Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 89032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
“I can be whatever she needs.”
His lips tug into a frown. “Why do you care so much?”
“I’d do anything for my family.” And anything for her.
“And why didn’t you consult me before all this?”
“It was a last-minute decision. We should have spoken with you first, but I made the call without consulting my parents.”
He shakes his head slowly. It’s clear he still doesn’t like the situation, but he’s softening. “I understand the logic in what you did. And if your father had brought this to me weeks ago, I might’ve agreed. Marrying Bianca to you would go a long way toward making sure nobody would dare try to touch her. But this was so poorly done. It’s an embarrassment.”
I grind my jaw. My heart rate speeds up. I’m tempted to wrap my hands around Adriano’s throat. I could squeeze, smash his head into the wall, knee him in the guts, make him suffer and scream until he gives me what I want—
But death doesn’t solve all my problems.
My fingers curl into fists.
“I’ll take the blame. Spin it however you want. But I’m the best husband for Bianca.”
Adriano runs a hand through his hair. He rubs his face before storming over to the drinks. Like a good mafia bastard, he pours himself a stiff whiskey and tosses it back with a grunt. Alcohol fixes everything.
“She has to agree,” he warns. “If she refuses, it’s done. And frankly, good fucking luck. She’s livid right now.”
“I’ll speak with her.”
“You probably shouldn’t.” He laughs, shaking his head, and fills up another. “But fuck it. Go ahead. See how that goes.”
I stride to the door. My hands are sweaty and shaking. I can’t remember the last time I felt like this. Not even during a difficult kill. Not since I was a child.
I’m fucking nervous.
Because my whole life hinges on the next few minutes.
“Just a warning,” Adriano calls before I leave. “Threatening her won’t work. Hurting her will only doom your entire fucking family. It’s her choice.”
“I would never hurt your sister,” I say softly, and by all that’s holy and all that’s broken and wrecked inside me, I absolutely mean it.
Chapter 12
Bianca
Ipace across the bridal suite with a big glass of champagne in my hand. “How did this happen?” I ask and take a long drink. “What the hell is even going on?”
“I don’t know,” Lucy says nervously. “Honestly, Bianca, this is crazy. When I saw him standing up there—” She shivers, shaking her head. “The Whelans’ Ghostman. Why would anyone want him to marry you?”
I stare at her and have to swallow the urge to defend Cormac. Because she’s right. He’s a vicious killer with a bleak and terrifying reputation. Marrying him is like wrapping myself in raw steak and diving straight into a pit of hungry wolves.
Except no part of me thinks Cormac is actually dangerous. At least, not to me. There have been countless opportunities to hurt me over the last seven years, but he never has. Sure, he breaks into my personal space and steals things, and that’s pretty violating, but there has always been a line. Like an unspoken agreement. Never in my bedroom. Never something important. He followed the rules, and after a while, I started to associate the smell of my ghost with good things.
Strange how fucked up that is.
Now I don’t know what to do. I said the words. I kissed him. We did it in front of a few hundred powerful and important people. If we backtrack, it’ll be a freaking nightmare. I don’t know how the Marino Famiglia’s reputation could possibly survive, much less the Whelans. They’ll be called liars and cheats, and nobody will want to do business with them.
We’ll be a laughingstock.
“What if I stayed?” I ask very quietly. I stare straight ahead, not looking at Lucy. I can’t bear to see her expression right now.
But even though she wasn’t born to a mafia, she knows how important a family name can be.
“That’s assuming Adriano would let you,” she points out. “Based on how mad he is, I’m not sure he will.”
“But what if I did? Would that be insane? Would it be really fucking stupid?” I look at her, desperation seeding in my belly. I’m mad and mortified, but I also keep thinking about that kiss.
How it broke me in ways I’ve never been shattered before.
“It wouldn’t be stupid,” she says, sounding like she’s carefully choosing her words. “But it might be… ill-advised.”
“Why? Because he’s dangerous?”
“Damn right.” She gets to her feet. “You don’t know him—”
“I didn’t know Finn.”
“At least Finn doesn’t like strangling people to death.”
I grimace. She’s got a point. “What am I supposed to do?”
Lucy looks as helpless as I feel. A crushing desperation washes over me and I have to sit down. Sobs threaten to break from my chest. This is such a damn nightmare, and all I want to do is scream.