Total pages in book: 148
Estimated words: 142939 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142939 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
“We might butcher people here, but women aren’t cattle.”
“Your brother married me against my will,” I remind her.
“Did he?” she challenges. “Does he make you do anything against your will? Besides when it comes to safety…” I open my mouth and close it. She’s right. “You’re safe here. Antonio will never make me marry against my will, nor would he ever make any children you two have together.”
“I’m not having kids with him. I’m killing him.” I drop back down in the chair, stretching out my legs. “Not today, obviously. But soon.”
“Right.” Carina giggles. It grows silent for a long moment before she speaks again. “Our father wasn’t always the best when it came to business, but he was good to our mother. He taught us loyalty above all else. The loyalty also extends to your spouse as well.”
“So you’re saying your brother won’t be having a butt load of mistresses?”
“He would never. A man would be very stupid to cheat on his wife and lie next to her each night while he sleeps.”
Now it’s me that laughs.
“True, but who wants a man if the only reason he doesn’t bang another woman is because he’s scared you’re going to murder him in his sleep?”
“Antonio doesn’t fear that you’ll kill him in his sleep. He’ll be loyal because he’s a man of his word but also because of love.” There she goes with that word again. She even does that dreamy sigh to emphasize it.
“This isn’t love.”
“Really? Cause he wouldn’t shut up about you last night when we played chess. Angel this, Angel that.”
“Really?” I peek over at her. She nods her head up and down.
“It’s sweet how openly loving he is with you too. Telling his men not to touch or look at you. Not like some men who pretend you don’t exist.” She spits her gum out angrily all of a sudden.
“Is someone pretending you don’t exist?” I thought maybe I saw her glancing over at Gilly a few times, but I wasn’t sure. Antonio had also mentioned something about him avoiding her as well, but I hadn’t really thought anything about it. Now that I see her reaction, it’s starting to make sense. Oh, this could be interesting.
“No man is allowed to know I exist.” Carina stands from her chair, adjusting her hot pink bikini. She’s petite but still has some curves.
She’d let me borrow one of her bikinis, but it’s snug on me. My breasts are almost spilling out of the thing. I put a robe on to come down to the pool because I’m a bit self-conscious. Especially with the lingering bruise still on my side. I hate that I’m embarrassed about it. My father is the one who should be.
When we came out to the pool, the guards fanned out farther away. They all have their backs to us.
“I think every man will know you exist in that bikini,” I assure her.
“Apparently not.” She adjusts the straps at the top. “Want to get some snacks? I’ll show you the library.”
“There is a library?” I’m up out of the lounge chair and grabbing my robe before she can say anything else. Carina doesn’t bother to cover up. She practically skips across the patio and into the house. I have a feeling if I did that I’d be in a world of trouble.
I’m just not sure if that’s a good thing when it comes to my new husband or a bad thing.
13
ANTONIO
My meetings are finished, finally, and I’m about to leave my office when I get a message from Butcher.
I snap up my phone and call him. “Anything?” I ask.
“The last two guys said Constantine set it up weeks ago. Maybe when he got a better look at your balance sheet.” Butcher’s voice is low, rusty, like always. Someone groans weakly in the background.
“You kept one alive?” I ask.
“For now. He’s the last general I have under my knife. Once I get done with him, I’ll burn him with the rest.”
“Good. Anyone who had any part in this–who fucking dared come after my bride–I want you to send their heads back to their master.”
“Already working on my collection.” Butcher snorts a laugh.
“Come up to the house when you’re done. Or maybe tomorrow. I want you to meet my wife.”
“Gilly said you swooned for her the second you saw her.” I can feel him grinning.
“‘Swooned’?” I roll my eyes. “Gilly is so full of shit.”
“So you aren’t in love, then?” he teases.
“I didn’t say that.” I smile, just thinking of my darling Angelica. “Finish up,” I snap before Butcher thinks of any more wise-ass comebacks. “See you tomorrow.”
I pocket my phone and stride to the back of the house, but when I get there, Angelica isn’t at the pool where I’d last seen her. She was smart to cover up in a robe. She may have saved the lives of some of my soldiers, because if I’d even thought one of them was looking at her bare skin … I crack my neck and stalk back down the hall.