Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 74765 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74765 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
But as the room fades again, I realize I have what I wanted. The voices become echoes in the background. I have exactly what I asked for.
I know what Marcus said to my mother that horrified her.
I know that he’s dead by my hand.
There wasn’t anything else. I never planned for anything after this. I can let go. I can leave it. Leave the betrayal. Leave the constant pain of life.
Just go.
But then there’s Scarlett.
25
Scarlett
“Where were you?” Dante asks. “And where’s your piece of shit brother?”
A soldier appears at the door. “Not up here,” he says.
“Find the fucker.”
“What’s going on?” I ask.
He uncocks the gun and shifts his grip to look at it.
I exhale, touch my hand to my pocket, grateful my passport wasn’t under the pillow. I look around to find Cerberus is gone.
“What’s going on?” I ask again, wondering if he can hear the panic in my voice. “Where’s Cristiano?”
He opens the chamber of the pistol and drops the bullets into the palm of his hand, pocketing them and tucking the gun into the back of his jeans before turning back to me. He studies me for a long minute, and it takes all I have to not back away when he closes the space between us.
“Where did you get the gun?”
“Cristiano gave it to me. Give it back.”
He snorts. “Right.” With the flat of his hand against my belly nudges me to the wall. “You’re a liar, Scarlett De La Cruz. Just like the rest of your family.” He stands just inches from me and I stare up into eyes just a few shades darker than Cristiano’s. My heart is racing but I need to keep my face impassive, unreadable.
“I doubt your brother would like to hear how you put your hands on me.”
His expression changes, something sad passing through his eyes before they harden again.
“Cristiano should have killed you on day one.”
“Where is he?” I ask.
The pressure of his hand on my belly intensifies.
“Don’t act innocent. That may have worked on my brother, but it won’t work on me,” he says, his jaw tight. He’s stronger than me. And he wants to hurt me. I see it and I need to be careful with him. He shifts his grip to my arms squeezing hard enough that I know there will be bruises. “Where is your brother, Scarlett?” he spits my name.
“You’re hurting me.”
“Am I?” He spins me around, grips a handful of my hair and tugs it back so tightly I let out a cry. “How’s this then? Better?”
I have one hand locked around his forearm but the way I’m twisted, it’s no use. I can’t budge him.
“I’m your brother’s wife,” I remind him. “Let me go!”
“He did what he had to do for the family. That’s the only reason you’re his wife. Don’t read too much into him fucking you. You’re a piece of ass. That is all you are. All you ever were.” He takes my other arm and twists it behind my back. I don’t think it’ll take much to snap the bone. “Where’s your brother? Where did you two disappear to?”
“You’re going to break my arm.” It hurts so much. “Please.”
“How did you do it?” His voice breaks. “How did he get to him?”
My heart drops to my belly. Who got to him? “Dante.” I turn my head as much as I can. “Please tell me where he is. Where’s Cristiano?”
“I was starting to think I was wrong about you, you know that? I was starting to think maybe you really did care about my brother. That was my bad.”
“I do care.”
He spins me around and slams me so hard against the wall that my vision blurs. I have to grab hold of him to steady myself.
“I should kill you.” He wraps his hand around my throat.
“Where is he?” I ask as he squeezes.
“Fuck my promise. It doesn’t matter anymore anyway. I should kill you here and now.”
“Where is he?” I manage, clawing at his forearm as his grip tightens.
He hauls me up by my throat, forcing me onto my tip toes as he dips his head lower so we’re nose to nose.
“Where is he?” he asks, spitting the words.
My nails dig into his forearm but it’s no use. I can’t get enough air.
“He’s dead, Scarlett. He’s fucking dead.”
26
Scarlett
Dead?
No.
No.
Dante drops me and I hit the floor, my head bouncing off hard stone.
Cristiano is dead?
“Did you find those pieces of shit?” someone asks.
I roll onto my side gasping for breath, the back of my head throbbing.
“Just the girl.”
I struggle to open my eyes and the room spins, the two of them standing over me like giants. Dante and David.
“She’ll have to do.”
I hear Cerberus’s growl, turn my head just enough to see him stalk into the room, teeth bared.
“For fuck’s sake. Get that beast away from me.” It’s David. Cristiano’s uncle.