Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 107402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
“We can get you back what we took. Just give us time. Please,” Charles, the oldest, says.
I scoff.“You think giving me back the drugs you took will mark you safe? Giulio, did you hear that?” I laugh loudly, the noise thundering through the club. The music still plays, but at some point, it was lowered.
“Stupid men play stupid games. You killed my brother,” he answers me and then addresses them.
“Yes, exactly,” I reply and begin to sway Emelia a little bit back and forth. Her breathing is loud. As it should be. Her entire body trembles with fear.
“We can let them go. They didn’t hurt me. Please.”
“Hurt doesn’t matter, wife. They touched what’s mine. That was the stamp on their death certificate.”
She shakes her head, but then the first loud bang rings out, followed by a thud. Emelia screams, and I hold her tight as she begins to cry. His brothers start to panic.
“Quiet!” I silence them, and they still.“You killed Giulio's brother,” I repeat, and Emelia suddenly stops, finally registering there’s more going on than with tonight’s incident. Her body stiffens in my hands.
“We didn’t know he was one of your men.”
“Lies. You knew who he was. You knew exactly whose boundaries you stepped in.”
Eric tries to speak next, but I silence him with a bullet. He falls to the ground, and Emelia shakes.
“You touched my wife. You fucked with my most valued possession.” I nip Emelia’s ear, and she shivers in response.
“I don’t like when someone fucks with what’s mine, so you must pay. But since Giulio has his own vengeance, I will let him have his fun with you, while I go and handle my wife.” I pull Emelia with me, but she keeps looking back, watching as Giulio and a few of my men take them away. The last brother standing kicks and pleads as he goes, but it fazes no one.
“Farren! You and the others clean up the mess, then the club can reopen.”
They obey, and Emelia walks up the stairs on shaky legs, and I watch her from behind. She takes a few glances back at me, but I bark for her to keep going.
She tested me. Angered me.
Scared me.
I don’t feel fear, but the knowledge that they could have taken her and hurt her… that caused me a sensation I have never felt in my entire life. She weakened me, and I have to remind her that I am not a man who will let anyone overrule him.
“To the left,” I tell her when we hit the top of the stairs. She hesitates, and I tsk at her.“To the left, Emelia. Now,” I demand, and she keeps walking.
My office door is at the end of the hall, and she continues on until we reach it.
“Here?” she whispers.
“Yes. Inside.”
This time, she stumbles, and I catch her before she hits the ground.
“Goddammit, Emelia!” I growl, and once she’s stable, I let her go and lock the door.
“Nico, I’m sorry. Please.”
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I shake my head.“No. You don’t speak until I think of what to do with you.”
“What to do with me?”
There’s sass in her tone, and I turn to look at her.“Yes! What to fucking do with you. You ran off, then you came here and could have gotten killed. They are dangerous men!”
“Were!” she yells back. “They were, but you killed them! Without even blinking! You monster!”
I gain on her and wrap my hand around her neck, just enough to get her to hear me loud and clear.“I did, and I would do it again. How many damn times do I have to tell you that life means nothing to me, Emelia? I have no regard for it, and you seem to think I do. That you married some prince, when I’m the fucking devil. When will you get that?” I seethe.
“Why couldn’t you let them go? Why did you have to do it in front of me? I don’t want to be a part of that.”
I grin, chuckling sinisterly.“You seemed to love it the other night when you were cutting into the flesh of your ex,” I remind her, and her jaw drops.
“That’s different. I didn't kill him.”
I just laugh at what she says, knowing damn well there is no difference.
“Emelia, you are a part of it. You are married to a boss in the world’s largest criminal organization. And with that comes death. Next time you want to run away and play some fucked-up game, you should think about that.”
Her eyes water.“It is not my fault you killed those men. They were already a target. I just happened to stumble into it.”
“Yeah, and I saw the way they tossed you around, and now you have fucking bruises.”
“I don’t…” She pauses and looks down at her arms, seeing the bruises forming.