Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 88153 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88153 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
The knife pierces into Katherine’s cheek as a smear of red drips down her cheek. “You should be more careful,” Emilia purrs. “You shouldn’t make sudden movements around a sharp instrument. I bet you’re the type to run with scissors, too, aren’t you? Now, why were you in Niko’s hotel room?”
Katherine looks at me, pain washing over her face as I stare at her, looking bored.
“You better be watching me, not my husband. I want an answer and if you don’t tell me the truth, I’m going to take this pretty knife and gut you like a fish.”
Antonio glances at me. “Gut her like a fish?” he mouths, an eyebrow raised in confusion.
“She’s been watching a lot of movies,” Vic whispers.
“Gangster movies?” I ask. I can’t bring myself to watch them. I didn’t imagine Emilia enjoying any of them either.
“No,” he denies, shaking his head. “The Christmas move, The Grinch…”
My brain doesn’t compute what I’ve just heard for a second. Then, it’s hard to contain myself. I run a hand down my face as I laugh. Maxwell would be laughing his ass off right now. A wave of sadness floods me, threatening to drag me under, as I force myself to shake it off. I’ll grieve for his loss soon. For now, I have a job to do.
“Niko, call her off!” Katherine yells out. “It will be you that won’t like this answer if you don’t.”
I frown, wondering what angle she’s getting at.
“Make her leave and I’ll tell you.”
“Emilia isn’t going anywhere. She’s right where she belongs—with me.”
“If I’d have seen this side of her sooner, I would have claimed her,” Antonio grumbles.
“It’s too damn late. She’s mine,” I growl, wishing being so weak didn’t make my voice tremble.
“Fine,” Katherine huffs. “But I wanted you.” She looks me in the eyes, making it clear she means it. “Dante wanted the contract for your marriage to Emilia. He wanted me to find a file or download it from your computer. His mother-in-law tried to tell Emilia that you got paid to marry her, but she wouldn’t believe it. Dante wanted to prove it to her, so she could see how her own father sold her.” Katherine’s eyebrow lifts and she’s even stupid enough to smile, feeling entirely too happy with her accusations.
“Sold me?” Emilia asks, grimacing.
Katherine looks smug. “He had to give Niko money and property just to get him to agree to marry you.”
Emilia studies Katherine for a moment. “Niko?”
Dread fills me as I worry about how she’s going to take this. I can’t lose her again. I don’t want a wall between us. It was hard enough to wait for that second phone call. “It’s not true. Not completely anyway. I’ve never discussed things with you,” I tell her earnestly.
“Is it okay if I cut her tongue out now?” she asks snidely.
“You probably shouldn’t in case we have more questions after taking Dante tonight.”
Emilia sighs, grabbing Katherines long blond hair and sawing at it with the knife, leaving it an uneven jagged mess as Katherine screams.
“You bitch! I’ll get you for this! Don’t cut my hair. You’re going to pay for this!”
Emilia looks at Vic. “Give me the handkerchief you keep in your pocket.”
I frown. “I have one in my desk door. You can use mine.”
She holds her hand out to Victorio. He takes it out, handing it to her.
“Emilia,” I snap and for once my voice is more forceful, but she still ignores me.
“No. You’ve stuck the last thing of yours into this bitch’s mouth,” she says, as she shoves crumpled white cloth into Katherine’s mouth.
“Thank you,” Antonio says with a heavy sigh of relief. He really doesn’t like her voice at all.
I sit there with my mouth hanging open in shock as Vic laughs. I watch her hand the knife back to Antonio. “I’m going to go clean up before my father’s service.”
“We need to talk,” I tell her as she stops at the door. It’s not like I can get up and stop her from leaving, I think she might take advantage of that for a second before she turns back to look at me.
“I’m not stupid like that whore over there, Niko. I used Vic’s handkerchief in her mouth because he hasn’t left, which means it’s the same one I cried into last night and blew my nose on.”
Katherine screams, although it’s muffled, looking green around the gills.
“I wasn’t paid—”
She smiles at me. “I told you I’m not stupid like Katherine. Why would you take a contract all the way to Athens? The only reason Katherine is stupid enough to believe Dante. Probably because she wanted it to be true. The bitch was imagining me calling off our wedding so she could get you back. She was too blind to see that Dante was just using her so he could have his men catch the two of you together and kill you both at the same time. That way, you and the only person that could tie him to the murder—Katherine—would be dead. That way, Dante could sweep in to console me because you were killed while meeting with your mistress,” Emilia says, watching me process it.