Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 73655 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73655 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
But after I took her purity like a savage, I couldn't bring myself to walk out. As much as I needed space to think, I held her, wrapping her in my arms, and for the first time since we met, she didn't fight me.
Toying with her last night, tasting her blood was exhilarating. She wasn't afraid of me, but rather edged me on, urging me to show her my demons. There are so many things I'd like to do with her, which I haven't done with anyone before. Not because I couldn't, but because I didn't trust myself with anyone else.
With her, I feel more at ease than I imagined. Even though she's so much younger, she challenges me like no woman can or has done. I can tell she enjoys the rough handling I love to dole out, and I have a plan to make sure we both bask in the darkness.
My office door opens, Mario and Thiago step inside, and I realize I need to focus on work rather than my pretty little dancer. My men settle in the seats, their stoic expressions are clear giveaways that they've found evidence we wanted against Valentino.
"I didn't want this to be the answer," Mario tells me as he sets a stack of photographs, along with documents on my desk. My stomach twists with anxiety when I pick up the first few photos. Someone has been following me, and watching Luna. The pictures of her are from before she came into my care, but there is no mistaking, whoever it is has gotten close to her.
Too close for fucking comfort.
The rest of the images are of myself with Mario, with a few of the other men in our family. They know our haunts. Of course, Valentino would've known all of this before, but it's what's in the documents that follow which is cause for concern.
Emails back and forth between him and Tommaso dated only days ago. A clear indication that he didn't in fact kill Luna's uncle, instead, he was working with him to bring down the De Rossi family.
"Who was there after we left?" I ask, poring over the emails, scanning them for names, for information I can use to eradicate the moles and snakes from my family.
"There were a couple of the soldiers, but nobody else was witness to what went down," Mario tells me, his voice is filled with the same violent rage that I currently have coursing through my veins.
"I want them all in here," I tell him. "Bring each and every man to my office because I want to know what they saw. I don't care if they were outside at the time." My order is clear. The rat has been found, but I have a feeling that someone else was helping Valentino. "And while you're at it, I want each of the capos brought in. One by one."
Mario nods. Thiago looks at me, wariness on his features. "I have connections with a few of the FBI who have been sniffing around," he tells me. "I can see if they know anything about the Cavallone family."
"That's a good idea. If you can reach out to them, and with me questioning my men, we can get to the bottom of this. I don't want gossip to be spread, so let's keep this under wraps until I've figured out the next step."
"I'm sure once you start questioning the men, they'll get talking." Mario's right. I can't risk having them whispering about what we're doing.
"A party," I say suddenly when it comes to me.
Mario's brows furrow in confusion at my detour. "What?"
"I'll have a party at the house before we go to the harbor," I announce. It's been three years since I walked into that building. More so because I found my parents slain in my father's office. But also, because there are ghosts that have lingered from before I was born.
"You mean the De Rossi mansion?" Mario's question is filled with shock. I nod. "Well, that is certainly a different path."
"I need to go there at some point. I guess I can't hide from my past forever." I'm not sure why I'm ready to go there now, but having a party, while bringing each man into my father's office, where he was murdered would break them. They've been loyal to the De Rossi family for years, and to stand in the room where their Boss was murdered, may shake them up.
"Does this have anything to do with your new wife?" Thiago asks, a smirk sliding over his face as he regards me. We all grew up together. I've known him since I was a teen, and even though I was closer to Mario, I know I can trust Thiago.
"Perhaps," I admit. "I think she needs to see the place where I lost my parents, just for her to understand how difficult it's been. Her father wasn't killed in her childhood home, so it's slightly different."