Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22616 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22616 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
A calmness fell over me, and I rested my head on his shoulder, needing that strong, unspoken comfort he brought to me. We drove on in mostly quiet areas that reminded me of home. The light traffic kept us moving, and yet I didn’t want to get out of the vehicle.
“So what time is everything?” I asked.
“We’ll see how everything plays out.”
I lifted myself off his large frame with pouty lips and a glare. “Are you intentionally being evasive with me, Mr. DeSalvo? Is that your way of getting me to trust you?”
He just smirked at me with an air of confidence that I should have seen coming a million miles away. “Maybe.”
“Ugh.” I rolled my eyes.
“Maybe I just want everything to be a surprise.” He kissed my temple and then my hand, dragging me up against his side again. “By the way, you look adorable when you’re annoyed with me.”
“Just remember that later.”
He leaned in and cupped my chin, tilting it to bring our lips close. “I will, and I know just how to get you nice and unannoyed.” He then gently nipped on them. I let out a soft whimper, and he quickly pulled back with an annoyed grunt.
“What’s wrong?”
“It seems I’m going to need to remind you of some other things later.” He winked and sat back.
“So do you have any plans to return to school now that you’re here?” my uncle asked.
That diffused one tension and created another. Before we could discuss it, we arrived. We pulled into a parking spot along a small town where several boutiques lined the street. “Let’s start here,” Elio said as we stopped in front of an elegant woman’s clothing store.
Chapter Nine
Elio
While she tried on outfit after outfit, I discussed the message and the information with Joey. He almost lost his mind when I told him about his brother’s real activities. “How were you not aware of his bullshit?”
“We had a falling out years ago and the only reason I came around was for her.”
“So you didn’t bother to talk to him when you were there?”
“Every time she called for help, he wasn’t around.” He probably used that time to stay far away from Joey. “He’d be on what I believed was another bender.”
“What caused you to have a falling out?”
“We had several. One after his wife died and then one right before she went off to college. He’d hit her and I beat the shit out of him. I didn’t want her to help him ever again, but she went back, thinking she could fix him.”
I scoffed and looked at him like he was nuts, my brows furrowed. “He never hit her again, or so she said, but I think she lied to me because I would probably kill my own brother.”
“You should have because he wasn’t a drunk. The bastard is the head of the Houston Mafia.”
“What?” Ana stood in front of me in the sexiest red dress that hugged the lines of her body so exquisitely that I almost forgot the raging anger etched on her face. “What do you mean my father is a mafia boss?”
“He is. He’s not missing or dead.” Her expression flipped and anger fled and hurt replaced it so visibly that I knew I fucked up big time.
“I need to get out of this dress.” She rushed back into the fitting room without looking back at either of us.
I was on my feet about to go after her, but I had no idea how to fix this. “Fuck, what the hell was I thinking?” I slapped my hand against my forehead for being so damn careless.
“You were thinking about how to handle our problem.”
“Yes, but I should have been more discreet. It wasn’t time to tell her about her father.”
“No, but she wouldn’t have been pleased to learn of it either way.”
“Yes, but I would have appreciated our marriage already over and the license signed before she wanted to rip my heart out.”
“I don’t think it’s your heart that’s being ripped out.”
“I know that. She’s upset and even more so at me.”
“No, she’s not.”
“Yes, she is. I promised her that she could trust me. Her eyes said it all. I betrayed her.” Ana was taking too fucking long to come out of the changing room area, and it made me nervous. Not only did I need her, I had to make sure she was safe. I stood up and rushed to the area, tossing back the curtain that had her shoes still on the ground, but Ana wasn’t there.
I rushed to the sales assistant and asked, “Did you see my fiancée?”
“Yes, she just left with a man who said that she was feeling ill and you would be handling the bill.”
“I am, but I need to know who the man was.” Not a single one of my capos, soldiers, or anyone in my employ would dare take her without telling me.