Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 72496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
“So,” Ivan walked over to the guy smirking and put his gun under his chin. “Looks like you’re the lucky messenger. Be sure to let your boss know the meeting location and time, I’ll be more than happy to hand over more Abandonato blood. I’ll even agree to rip up the treaty and stop spending their money, but I want in on the cash, especially since they’re going to be cutting us off once the treaty is void. I have needs too.”
Wait, my Family was going to cut them off?
Huh?
“Is it true?” The guy’s smirk fell. His blindfold was tight across his eyes. “Are the Abandonatos stopping the cash flow?”
I cleared my throat. I had to think fast, but all I saw was Ivan’s sneer, so I closed my eyes and remembered his smile, his pain, his truth and spoke mine. “We don’t support liars, and we sure as hell don’t give money to traitors like Ivan. Dad said as long as he didn’t touch me, he would keep supporting us.”
Ivan grunted. “Please, it was just kissing, some heavy petting and—”
I smacked him across the face. “Shut up.”
My hand stung, I gripped it and winced. “Aw princess, did that hurt? I can’t wait to see you bleed.”
“You’re a monster.” I spat.
“I’m a businessman.” Ivan shrugged. “And I wanted my piece of you too, I can’t help it that I don’t have self-control.” He kicked dirt up into the guy’s face. “You have six hours to give your boss the message. You have my number.”
He slowly tried to stand and nearly collapsed back on the dirt. “What about my men?”
“Oh, let them have their fun.” Ivan jerked off the guy’s blindfold. He was maybe in his fifties and had the same DL tattoo on his cheek. “It’s not like she can’t fight off two men, even someone well trained would struggle, if they die, it’s on them.”
He snickered. “Be sure to take pictures for our boss.”
“I plan to.” Ivan cut off the guy’s rope. “Off you go.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. He slunk off in the opposite direction while Ivan took his knife to the other two men’s ropes. “Play nice, I’ll be inside.”
He was leaving me.
Seriously?
He was really leaving me?
So I’d risked it all.
For a very low chance of survival.
He gave me his back.
But what did I expect? A hero when he clearly told me he was a villain? A man instead of a monster?
My dad would have killed the men before they even spoke innocent or guilty.
Uncle Chase would have made a game out of chasing them.
Phoenix would have cursed them.
The old Capo would have laughed while they screamed.
The list would go on about what my Family would do, Dante, Tank, Sergio, Santino, Dom, again the list went on and on and all it came to was one thing.
My cousins and I… we were different.
Programmed with the same strength as our parents, but more humanity, and I wondered if it’s because they all sacrificed theirs—so we could keep ours.
What had I fought for?
I’d been perfect, and for what? To die? To feel sorry for myself.
An Abandonato they fought to the death, and I wasn’t stupid.
I didn’t deserve to be saved.
But I did deserve to save myself, whatever it took.
Ivan didn’t look back as the two men faced me, they were at least six two, the one closest to me had both eyes nearly swollen shut, the other spit out a tooth.
I started slowly backing away. “Do I get a running start?” Where the hell was Ivan?
One of them lunged for me.
I ran to my right, putting the house behind me while they both took their time in walking closer.
I could maybe out-maneuver them, but I didn’t have a weapon, I mean I had the dagger that my dad had given me that Ivan gave back to me, I always kept it on my thigh.
I reached for it and pulled it free, holding it out in front of me.
I really needed to do a better job remembering my training, remembering all the sparring with Ivan and how to take someone down twice my size.
“Relax, focus, you’ve already lost the cadence to your breathing,” Ivan whispered. “It’s embarrassing.”
“You’re embarrassing!” I yelled back, rubbing my arms.
Ivan laughed and then charged me, shoving me against the back part of the ring. “If someone tries to overpower you, you’re just going to be exhausted trying to fight, give in a bit, use their momentum to turn the tables. If I’m charging you, let me until that very last moment. Watch.”
He backed up while my breathing slowed.
And then he ran at me.
“One.” I whispered to myself. “Two.” His pace almost slowed as I moved to the left at the last second and slammed my hand into his back, shoving him against the mat on the wall. “I win.”