Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 54092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
"Grazie," I mutter, draining my brandy.
"What do you think?" Mattia asks once we're safely inside the Bentayga, headed toward the house.
"I don't know," I murmur, staring blankly out the window. "He told me for a reason."
"You didn't give him much."
I grunt. We both know I gave him more than enough to confirm she's important to me. Tommaso has been playing this game longer than anyone else. I gave him everything he needed. But will he use it? That's the real question.
He meant what he said about his wife, but I can't count on his gratitude staying his hand. Not with Diego out there dropping bodies all over his territory and leaving a trail that leads right to my fucking door.
I clench my hands, breathing deeply to keep my temper in check. The urge to tear Diego apart rises fast and hot. He's causing me far too many fucking problems. Right now, he's not even my biggest concern. Hell, he doesn't even rate. But he's the enemy I know. He's the one with a face. Whoever is after Amalia is an unknown, a shadow in the dark.
I want to find him and kill him slowly. If it's Genovese, he's a fucking idiot. He signed his own death warrant back there. Does he know it? Was that his plan? To get me to make the first move? If so, it might just work. No one will threaten Amalia. No one.
"I need you to chase down this fucking rumor," I tell Mattia through gritted teeth. "Find out if there's any validity to it or if he's just trying to get me to make the first move. Bring me whoever is responsible." I meet his gaze. "I want him alive, Mattia." Whether it's Genovese or someone else, they'll die by my hand.
"I'll need Coda."
"Fine. I'll put Vito on Amalia."
Mattia snorts. "She's still pissed at him for looking at her underwear. Besides, he gets distracted. She'll slip past him and be halfway up the back wall before he notices she's missing."
"She climbed the wall?"
"Nah, she hasn't gotten that far. She doesn't run very fast." He grimaces. "Full disclosure. Coda and Domani lost track of her for about fifteen minutes yesterday. Carmine found her soaking her ankle in the hot tub."
I pinch the bridge of my nose, my blood pressure rising all over again. "Why was she soaking her ankle?"
"She twisted it trying to escape."
"Why the fuck am I just hearing about this?" I growl, dropping my hand to glare at my oldest friend. "You couldn't keep her in one piece for three days?"
"I believe the issue was that you were gone," he mutters, rubbing a hand down his face to hide a smile. "Next time you decide to punish yourself by banishing yourself from her presence, you might think about cluing her in first. I believe you hurt her feelings."
"Fuck." I didn't banish myself from her presence. Not exactly. I spent every fucking night sitting outside the house, watching over her, making sure she was safe. And every damn day talking to a shrink of sorts, trying to work my shit out.
I can't hurt her. I won't. If I have to talk through that day with every shrink in this city to exorcise it from my mind, that's what I'll do. Whatever it takes to ensure I'm not a danger to her in our bed.
"She missed you," he says. "And that pissed her off." He laughs quietly. "Judging from the scene I walked in on today, I guess she forgave you."
"We're working on it." A smile tugs at my lips at the memory, soothing the worst of my temper. God, she's incredible. I can't wait until I'm inside her, buried so deep she feels me everywhere. I already know she's going to blow my mind. She blew it today.
What would the people of this city say if they knew how easily I fell at her feet? This is my kingdom, and yet I'd hand it to her without a fucking word if she asked it of me. I'm not just in love with her, I'm obsessed with her. Completely. Irrevocably. I'm not going to make her my queen. I'm going to make her my fucking world.
"It's been a long time since I saw that." Mattia nods at me, indicating the smile. "It looks good on you."
"Been a long time since I had a reason to smile."
"She's good for you."
"Can I be good for her?" I ask quietly, the same question I've been wrestling with for the last three days. I'm not. There's no denying that. I'm probably the worst thing for her. But she makes me want to be someone worthy of her. For the first time in a long time, I want more than this.
I've spent two decades meticulously defending and building my father's empire. I've kept my word and then some. I've kept my brothers safe, even though it cost me my twin. Nico lives in the same city yet hasn't spoken a word to me in years. He doesn't speak to Gabe and Luca either, not if he can help it. I've amassed a fortune and then some.