Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 80550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
The car is parked right in front of the building, and the moment the door is opened, I sit down, shut the door, and we race off, past Lucio’s car. His wretched smile is visible through the window, making me want to bust out my gun and pop him right then and there. But I don’t want him to die yet. I need him to suffer first. And I definitely don’t want the girl in his grasp to get hurt in the process, as they carry her off to God knows where.
The moment our eyes locked in that room, I knew it was her, the girl who threw the pearls over the balcony. Such a pretty creature shouldn’t be anywhere near a rat like Lucio.
What is she doing with him?
Does she even have a choice, or is he forcing her?
I rub my stubbly chin, annoyed at myself that I didn’t manage to grasp her and take her with me before the whole thing blew up. Goddammit. He must have brought her into the negotiation just to make sure I wouldn’t try anything on him in front of her. He knows my only weakness, and it’s definitely a girl like her.
I suck in a breath. Even now, I can’t stop thinking about those luscious blond locks and that soft skin of hers that yielded so easily against the pad of my thumb when I brushed away her tears.
That man made her cry, and I will make him pay for it.
A filthy smile forms on my face. I’ve decided.
“Stop the car.”
Franco frowns. “Wait, what? Why? This could’ve been a setup. Whoever came blasting in might be after us too.”
“Just do as I say.”
The driver immediately stops, and I pull a tracker from my pocket, open the car door, and wait until Lucio’s car drives by before I throw it right through the open window onto the back seat of the car. The girl lies face down against the interior, probably still unconscious from when they dragged her away. But I will fucking find her again, and when I do, I’ll make sure he never makes her cry again.
Stella
My head is pounding when I finally come to while in the car. I have no idea how long I’ve been out of it or where I’m being taken, but I know I’m still in his grasp as his stench invades my nostrils.
I grumble as I slowly get up, trying to center myself, while my head throbs harder. I bring my fingers to my hair as the warmth of my own blood surprises me. God, I must have really hit my head on something. Maybe the rubble fell on top of me when the explosion happened.
Images of the fight in Club Triton invade my brain, and then the barrel hitting my head flicks back into the forefront.
One of Lucio’s men hit me with a gun. Goddammit.
As I remove my fingers, something drops out of my hair onto my lap, and I inspect it for only one second before tucking it into my pocket as Lucio turns his head toward me from the passenger seat.
“Finally awake now?”
“What happened?” I ask.
“A bloody fucking ambush, that’s what. You should be happy we managed to drag you out of there.”
He flicks his fingers at Bartolo, who’s right beside me. “Take care of that nasty head wound. I don’t want her bleeding all over her expensive gown tomorrow.”
My stomach twists into knots from the mere mention of the word tomorrow. I almost forgot. God, it was bliss being gone for a moment.
I jerk the door handle a few times.
Lucio snorts. “You think I’d let you get away after what you just tried to do?”
Bartolo grips my hand and keeps me pinned down while he hastily swats me with some napkins dipped in water from his own bottle.
“You’re not leaving my sight,” Lucio says.
“Get off me,” I growl at Bartolo, trying to shove him off me.
When he’s finally done, I fold my arms and lean into the corner of the car as far away from him as possible. I don’t want any of these fuckers touching me. It’s not like they fucking care whether I’m bleeding or not. He just wants me to look good for the cameras tomorrow.
Lucio narrows his eyes at me. “Where is the necklace?”
“I threw it over the balcony,” I spit.
Lucio suddenly grabs my cheeks, pressing them together as he growls, “That wasn’t yours to throw away. Those pearls belonged to my mother.”
“Then you shouldn’t have put them around my neck if they were so precious,” I say.
“I will put anything I want around your neck and parade you around like a goddamn dog on a leash,” he says, squeezing harder. “The money you tried to steal is gone now too. It’s all your fucking fault, and you will fucking pay for it.”