Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
She had to be protected at all costs, even if he didn’t agree that she was part of their world. She was his wife.
“The Smirnov mark,” Liam said.
This made Roman step forward and lift the man’s head. Sure enough, at the base of his neck was the mark. It was a coiled snake, the fangs dripping blood.
Roman hadn’t seen that in many years. “Why are they after Alex?” Roman asked.
“Let’s find out.” Liam lifted the bucket of water, which was also mingled with piss. He had found another of Liam’s men pissing in the bucket and said the boss liked it.
Roman didn’t bother asking questions. This is one of the many reasons why he preferred to work alone or with his own men.
Antonio, Marlo, and Cash all knew the score. They knew how he worked. They were his best friends, and the only men he trusted, other than his father.
He certainly didn’t trust Liam, his father-in-law. Just thinking of him like that was enough to wrinkle his nose.
The piss and water were used on the men, and they woke up with a gasp.
Now, Liam’s method of torture was legendary, or at least the rumors surrounding him were. Men would rather kill themselves than face Liam’s wrath.
Roman watched as Liam pulled out a knife from his jacket pocket. He unsheathed the blade. It was small.
“Why were you following my daughter?” Liam asked. He stood with his legs wide, almost straddling the man on the left. Roman watched as he suddenly jabbed the man in the chest.
A gasp, and Liam repeated the question. The man on the right just watched. With each question and jab, the man looked even more terrified.
Roman saw Liam work, and when he wasn’t stabbing the man’s chest, he hit his stomach, and then his thighs.
How the man was still breathing, Roman didn’t know, but his skill was … sharp, it was perfectly aimed. The man was still alive, even as Liam stepped away, and Roman saw all the blood covering the man’s body. He was going to die slowly and painfully. The blood was already soaking the floor.
“Why were you following my daughter?” Liam held the knife, about to jab the man’s chest, but he screamed. “Our orders were to take her!”
Liam held himself tight, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. “To take her?”
“Yes, Alex Smith is an important pawn in this game. They wanted us to take her.”
“Who is they?” Roman asked, stepping forward.
The man looked from Liam to him, then back again. “I don’t know. I just know that once you get this mark, you have to do as they tell you. Our orders were to watch her, and when the opportunity presented, we were to take her.”
“You work for the Smirnov?” Liam asked.
The man’s lip wobbled. Liam thrust the knife into the man’s neck and twisted.
“We haven’t got all of our information yet,” he said, angry that Liam would fucking strike now.
Liam stepped back.
The other man was dying slowly.
“I know what we’re up against, and it’s not pretty. I dealt with the Smirnov over twenty years ago, Roman. This is … I need to speak with your father, and I think it will be best if Alex comes back home.”
“What the fuck?” Roman asked.
“It’s not like you respect my daughter,” Liam said. “For all I know, you could be working with them to hurt my little girl.”
“You insult me. I would never work with anyone but Greco.” He slapped a hand on his chest. “Alex is not in danger from me, and she is my wife.”
Liam stepped close to her. “Prove it. Do you think I’m a fool, Roman?”
He glared at Liam but remained silent. This was a trap, and he refused to fall into it.
“Do you think I don’t know that my daughter is still a virgin?” Liam asked. “That you have not conducted your part of the agreement? I know for a fact that I can call for it to be annulled.”
Roman chuckled. “Alex would have to conduct the virginity test. I would demand it.”
“To get away from you, Roman, my daughter would do it.”
He didn’t like this, and this time, Liam smiled. “Do you really think Alex wanted to be married to you?” Liam slapped him on the shoulder.
“Sir, Lucas Greco has arrived,” Bill said.
“Good. Clean up the mess for me, Bill.”
“I am so sorry, sir.”
“Please, do not worry about it. We will talk later,” Liam said.
Roman saw the fear in Bill’s gaze, and he wasn’t quite sure why, but he also didn’t ask.
They walked out of the basement, and sure enough, his father was there, along with his friend Antonio and several of his guards and men. Liam shook hands with Lucas, and then they made their way upstairs, toward the bedroom where he’d put Alex.
Roman didn’t want to look at his wife at that moment. He had assumed that Alex loved the idea of being married to him, of wanting to be connected in any way possible to the Greco line.