Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 98583 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98583 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
I sit back and let it wash over me. It’s one thing to run sex workers—there are plenty of men in my position who will gladly employ dozens of OnlyFans models—but another entirely to turn girls into glorified sex slaves. My hands curl as I try to picture all the horrors these rich fucks get away with, protected by their enormous bank accounts and their power. While somehow, I’m the monster. I’m the man they hate.
“How did you learn about all this?” I ask finally.
“Sources inside the various operations.” She waves a hand dismissively. “I can provide proof, but I suspect you don’t need it.”
“What, you grew a conscience?”
“Don’t talk to me about a conscience,” she snaps, turning to glare at me with ice in her eyes. “I’ve done many things to protect my family, but even I have lines I won’t cross.”
I lean back and consider. “Let me understand this then. You realized you promised your granddaughter to a human trafficking piece of shit, and you panicked. You couldn’t stomach the thought of being related to those people. You went looking for someone else.”
“Not just anyone else,” she says, staring right at me now. “I needed someone with enough money to help my family, someone in need of a bride with a good name, and someone with enough power to stop Demir and Gray Wolf when they inevitably had issues with my betrayal. Which is why I chose you.”
Well, fuck me.
I hate to admit it, but I’m impressed.
The conniving old snake found a perfect patsy in me. She played it magnificently as well. Somehow, she kept her secret until after the wedding, after it was already finalized.
But she didn’t consider one thing.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t divorce Lucy right now and leave you all to the wolves?”
She shakes her head and returns to her chair. “You won’t do that.”
“I didn’t sign up for a war.”
“But you won’t let Demir take Lucy. You’re not that kind of man.”
“You don’t know me that well.”
She picks up her bag and rests it under her arm. “You married her, Adriano. She’s your wife now. I’m not so naive as to think you haven’t consummated the relationship. Whatever there is between you two, I don’t think you’ll throw her away now, not knowing what’ll happen if you do. You can hate me all you want. Blame me for this. But you will protect Lucille. You will protect the fund and the Willing-Morris family. You have no other choice.”
I stand. A dozen thoughts rush through my head. I want to curse her. Tell her Lucy doesn’t matter to me. Nobody matters to me that much. There’s only the Marino Famiglia and nothing else.
Except it’d be a lie.
Helena Willing-Morris cornered me. She maneuvered me exactly where she wanted me, and now I’m trapped by her plan. And if I were any other man, I’d kill the old woman and leave Lucy to her fate, all to avoid a vicious confrontation with a powerful enemy.
But I’m not weak. And Lucy is mine.
“If I destroy Demir and Gray Wolf, it won’t be for you,” I tell Helena as she walks to the door.
“I don’t care why you do it, so long as you do it.”
Then she’s gone.
I slump back into my chair.
It was all true from the start. And Gray Wolf is even worse than I thought. There’s no way in hell I’d ever let them get anywhere near Lucy. Not my wife. Not the woman that haunts my dreams and makes me want more than I’ve ever wanted in my life. I close my eyes and I can taste her tongue, honey sweet and heaven bright. I can see her down on her knees, her hands behind her back. I can feel her bare ass under my hand. Lucy swirls in me now and I can’t stop it, even if I wanted to. I’m trapped by my own need, caught in a nightmare.
And now I’ll have to kill my way through.
There’s a light knock at the door. Jessie enters with my espresso. “Donatella’s on the phone,” she says, frowning at my expression. “Do you need anything else?”
“No, thank you.” I take a sip. It’s strong and dark, but it doesn’t wash the bad taste from my mouth. When my secretary is gone, I pick up the phone.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Adriano, but it’s your father.” Donatella sounds worried. “He’s not doing well.”
“Is it something new?”
“I can’t say exactly. He took longer to get out of bed this morning. He seems even more out of it than usual. Like he can’t remember how to wash himself.”
“Should we call the doctor?”
“Not yet.” She pauses, and I can hear the faint sound of a Western in the background. “I just wanted to keep you updated. We knew this was coming.”