Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 142553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 713(@200wpm)___ 570(@250wpm)___ 475(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 713(@200wpm)___ 570(@250wpm)___ 475(@300wpm)
Dominic had to flex his jaw to keep cool.
“He’s a better soldier than half my men combined, you know. Who do I have to thank for that?” Lucca paused. “Your father … or you?”
“I don’t know. You tell me?” he asked through gritted teeth, since Lucca knew so much that went on in the Luciano house.
“Doesn’t matter much now.” Lucca shrugged as he sat back and got comfortable in his leather chair.
The heat that came from Dominic was almost as hot as the tip of Lucca’s burning cigarette. Being forced to choose between letting him kill Angel or end Katarina’s future didn’t feel like much of a choice.
Dominic gave him a chilling look, his voice as deadly as his stare. “Lucca, you have taken everything from me. You’ve taken fifty percent of our profits, my brother, and now you’re taking my sister.” Pausing, he decided to give the underboss a warning and remind him that he might be a Luciano, but he still held power. “There’s not much else to lose.”
“Trust me, Dominic”—Lucca took a hard hit off his cigarette—“there is always more to lose.”
You would know. Dom desperately wanted to say what he whispered in his head, but he had to keep that card in his pocket. So, he just tried to get him to see reason. “Please, Lucca, Kat is innocent in all of this. If you talked to Cassius, then you know what it was like for her growing up. She deserves to finally be free, and she most of all deserves a future.”
“What about marrying Drago would mean she wouldn’t be free or have a future?” Lucca leaned forward in his chair, clearly taking offense.
Dominic’s brows drew together, wondering why the fuck he needed to spell it out for him. “Because she’s being forced to marry a man she doesn’t wan—”
“Did Katarina tell you she didn’t want to marry him?” he asked simply.
Thinking a moment, he realized she had never said a word. “No, but she wouldn’t do—”
“Of course she wouldn’t,” Lucca stopped him. “There are many things we have to do in our lives that we don’t want to, Dominic, but we do them for family.” Taking another hit of his cigarette, he hit Dom with the cold, hard truth. “She is doing the same thing Angel is doing by being here with the Carusos, and the same thing you had to do when you agreed to the terms.”
“No.” Dom shook his head. “Kat didn’t choose this life.”
“And you did?” Lucca asked, raising a brow.
“I said the Omertà.”
“You might’ve made the oath, but what choice were you given?” The underboss tapped his ashes into the crystal ashtray. “Do you honestly think you would have walked the same path if Lucifer wasn’t your father?”
Not only did Dominic know the answer, but Lucca did too. Still, he continued to fight for his sister.
“Katarina is better than us, than what we are. She deserves a happy life with a great husband who will show her how special she is, not Drago.”
Lucca’s strange colored eyes flashed at him. “Do you know why I picked Drago, Dominic?”
“I don’t know …,” Dom told him, exasperated, feeling like he had reached the end of his rope to save his sister. “Because it suits one of your sick agendas? Lucifer almost killed him, so you chose him, knowing he’d pick Katarina the second he knew she was his daughter.”
“No,” the underboss told him wholeheartedly.
Yeah right. As far as he was concerned, he had hit the fucking nail on the head.
Dominic sat back, waiting to hear how Lucca was going to spin this shit. “Well, you tell me then, Lucca.”
“Did I know Drago would pick her? Yes,” Lucca told him without a hint of remorse. Crushing the butt of his cigarette into the ashtray, he looked Dominic in the eyes. “But I picked Drago because, not only is he loyal, strong, and determined, but he’s the best goddamn man I have. Do you know why Lucifer was almost successful in killing him? Because he’s the only man I trusted to leave Chloe in his care, and he took five bullets to the chest to try to save her.”
During his speech, Dominic’s rage had slightly softened at hearing Lucca talk about his man in that way, knowing each word he said about Drago was true.
Lucca continued, “I don’t know a better man than Drago, inside and outside of Kansas City … except for one.”
Dominic’s brows furrowed at his last line, but before he could ask who, Lucca answered.
“You.”
“Oh, come on, Lucca.” Dominic got up from his seat in frustration, unable to stay in the chair any longer, afraid he would jump across the desk and strangle him if he didn’t put distance between them. “What are you doing? Trying to butter me the fuck up? Do me a favor, since you know every damn thing about me, let’s cut the bullshit and stop the pretending between us. ’Cause, if you’re going to continue to fuck me in the ass, I’d like to at least keep my dignity.”