension. We give and we take. We break and we build. I just wish we could skip all the suffering and go straight to the good stuff.
He thinks I’m naive. I think I’m just trying to be a decent person.
“Thanks for the ride.” I push open the door and get out.
“Come on, let’s not end this on a fight. I’ll at least help you carry your stuff inside.” Adriano opens the trunk. Boxes are piled in neat rows. “The movers should be here in an hour with the rest of it.”
“Funny how I managed to accumulate so much stuff.”
He sighs and shakes his head. “Not funny at all. Not to the guy paying your credit card bill.”
I punch his arm lightly. “Buck up. At least I’m off your hands.”