Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 96808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
“I’m not leaving her with you motherfuckers. You all have targets on your backs. She’s not safe here.”
“No, she’s not. That’s why she’s going to Italy with my daughter,” Emilio replies.
“What?” Fredrico and I say in unison.
“She will be going with Emilia to Italy. You did say she has a talent for the arts, didn’t you? This is an opportunity for her. She will be raised as a Gallo from here on out.”
“You motherfucker,” I snarl as I lunge at him. However, Fredrico holds me back. “You planned all of this. We all just played into your hands like my brother did, you piece of shit.”
Emilio fixes his cuffs as if I’m no threat, while his brother holds me off. I shove Fredrico and take a step back. I should have known. I should have seen this coming.
“You knew all about her, didn’t you?”
“Honestly, not at first. I had washed my hands. Your brother got the girl. He started the family they wanted.
“I never thought I’d hear anything else about a Raven after your brother’s death. I knew you were here, but you had walked away from ties to us. You’ve been no trouble to me, so I hadn’t planned on being any trouble to you,” Emilio says with a shrug.
“You’re an asshole. You could have gotten him out of that mess. You let him die in that jail because you couldn’t have what you wanted. Now you’re fucking with his baby girl. Why?”
“I’m not the villain here. Believe it or not, I did all I could to get him out of there. I wanted to help Brenda the moment I found out what happened.
“She didn’t want my help and wouldn’t talk to me. I’m not helping Oni because of your sister-in-law. I’m setting my nephew on the right course before it all blows up in his face,” Emilio growls back at me.
“What do you mean, Emilio?” Fredrico hisses.
Emilio rolls his eyes. “She is a sixteen-year-old girl. He is nineteen and being groomed to be Don. This is not the time for this distraction. She’s going to Italy.”
“He will follow,” Fredrick growls.
“Not if he thinks she didn’t make it.”
“What?” Fredrico stumbles back. “You mean to destroy him. I will not allow this.”
They begin to argue in Italian as I stand fuming. This motherfucker has lost his fucking mind. He thinks he’s going to bark orders and we’re all going to bow. Fuck that.
“The boy loves her. You’re going to cause him to snap. I’m not lying to my son for you.”
“Then you will go to Italy with her if I can’t trust you to stay here and keep your mouth shut. You go home and run the business there. Those are your only options,” Emilio bites out with finality.
Fredrico gives him an icy-cold glare. “You ruin everything you touch. Neither of them will forgive you. She’s in love with him too. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do. This is why I have made this decision.”
“You fucking moron. Even if I went along with this, how will you keep her from running to him?”
“Watch how you talk to me, brother. You are more of a problem at the moment than I care to consider. Don’t make me take how much into consideration.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“I’m warning you. It would be easier to make you disappear for good than to have to explain to my nephew why you won’t be in contact with him until I bring the girl back,” Emilio bites out.
Fredrico paces away as he grumbles to himself. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around all of this. I don’t want to send my niece back into danger, but can I really trust Emilio to keep her safe?
“My brother has told me that Brenda wants Oni to go away to school. My daughter attends an art academy in Italy. I have had plans for her to work for our art dealership when she comes of age until she marries.
“Since it was Emilia’s life Oni saved when she took that bullet, I would like to offer her this opportunity. I am not trying to reenter Brenda’s life or manipulate Oni into anything. She needs to be safe, and my nephew needs to be focused.
“I will deal with the fallout when the time comes. This is the best option. I will cover all the expenses. Oni won’t ever have to steal another thing in her life.
“For saving my daughter’s life, she will be treated like a Gallo princess. Your niece is smart. I will be the one to talk to her and offer her this option.
“She will take it, and she won’t contact Rico until I allow it. Mark my words,” Emilio says.
“You will not talk to her alone.” Fredrico seethes.
“As you wish.”
I pull a hand down my face. “Un-fucking-believable,” I breathe. “If something else happens to her, I’m going to take your fucking head off.”