Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 55263 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 221(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55263 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 221(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Aunt Valentina was right. I was the head of this organization. My word was the final one, and doubt or hesitation would only cause more pain.
David had taken the woman I love.
He would have to pay for that, whatever the cost. And I was the one who got to decide the cost.
Chapter 25
Serenity
Icame to slowly, blinking quickly against the fluorescent lamps aggressively aimed my way. The first thing I noticed—other than the lights—was my throbbing head. A dull ache pulsed behind my eyes and my mouth tasted disgusting, like I’d been licking pipes. I tried to move and immediately became aware of the pull at my shoulders—my hands bound behind my back, my wrists aching where the plastic ties bit into my skin.
Plastic ties? I didn’t remember being bound. The last thing I remembered was being tossed in the back of the van. I was kidnapped. It all came crashing back and my pulse raced, my body temperature spiked. Panic tried to set in.
I forced myself to breathe.
In through my nose. Out through my mouth.
The room swam into focus inch by inch. There were lights. Too many of them. Harsh and bright, mounted on metal stands, all aimed toward the red leather sofa positioned like a centerpiece, which I guess also made me the centerpiece. In front of me was a low coffee table, with cheap halogen lamps behind me.
The walls—all three of them—were bare, the concrete floor scuffed and stained beneath the black rug.
It looked less like a hideout and more like a forgotten TV set.
I managed to sit up, look around, and examine my surroundings, but there was nothing else of note. Except for the man who stood just beyond the lights. He was nothing more than a dark shadow, a looming figure who had kidnapped me and brought me here.
Except they were after Mattie.
That thought sobered me.
“Hello?” I used my most professional tone because the one thing I knew above all else was that I couldn’t let my fear show.
The man stepped forward with a slow smile on his face as if we were old friends. Even still, the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Serenity Majors,” he said just as the light revealed average, unforgettable features. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
I lifted my chin, figuring he must be Enzo’s cousin. “You must be David.”
His brows shot up. “So Lorenzo has spoken about me.”
I didn’t answer.
Up close, he was unimpressive with a slim build, restless energy, and the same green eyes as Enzo and Mattie but duller somehow. Meaner. He wore expensive clothes that didn’t quite fit right, like he was dressing for a role he hadn’t earned.
“Oh, I’ve heard all about you,” he continued, circling slowly. “When he came back to California, it was always Ren this and Ren that.” He rolled his eyes. “Obsessed. It was disgusting.”
I stared at him, trying to look strong and brave, but he wore all the markers of a weak little man obsessed with power he couldn’t hope to attain. I’d met plenty like him over the years. “I can see why you’re divorced.”
The effect was immediate. Anger flashed across his face, his jaw tightened, and a flush crept up his neck. For a moment I thought he might hit me, then he smoothed it away, replacing it with a smile that brought to mind a used car salesman. “I thought he’d give up eventually,” he said. “Go back to you. He didn’t.”
In that moment, everything clicked into place. “You wanted the top job,” I said softly.
David shook his head. “No. I didn’t want it.” His voice rose, the sound brittle and sharp. “I deserved it. It was mine.” He started pacing back and forth, his steps short and jerky. His hands clenched at his sides as if he didn’t know what to do with them. “Lorenzo was supposed to be the college boy,” he snapped. “The one who focused on the legitimate businesses, growing the empire. That was the plan.”
“That’s what he wanted too,” I said softly. “But plans change.” Thinking about the past was too painful, and right now, combined with the fear, my emotions were all over the place.
His head whipped toward me. “Yeah? Well, that’s not what the family wanted. And the family always gets what it wants.” He raked a hand through his hair and let out a shaky breath that revealed more than he wanted it to.
I watched him unravel, fascinated despite my pounding heart. It was interesting, watching the way his anger unfolded, but terrifying because he was losing his grip, and the last thing I wanted was to end up as collateral damage.
David wasn’t in control. He was posturing, trying to convince me, or himself, that he was the man in charge here. He was already spiraling, and this was the beginning of his plan.