Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 86168 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86168 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“I need a wife.”
That word shocks me back into myself.
I pull away, clutching my wine glass. A laugh bubbles from my lips. “You need a wife?” He says nothing, only stares, and I keep laughing at the absurdity. “Come on, you have to be joking, right?”
“I’m very serious right now. I need you to marry me. If you become my partner, I’ll give you everything you need. Gem will be taken care of. You’ll never worry about money again. All your problems will vanish.”
“And they’ll all be replaced with you.” My laughter fades away as I realize he really isn’t messing around. “Come on, what could you possibly need a wife for?”
“In my world, blood matters. Family is important.”
“Your world? You mean Philadelphia? We all live in the same world.”
“No, we don’t.”
“This is some old-fashioned mafia stuff.” I smile slightly. But my smile quickly fades as his grave stare hits me like a punch to the teeth. “Wait a second. Is this old-fashioned mafia stuff?”
“My last name is Corsetti. Does that mean anything to you?”
I shake my head. A million questions swirl through my mind. I want to ask them all when the waitress arrives with the appetizers. Eggplant fritters, mussels, and a small cheese board. I don’t touch any of it. Suddenly, I’m not hungry anymore, but Stellan orders our main course. We’ll both have the duck.
“This is insane,” I say once the waitress is gone.
“It’s a business proposition. Nothing more. You say some words, sign some documents, and play house. You provide me with legitimacy. Your life doesn’t drastically change, aside from your material circumstances.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“It can be.”
“I really doubt that.”
He shrugs and gestures at the table. “You should eat. You look pale.”
“Not really nice to comment on a woman’s complexion on a date,” I mutter but force myself to try the mussels anyway.
We lapse into silence as I try to come to grips with everything. I should’ve known he was involved in some kind of criminal enterprise the second he showed up at my door asking to be stitched closed. No wonder he didn’t want to go to a hospital. He probably didn’t want the police to ask questions.
I knew, though. On some level, it’s hard to ignore. Everything about him screams danger. The way he walks, the way he laughs. His tattoos and his clothes. Every inch of him is a warning.
But he’s also an opportunity.
I’m a candle at the end of my wick. I’m still burning, but for how much longer? He’s absolutely right that I’m close to snuffing out.
What’ll happen to Gem if I can’t keep going?
Didn’t I tell myself I’d do anything for her?
But getting involved with this man is a very bad idea.
I’m attracted to him. I can’t pretend like I’m not. Does that even matter if we’re just entering into a business arrangement?
Once we’re finished with the salads and appetizers, I sit back and stare at him. My second glass of wine disappears. He fills up my third.
“If I’m going to consider this insanity, I want to know about you first.”
He runs a finger along his clean fork. “There’s not much to say.”
“I doubt it. I want the full story. You can start at birth.”
“Well, I don’t remember coming out very well.”
“You may skip ahead if that helps.”
Stellan tells me about his early life. He talks about being born in South Philadelphia to a Swiss mother and an Italian father. His mother ran off with their car mechanic when he was still little. He talks about coming up in the family business, though he’s purposefully vague about it. He mentions a mentor who showed him the ropes and taught him everything he needed to know. Our duck arrives when he mentions his father’s passing. It’s fantastic. The duck, not the dead dad.
I listen intently, surprised that he’s being so open about his life, but I notice the gaps in the story. He leans on generalizations and doesn’t go into detail. He talks about work, about learning how to operate, but he doesn’t tell me what any of that means. When I ask, he gives me a hard stare and moves on.
But the implication is clear.
This man is a straight-up criminal.
My heart’s pattering and I can’t finish my meal. He seems satisfied when the waitress brings out a slice of cheesecake to split. “Have as much as you want,” he murmurs.
I can’t bring myself to take a single bite. “What do we do now?” I ask, feeling too amped up to go back home. We’ve barely been out for two hours, and I don’t want Gem to be awake when I get back. I’m not sure what I’ll do if I have to look her in the eye and talk to her about this date, knowing that I could marry Stellan and change her life for the better tomorrow.