Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 24774 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 124(@200wpm)___ 99(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24774 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 124(@200wpm)___ 99(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
But unlike that night, I always killed with a purpose. I had my own code of honor and sense of justice, something that Salerno would never understand. He was my boss now, as cruel and conniving as ever. But Gian, Enzo, and I had become powerful enough that he didn’t often command us to cross our own moral lines. Even the most loyal dog would bite if cornered.
We were loyal to our clan, not Salerno personally. But until the day came when we were able to overthrow the bastard, we had to owe him our fealty. The day of reckoning was coming soon now that we’d made this deal with Duarte and Rodríguez.
“What are you thinking?” Evelyn murmured, trailing her soft fingers through my curls. The light scrape of her nails over my scalp sent tingles down my spine. “Tell me about your dream.”
I shook my head. I would never tell her about that awful night. There were some darker details about my past that she didn’t need to know. She would turn from me in revulsion, and I couldn’t bear that.
“Look at me,” she cajoled, tugging lightly at my hair.
My eyes locked on hers. They glittered through the darkness of the night, capturing the city lights that shone through the dimmed floor to ceiling window. The stars in her eyes were stunning, hypnotic.
“I’m not a good man,” I heard myself confess, the truth drawn from deep in my soul. I’d always known it, but I’d never allowed myself to contemplate it. I was unapologetic of my violent lifestyle because I knew the darker truths of the world.
But my parents would be ashamed of what I’d become. And now, I clung to precious Evelyn with bloodstained hands.
“I can’t change what I am. But I will be good to you, farfallina. I swear.”
She caressed my cheek, and I leaned into the tender touch. “I don’t want you to change,” she said in a fierce whisper. “I accept who you are, Massimo. All of you.”
“You don’t know all of me,” I admitted.
And she never would. I would shield her from the cruelest aspects of my life.
The stars danced in her eyes. “I’ve seen who you are. You’ve shown me so many times. You always do what you think is right. You’re loyal to the people you care about, and you protect innocent people. You’re not cruel or callous.”
“I’m a dangerous man,” I warned her.
“I know,” she replied evenly. “That doesn’t change how I feel about you.”
I placed my hand over her heart.
How do you feel about me? I barely kept the question locked in my chest. I loved this woman, and the prospect that she didn’t share the depth of my feelings unnerved me. In time, she would love me as I loved her. I wouldn’t settle for anything less than soul-deep devotion. She was already addicted to my touch, and I knew she felt affection for me. That was enough for now.
Soon, we would start our new life together in Italy. I would help Gian and Enzo with their coup. And I would be powerful and wealthy enough to keep Evelyn safe and blissfully happy.
She would love me. She didn’t have a choice.
Chapter 4
Evelyn
Four Weeks Later
“How is she?” Massimo asked the doctor, his silver eyes dark with worry.
“I feel fine,” I promised, drawn to ease his concern. “I haven’t felt so much as a twinge of pain for days.”
“That’s good,” the doctor approved before turning his attention to Massimo. “She’s made a full recovery. She can return to a normal routine.”
I cleared my throat, not caring for how he was addressing Massimo and not me. “Like I said, I feel fine,” I reiterated coolly.
The doctor simply nodded. “I’m satisfied that there won’t be any lasting damage. Initially, I was concerned about potential fertility issues, but everything has healed nicely. It would be wise to check with your own physician when you get home if you want to do further tests for peace of mind.”
My brain tripped over the thought. I’d been shot on my right side, low toward my hip. I’d been informed that the bullet had missed my major organs, but I hadn’t thought about my fertility being impacted.
Fear pulsed through me at the prospect that I might not be able to have a family with Massimo.
Did I want to have Massimo’s baby? I’d always wanted a child of my own, someone to love unconditionally, the way I’d never been loved.
I took a quick breath and pushed the thought away. It was far too soon to contemplate starting a family with him, no matter how tempting the idea was. Something like yearning tugged at my heart.
I leaned into his chest, wrapping my arms around him so that I could feel his heartbeat beneath my ear. It was the most reassuring sound in the world.