Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 103852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 519(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 519(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
“Someone grabbed me and I squealed, but Mom wrapped a hand around my mouth and shook her head to quiet me. We ran outside toward a separate cottage, and she ushered me into a small box and put her finger to her mouth. She had tears in her eyes when she kissed me. She said she was sorry that Dad wasn’t my real father and that she wished she could change it. Then she told me not to get out under any circumstances until someone called me by her maiden name, Gueller.”
Lia’s hands shake, her delicate throat working with a swallow. “I spent a long time in that box, sweaty and scared. That box was so dark and tight, but I didn’t dare leave it. I could hear loud bangs from the house before it was silent. I don’t know how long I remained in the box until someone came to fetch me by calling me Little Gueller. I was starved and cold and I wet myself, but all I wanted was Mom and Dad. The man who took me to the airport told me they had died from gas asphyxiation and that I’d be living with my grandmother. He didn’t even let me see them one last time. Back then, I believed they died because of gas, it made me feel more at ease. But the older I grew, the surer I was that there was something else. Otherwise, why would Mom have hidden me?
“I asked Grandma about it and she refused to tell me anything until she was on her deathbed. She said that my mom got involved with the wrong man, a mobster, and became pregnant with me. She was forced to marry my dad so that my illegitimate existence wouldn’t reflect badly on my biological father. Grandma never told me who that was and I never wanted to get involved with him.” She meets my gaze. “But you know all of this, don’t you? You’re well aware of my whole background. That’s why you never asked.”
I tap my finger against my thigh but say nothing, waiting for her to give me what I need.
“Is it true, Adrian?”
“Is what true?”
Her chin trembles and her eyes fill with unshed tears. “Have you been keeping me all this time to get close to my father?”
“Maybe.”
Her expression falters, hurt and something else filtering in.
I need those strong emotions. Let them all out, Lia.
“But why? Why would you go to all this trouble to use me against Lazlo Luciano? He doesn’t even know I exist!”
There.
My muscles stiffen as she offers me what I’ve been waiting for. “I thought you didn’t know who your real father is.”
She swallows, realizing her mistake. “Grandma told me.”
“You just said she didn’t give you a name.”
“She…did.”
I’m in front of her in a second, holding her chin up with my fingers. “I torture grown men for answers, and I know exactly when humans lie. So why don’t you tell me who the fuck really told you your father’s name?”
Her lips tremble, cementing the fact that she does indeed have outside help. Fuck. How could I not have seen it before?
Her sparkling eyes flood with fear as she shudders. “No…one.”
“Lie.”
“I heard you,” she blurts.
“You heard me,” I repeat slowly with clear menace.
“You were talking with Kolya, and he told you to use Luciano’s offspring against him and you said you’d think about it. I also thought back on when you used to ask me about my Italian origins and connected the dots.”
“You’re good, Lia. You’ve become so good at spewing lies that you can make up an entire story out of scraps, but you’re not good enough to fool me.” I tighten my hold on her jaw. “You have one more try.”
“That was really it.”
“Wrong answer.” I release her with a shove and retrieve my phone. “We’ll start with Yan. After I torture him, I’ll know if it’s him. He might lose his dominant hand or maybe his neck, you never know. If it’s not him, we’ll move on to Boris, then to everyone else who’s been near you in the past few years.”
“No!” She lunges forward, holding onto my hand that’s grabbing the phone. “How could you hurt your own guards?”
“They told you or they let you meet with an outsider. Either way, they weren’t doing their tasks and deserve everything that befalls them. You’ll watch every second of it, so when I tell you to talk, you’ll fucking talk.”
A sob tears from her throat. “It’s someone else. Please don’t hurt them.”
Someone else? Someone fucking else? I don’t know why I hoped it was Yan or Boris. If they’d betrayed me, I could’ve dealt with it. It would’ve been even better if she’d overheard them and I could chalk all this up to something trivial.
But someone else is involved? My mind speeds up in a different direction as the worst comes to mind.