Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
“You were the one behind all of it. My father believing my mother was having an affair. Her murder. My father’s murder, and it was murder. Michael’s murder I saw with my own two eyes.”
He studies me, one corner of his mouth lifted into a grin. He’s pleased. “I heard how Rami was punished. He deserved worse, that brute. But I do owe a thanks to your lover.”
“You ordered him to kill Michael! What do you deserve?”
“I only took what was my due. And now, you’re my due.” He grips a handful of hair painfully forcing my head backward. “I’m going to enjoy making you scream, Allegra. I’m going to like watching you on your knees you arrogant little bitch.”
I jerk free and clamp my teeth down on his hand.
“Fuck!” Malek tries to break away, but he only manages it after I’ve broken skin. After I’ve tasted the copper of his blood. I pay for it, though. He backhands me so hard, I fall sideways off the chair, the side of my head hitting the ground because I can’t get my bound hands in front of myself fast enough to break my fall.
My cheekbone throbs, but I turn my head to look at him, push myself up and spit out a mouthful of blood. I push through the pain. “That the best you can do?”
He crouches down, hate animating his dead eyes. He closes his hand over my throat. “Oh, no, not the best, bitch-wife. You want to see my best?” He squeezes my throat, cutting off my oxygen. I clutch at his forearm and I think for a minute, as I look into his furious eyes, see the spittle around his mouth, I think he’s going to kill me right here. Right now.
“Stop. Fucking stop or you’ll kill her!” Enzo says and suddenly I can breathe again and I’m gasping mouthfuls of air. My vision begins to clear, and I refocus on Malek, standing over me, Enzo holding him back.
Malek snarls in frustration. “I’m going to kill him in front of your eyes. I’m going to make sure you watch as his life bleeds out of him.” He turns to Enzo. “Get her upstairs,” Malek barks, shoving Enzo. “Now.”
Enzo stands to his full height. He is formidable, as big as Cassian, much bigger than Malek and Malek cannot move him.
“Last I checked I don’t work for you. Don’t give me fucking orders like I’m your foot soldier.”
Malek snorts. “Isn’t your cousin the one who treated you like a foot soldier all your life long? Isn’t that why you’re here?”
“Well, I’m not about to be yours,” Enzo says.
Malek faces Enzo. “Don’t forget why you’re doing this. Cassian Trevino’s blood is tainted. He can have no heir. He doesn’t deserve the throne. He should have stepped aside when his brother got sick. When he knew he’d only destroy the family. You said so yourself.”
Enzo’s eyes narrow, but he’s listening. I have to hand it to Malek. He figured out Cassian’s weakness and Enzo’s.
When Enzo’s jaw twitches, Malek grins. “Remember what I’m going to give you,” he says through gritted teeth. “But it does not come free. Get her upstairs.”
Enzo’s hands fist.
“Do it. I want her high in the sky when he gets here.”
Enzo grits his teeth, but bends to pick me up and even though I resist, he easily hauls me over his shoulder and begins to head to the stairs.
Malek follows and soon we’re on what was once the second floor which is now open to the sky, the air thick with fog. The roof is completely gone, and the walls are about waist high. A heavy wooden beam that must have been one of the supporting beams stands straight up in the middle of the space. I see sharpshooters with night vision lenses taking their positions behind sandbags. They are prepared for their ambush, and this is the perfect ambush. The house is set at the far back of the property. Behind us are woods. A single-track unpaved road leads to it. They’ll have to use that or come on foot. Either way, they’ll be walking to their graves.
Enzo sets me on my feet, and I pull back from him. “You fucking traitor. Why would you do this? Cassian trusts you.”
He doesn’t look at me. Instead, he’s looking beyond my shoulder where Malek has gone.
“Get her up there,” Malek commands.
“It’ll be a while before they get here. You can’t keep her up there that long.”
“Don’t tell me you’re growing a fucking conscience.”
I turn to the sound of a gun being cocked and find Malek taking aim at Enzo.
“You know what they say about cheaters, Enzo?” Malek asks. I have no idea what he’s talking about and from the looks of it, neither does Enzo. “Once a cheater, always a cheater. In my experience, it’s the same with traitors.” After a long, pointed minute, he disarms the weapon and puts it back into its holster. “Allow me to motivate you. Think of what he owes you. Think of all those years he’s treated you like trash when it’s his line that’s tainted, that’s unfit to rule.”