Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 77824 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77824 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
“What?”
“I think I can make him care about me.”
Dad immediately shakes his head. “No! No, don’t do that. It’s too dangerous. A man like him will rape you if he thinks you’re interested in him.”
Yeah, I’ve thought about that as well, and honestly, I’m willing to sleep with Renzo if it means I’ll get my freedom.
“I’ll be careful,” I say. When Dad shakes his head again, I remind him, “Renzo hasn’t hurt me, Dad, and I don’t think he’ll force himself on me. He seems to be softening toward me. I really think my plan will work.”
An excruciating, pain-filled wail tears through the air, making us freeze again.
Someone’s being killed.
Jesus.
The air fills with tension, and before I can catch my bearings, Renzo stalks into the room. His hands are bloody, and the rage on his face is so dark it makes my soul cower back in an attempt to escape him.
Dear God.
Without saying a word, Renzo grabs my forearm, and I’m ripped away from Dad.
Glancing over my shoulder, I hurry to say, “Bye, Daddy. I love you. Don’t worry about me. Remember, I can see you on the live stream.”
“I love you, sweetheart!” Dad’s face crumbles as he watches me being dragged away by Renzo.
As we pass an open door, I make the mistake of glancing inside, and horror crashes over me. A naked body of a man lies on the concrete floor. He’s been brutally beaten and disemboweled.
Jesus.
I’ve never seen such a level of violence in my life.
The air is knocked from my lungs as I’m reminded who Renzo really is. The past two weeks I’ve forgotten what he’s capable of.
He drags me down the stairs to the lower floor while my mind reels with terror.
I’m pulled into the office, where Renzo addresses the man behind the desk with rage simmering in his tone. “We’re looking for Servando Montes. He’s the leader of The Harvest. Have every available man look for the fucker.”
“Will do, boss,” the man replies, not at all bothered by the blood on Renzo’s hands.
The blood that’s now on my arm.
Oh God.
My stomach churns as I glance down to where he’s holding me.
My breaths become audible, drawing Renzo’s attention to me. When he notices what I’m staring at, I’m pulled out of the office and taken to a restroom. My arm is shoved beneath the tap, and Renzo rinses the blood off my skin.
The moment he lets go of me, I pull my arm away and take a couple of steps backward.
I watch as he washes his hands and how the blood-stained water swirls down the drain.
He just tortured a man. He pulled his freaking insides out with his bare hands.
Jesus, what was I thinking? I’ll never be able to make this man care about me. Someone like him isn’t capable of feeling love.
Renzo dries his hands, and his eyes settle on my face. “Did you enjoy your visit with your father?” he asks.
“W-W-What?” I stutter as I struggle to switch gears from being engulfed in terror to answering such a simple question.
He moves closer to me, and taking hold of my jaw, his eyes sweep over my face. “Another panic attack, topolina?”
I quickly shake my head and suck in a deep breath of air so he’ll see I’m breathing just fine.
“Didn’t you enjoy the visit?” he asks, his eyes sharpening on my face.
“I did,” I whisper. “Thank you.”
He tilts his head. “Then why do you look shit scared right now?”
Seriously?
My eyebrows pinch together, and I pray to all that’s holy I don’t piss him off as I say, “You j-just killed a man w-with your bare h-hands.” I pause, and my tongue darts out to wet my dry lips. “You disemboweled h-him. The blood…t-t-the blood…”
Once again, this man surprises the hell out of me when he suddenly pulls me against his chest. His arms lock around me, and his hand settles against the back of my head.
A tremor wracks through my body from feeling his powerful body against mine.
Maybe he does care? Why else would he try to comfort me?
“He deserved to die,” Renzo whispers, his voice still laced with darkness but also carrying an undertone of sorrow. “He’s the one who killed Giulio.”
I nod quickly to show I’m listening.
“My little brother was my heir. There was no one I loved more than him,” he admits.
Realizing Renzo is actually opening up to me has my lips parting with shock. This is a side of him I haven’t seen before.
Silence falls around us, and I become overly aware of how it feels to be held by this man. Whether he’s holding me to offer some comfort or because he’s playing with my emotions is unclear, though.
Turning my head, I rest my ear against his chest, and my face goes slack when I hear how fast his heart is beating.