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)
“No, you can’t be,” her panicked words were the only thing that saved Frankie for the moment.
“I am and you will do as I say. Wait and don’t answer until your escort arrives. It will be soon.” Perhaps I should have been a little gentler with her, but I didn’t have time for that.
Afterward, I tucked Joey’s phone into my pocket and then stepped up to Frankie and then stabbed him in the stomach. “If you live, then your penance is paid. Make note of it. Any word of my wife’s beauty will be treated with respect. She will be treated with respect at all times. Understood?”
“Yes, Don,” he groaned.
“Yes, Boss,” the others repeated.
I untied Joey and lifted him to his feet. “Take him to get fixed up,” I told Paul. Then I looked at Joey and said, “You will drive me to the airport. I have to pick up my bride.”
He stood silent as I wiped the bloody knife on his suit jacket. “I don’t have time for much prep.” I should have made the flight this morning, but I had preparations to make here. I had no idea that she was in trouble. My only belief was that she was poor, and he was helping with bills, not paying off fucking pieces of shits.
On the way, I made several calls while Joey drove. “I need information on who runs Spaulding, Texas’ Washington St area.”
“That’s fucking pretty specific,” Mercado scoffingly laughed.
“Well, that’s my specific problem at the moment. Do you want to make the Sosa district my problem too?” I questioned.
“No, no. Of course not. I’ll get that to you within the hour.”
“That’s good. Nice talking to you, Eddie.” I ended the call and enjoyed the subtle torment I was putting my driver through.
Chapter Two
Ana
“Uncle Joey,” I called out. “Please tell me you’re coming,” I begged through tears that seemed to be endless over the past half hour.
“Amore, someone will get you in ten minutes. Wait in your apartment until you receive my call,” the deep, accented voice didn’t sound like my uncle’s mixed Texas and Italian drawl. Amore? Although Italian, he didn’t sound like my father and Uncle. I knew nothing about that side of the family because discussion of it was forbidden. There were rumors that my uncle had ties to the Mafia.
“Who is this?” I choked out nervously.
“Your fiancé.” I heard noise at the other end, but my brain wasn’t processing anything other than what he uttered. I repeated it in my head, but it didn’t make any sense.
“No, you can’t be,” I argued, shaking my head as if that would help my case. My body sat on the hot, tacky linoleum floor, made worse by the summer heat, with my back pressed against the wall between the stove and the sink. I held a knife in my hand, praying my dad’s collectors didn’t come back again.
“I am and you will do as I say. Wait and don’t answer until your escort arrives. It will be soon.” The tone told me I had no choice, but it didn’t sound like the other voices that had threatened me before. This was different. It didn’t sound like Calhoun or Perez. No, this voice I hadn’t heard before, and it made my body shiver in a whole new way.
My body shook as I held the phone to my chest. Had I heard him correctly? I was going to be his wife. Who the hell was this man? My uncle didn’t answer or argue. All I knew was that someone was going to rescue me from one danger; now I was meeting another. My heart palpated out of control. Ten minutes didn’t make any sense since my uncle should still have been in Chicago. Unless he left earlier than he told me. Did he bring someone with him? And why didn’t my uncle answer the phone himself?
My mind spun helplessly out of control while I sat there with my knees to my chest, using my bare feet to rock myself into a lost trance. My vision blurred through the tears, so I shut my eyes and tried to calm myself, but nothing did the trick. The questions in my head were too many to count, and I didn’t have anywhere to run.
While I sat there in my own thoughts, the doorbell rang. My eyes darted to the old, paint-cracked door, body shivering as if the air had suddenly kicked on. I didn’t bother to get up. I clutched the knife tighter and brought my thighs closer to my chest.
“Ma’am, we’re here to take you somewhere safe. Please open the door.” I shook my head as if the man behind it could see me. The pounding only got louder. “Miss, we don’t want to break down the door.” Oh yes, that made me feel totally safe. Even through the door, his annoyance couldn’t be mistaken. “Please open up.” I knew of the threats from my father’s enemies. They had connections with the police, so I couldn’t call them for help. There was no way I would open it or try to run.