Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 68628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
I don’t know what the fuck she was doing there. The first thing I’m going to do is find out.
Eden leaves, her face unreadable. Sergio turns to me. "You know we've grown our number in the past year."
What the hell does this have to do with why I came? I remain calm. "Yes, sir. That's why I'm here."
There's no such thing as a shortage of Italian cousins.
"You know one of the primary reasons why we've grown in stature, strength, and respect is that I married Eden and we had a baby.”
Oh shit. He is not…
"Yes, sir." I grit my teeth. "Looks like your brother Timeo has an eye for—"
Sergio silences me with a slash of his eyes. Fuck.
"He does. For a woman that's way too young for him. That's off the table. And you and I both know that Ricco's single, and why, and we are going to give him the space he needs." I look away. Ricco is a prime example of why you should never actually love the woman you marry.
She was faithful to him, as much as she could be. My read on the situation, based on what he's told me, is that the two of them were best friends, joined in a marriage of convenience. That was before she succumbed to her illness. She's gone now and Ricco’s alone. Even Sergio isn't such a bastard that he’d make his mourning brother remarry this soon.
I sigh. "You know what she saw."
"I do. And I also know that the law says a spouse cannot be forced to testify against her husband in court."
"And since when have we given a fuck about what the law says?"
Sergio's voice lowers, grabbing my attention. "Since we've gotten on the cartel’s shit list,” he says. "You do know that their pull with law enforcement is bigger than ours, don't you?"
I do. The cartel has friends in high places. We do too, but our strength is in our numbers—the Montavios and Rossis as a united front. Shit. Shit. Fucking shit!
"You don't have to touch her. You don't even have to fucking like her. All you gotta do is say ‘I do,’ slide a ring on her finger, and make sure that she shuts the fuck up. And you’ll do it in a way that doesn't harm her, or my wife is going to flip her lid. And if my wife gets upset, you're fucked! Got that?"
I let out a deep breath. I nod.
If the cartel leverages their inside men against us, Quinn will be forced to testify against me in court and I don't stand a chance against an eyewitness.
"Where is she?"
Sergio holds up a hand and points down the hall.
"I want to make sure you’re hearing me, Adriano. You don't have to love her, but you and me, we’re clear that you’re going to treat her with respect, right? That's my wife's best friend we’re talking about."
"I'm aware." It’s unlike Sergio to repeat himself. He’s worried.
But I can play nice when I want to.
"Got it."
Suddenly, our “pleasant” conversation is interrupted by a high-pitched, bloodcurdling female scream. Sergio smirks at me. "I guess Eden just broke the news to Quinn."
"She's that thrilled to tie the knot with me?"
Sergio shakes his head. “You come in there with me so we can do some damage control before anything else happens… or she gets any bright ideas.”
“Yes, sir.” I pledged the rest of my life to this family. And that's a story for another day, but right now, no matter what happens, if Sergio tells me to do something, I do it. He's my Don and all of us pledge to obey his word or die trying.
The Montavio family saved my life. I’ll do what I must for them, even if it means marrying that pretty girl with wide eyes and the big fucking mouth.
Sergio continues, "We’ll take care of logistics later. You know what you have to do. You let me talk to her."
I give him a look, and he raises an eyebrow at me. "Something to say?"
"You want me to marry her, and you don't trust me to talk to her?"
"She told my wife you pulled a gun on her… on fucking Beacon Street!"
I shrug. I’ve shot people for less, and in far more public places than that.
"She was a firsthand eyewitness, Boss."
He blows out a breath and shakes his head.
"You're not in Tuscany anymore."
Don't I fucking know it.
I can hear the girls talking on the other side of the door, and even though I can't hear what they’re saying, it's pretty easy to differentiate Eden’s calm, tempered voice from her friend’s nearly hysterical one.
Oh, this is gonna be fun.
Sergio rests his hand on my shoulder, the heavy weight of it making me stop.
"Listen, bro."
I look at his eyes.
"I know you’re loyal. You were the first one I signed into our group when we needed more men. And you know why. Now I'm asking you to do something that you didn't plan on doing but which will eventually play out in everybody's best interest."