Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 144979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 483(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 483(@300wpm)
Angelo makes eye contact with one of his brothers across the room, who is giving him a subtle nod.
“Why don’t you and Gabi get a drink,” he whispers in my ear. “I’ll join you in a few minutes.”
“Okay.”
I don’t ask him what he’s getting up to. I learned a long time ago not to poke my nose into Mafia business.
Angelo’s thumb brushes across my knuckles, and he gives my hand one last squeeze before he leaves to join his brother. Gabi and I head to the bar, and she orders us two Shirley Temples.
“You want to inadvertently wander into the whisper gallery?” she asks once we have our drinks.
“Sure.” I shrug.
It wouldn’t be a ball without a little gossip. We weave our way through the crowd, where a large group of women has gathered. Slowing our steps, we catch fragments of the chatter around us. It seems tonight has already been eventful, with an argument between several men on the terrace and a kerfuffle in the gambling den.
We find an empty table and lurk there for a few moments before I recognize one of the voices at the table beside us. A quick glance confirms the blonde must be Genevieve, and she’s surrounded by a small group of women hanging on her every word.
“Angelo has a list of suitable replacements in his filing cabinet,” Genevieve tells them. “If she doesn’t conceive within the first six months, he’ll move on to the next one.”
“How long have they been married now?”
“Four months,” Genevieve answers smugly. “Mark my words, she’ll be gone in no time.”
“I can’t believe he even took her back,” one of the other women replies. “What a disgrace.”
“Abella,” Gabi whispers, tugging on my arm. “Let’s go.”
I let her drag me away as a fog of numbness settles over me. Gabi leads me across the ballroom and through the stairwell door before she pauses to make sure we’re alone.
“Do you think it’s true?” Her voice cracks.
Gabi is soft-hearted, but she’s not immune to the realities of our world. The fact that she’s asking me means she isn’t sure either. I don’t want to believe Angelo would do that, but realistically, it’s a consideration I have to take into account. This marriage was never about love. Angelo may have wanted me, but it doesn’t change what’s required of him.
“I don’t know,” I confess, my voice raw with pain.
Gabi blinks back tears as she searches my gaze. “What can I do to help? You want me to break into his office? Because I will.”
I wipe the moisture from the edges of my eyes and shake my head. The truth is, it doesn’t matter if there’s a list, and if there is, I don’t want to know. This marriage was doomed from the beginning, and I’ve known for a while now that our time together was coming to an end. This is the reminder that I have to let him go. Not just for him, but for me. If I stay, it will destroy us both.
“Abella?”
Gabi’s anguish draws my attention back to her, and when I look at her face, I don’t have to say anything. She knows what I’m going to do.
“There’s a lot you haven’t told me,” she says softly. “Isn’t there?”
I nod, and we both fall quiet as we come to terms with my decision. The founding members of Aegis live by a code, too. And within that code, we have a failsafe that grants us power and strength in numbers. None of us have ever invoked it before, but I know when I do, they’ll show up—no questions asked.
“When?” Gabi asks, trying her best to hide her heartbreak.
“Tonight.”
It has to be tonight. Before I lose my courage.
She gives me a resigned nod, and we gather ourselves, returning to the ball as if nothing has changed.
Angelo finds us a few minutes later, his gaze lingering on me as he picks up the subtle shift in energy. I go through the motions, wearing a mask of normalcy as his associates come to exchange pleasantries with us.
After another hour passes, Angelo leans in to whisper in my ear.
“Are you feeling okay?”
“Yes.” I smile. “Just a little tired. Can we go?”
His lips brush my cheek as he nods. “I thought you’d never ask.”
47
ANGELO
There’s a palpable silence in the car as Nicky drives us back to the penthouse. Something feels off with Abella, and I don’t like it.
When we arrive, I guide her to the primary suite with the intention of getting to the bottom of it. But the moment the door closes behind us, she mauls me.
She grabs me by the lapels of my suit jacket and starts stripping me down. After she’s made her way through the first layer, she dispenses with my shirt too.
“Don’t get me wrong,” I muse. “I’m thoroughly enjoying it, but what prompted this urgent need?”