Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Leo: Wait for me.
Our phones beep as the address comes through.
I read it to Massimo so he doesn’t take his eyes off the road.
“Got it,” my right-hand man mutters.
When we near the house, I see Dante waving at us. Massimo pulls over to the side of the road and switches off the engine.
We climb out and glance at my other three men, who are keeping an eye on the house. The six of us should be more than enough to take down one man.
“He’s still inside,” Dante informs us. “How do you want to handle this, boss?”
“Kick in the door,” I order.
“Mattia, you and Ricco go around the back,” Dante orders before we make our way to the front door while he screws a silencer onto his gun.
He points at the lock and fires a shot at it, then throws his shoulder into the door, which shudders open.
With our weapons drawn, we follow Dante into the house that smells like stale takeout and dirty socks.
Sabastiano runs from the living room on our left into the kitchen on our right, and Dante takes a shot at the fucker.
We rush into the kitchen, in time to see Sabastiano yank open the back door. Mattia’s fist slams into the fucker’s face, dropping him on his ass.
Dante hauls Sabastiano onto one of the kitchen chairs while my men spread out through the house to make sure there are no surprises. While Dante shuts the back door, I stop in front of Sebastiano and stare down at him.
With his head lowered and blood dripping on his jean-clad thigh, he mutters, “Sorry, boss.”
My voice is mercilessly cold as I demand, “Why did you do it?”
He shakes his head, then glances up, giving me a pleading look. “Money.”
“How much did your loyalty cost?” Massimo growls.
“I’m sorry,” Sabastino sobs.
“Klodian died because of you,” I growl while I tuck my gun into my pants behind my back. “Everything went to shit because of you!” I lunge at the fucker, grabbing his shirt with my left hand while my other fist connects with his jaw.
I shove Sebastiano onto the dirty floor and throw one punch after another.
Haven’s terrified face flashes through my mind, and it makes me lose control.
Blinded by rage, Massimo has to pull me away from Sebastiano’s lifeless body, his blood dripping from my hands.
“Enough,” Massimo says, his arm locked around my chest that’s rising and falling with heavy breaths.
My emotions are all over the place, and in a moment of weakness, my conscience gets the better of me.
Cazzo.
I rip away from Massimo, and with a roar, I throw the small kitchen table over onto its side.
Massimo’s arms lock around me, and he uses all his strength to drag me toward the front door. “Take care of this shit,” he shouts an order at my men before he shoves me out of the house.
He grips hold of my arm and leads me toward the SUV, where he fucking hovers over me as I climb into the passenger seat.
While Massimo slides in behind the steering wheel and drives away from the crime scene, I’m bombarded with the grief and guilt I’ve carried around for seventeen years, and the unforgiving remorse I feel for what I’ve done to Haven.
My voice is hoarse as I groan, “I’m a fucked-up mess.”
“I can see that,” Massimo mutters. “I’m taking you to the island. You need to get your shit together. Some time there will do you a world of good.”
Knowing Massimo is right, I nod while I wipe the blood on my busted knuckles off on my pants.
My breaths begin to slow down, and slowly my emotions settle until all that I feel is the relentless guilt.
“She’ll never forgive me,” I whisper. “I’ve tied myself to a woman who’s going to hate me until we die.”
“Yep.”
I shoot a glare at Massimo, his expression tight with anger. “I’ve been at your side through thick and thin, but you’ve never fucked up like this.”
His words hang heavy between us during the ride to the hotel.
“You’re covered in blood. Wait in the SUV,” Massimo orders.
I sit in total silence while he goes into the hotel to get our luggage and check us out.
The only way to soothe my conscience is by letting Haven go, but every time I think about it, everything in me revolts at the thought.
Why the fuck can’t I let her go?
The trunk opens, and Massimo loads our luggage before he slams it shut.
He climbs in behind the steering wheel, and without saying a word, he starts the engine and steers the SUV out of the parking area.
My thoughts return to Haven.
I’ve dated plenty of women, but none of them has ever caught my attention the way she has.
The instant I start to inspect my feelings, I shut that shit down hard.
There’s nothing to inspect.