Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 53428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Goddamn it.
Santino began to prowl forward.
I placed my hand on his arm. “Not right now, Santino.”
He pursed his lips and turned to me. “What do you mean not right now?”
“Killing him won’t solve the problem. It will just be hundreds more Coffin Cheaters at our door an hour later.”
“And I have a hundred more bullets.”
“The Coffin Cheaters may not seem like much, but they are thousands and thousands—”
“Same as the DeLuca Family.”
“Yes, but the Coffin Cheaters have battled us before and they are tough to kill.” I formed a circle with one hand. “They live in this sort of valley surrounded by mountains. We have no idea how to even get in to get them, but they can always seem to get us.”
Santino crossed his arms. “We can swarm in with helicopters—”
“We tried that, and they shot them down.”
“None of that scares me.”
“Santino, I am not entering another war when Killer Crows are currently divided and my relationship with the Syndicate is. . .shaky. I need time to get all of this together.”
“Time?” Santino leaned his head to the side.
“I have to meet with the Syndicate and. . .”
Santino quirked his brows. “And?”
“And we should delay the wedding until—”
“We are not delaying our wedding.”
“Just until I strengthen the Killer Crows and—”
“There will not be any delay.”
More Killers Crows gathered around us, being nosy as fuck.
The roar of motorcycles filled the air as the Coffin Cheaters sped away.
Santino scowled at me.
I lowered my voice. “I just need some extra days to—”
“No.”
I wanted to punch him in his face. Instead, I gripped the folder. “This conversation is over.”
And then, I turned around and head back to my mansion.
Chapter 2
Play the Piano
Santino
Delay the wedding? Has she lost all sanity? Does she not truly know who I am?
I watched Kashmere walk off. Her hair flowed behind her. Those hips swayed in a mesmerizing rhythm.
And then you leave, saying the conversation is over?
She continued forward.
The crowd of my men split apart, creating a path for her to the mansion.
Oh, no. I must make things clear.
Leonardo stepped to my right. “What do you want me to do, boss?”
I looked at him. “Did she really say the word delay?”
Worry filled his eyes. “Yes, sir.”
Tomasso came to my left. “It is possible to delay the wedding for a few days. It would give us more time to—”
“There will not be a delay.” I glared at him. “In fact, we can move it up.”
Tomasso frowned. “Santino, you cannot order the bride around as you would order your men.”
Ignoring him, I turned back to Leonardo. “Get some people on The Coffin Cheaters. I want to know everything about them.”
Leonardo nodded.
Fury coursed through my veins. “And add people to each territory leader in the Diamond Syndicate—Dima, Lei, and Marcelo. I want them monitored. Find out their strengths and weakness. I’m going to destroy them.”
Tomasso shrieked.
“No problem.” Leonardo raised his eyebrows. “Anything else? You want anybody killed right now?”
“Not yet.” I stormed off, keeping my gaze on Kashmere the whole time.
Several feet up, Kashmere’s people kept her pace. I could tell Rue and Dane were desperately trying to give her proper advice and guide her towards sensible solutions.
They better be telling her not to delay this wedding or I will get rid of them too.
Surely, the Coffin Cheaters and this damned proposed peace treaty was a new problem in this chaotic situation—a storm hovering over an already tumultuous environment. However, I would not let Gypsy or anyone else determine when I would finally put my mother’s wedding ring on my bride’s finger.
I would kill him and that whole biker crew first.
Kashmere and her squad entered the mansion.
I increased my pace. Several of my guards surrounded me.
“Santino.” Tomasso hurried to me, panting and out of breath.
I entered the mansion. “What?”
“You cannot bully her.”
“I don’t plan on it. Enough have bullied her in the past.” I headed up the stairs, focused on each step, and gripped the sparkling gold railing to steady my balance.
Yesterday, Kashmere had told me about how her great grandfather crafted this clockwise staircase to not only be a stylish focus in the mansion, but it held a malicious purpose. he had designed certain steps to deliberately off-kilter and cause unsuspecting enemies to stumble and fall. The sheer wickedness of his plan impressed me. I found the man to be a genius.
My admiration for Kashmere and even the Killer Crows was unrivaled. When we united, I envisioned a force to be reckoned with—unstoppable and unconquerable in every way.
Plus, my newly rising love for her and the idea of becoming one intensified with each passing moment, until it was undeniable in my mind that we were meant to be together.
But did she feel the same way?
Delay?
I gritted my teeth.
Is it cold feet? Or are you truly worried about these dingy Coffin Cheaters?
“Santino.” Tomasso struggled to keep up with me and almost tripped on one step. “What are your plans when talking to her?”