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)
Nicky kneels beside him and wrenches his head back, pressing the barrel of his gun beneath my father’s chin.
“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t splatter your brains all over this room right now.”
“I’ll have you killed for this!” my father snarls. “You traitorous fucking—”
Nicky pistol-whips him, sending blood and fragments of teeth spraying across the floor.
The sight of it makes me nauseous, but I can’t muster up an ounce of sympathy as Nicky smashes the butt of his gun into my father’s face and breaks his nose.
A moment later, he reaches for his radio, all business as he calls for another guard. The man enters the room and grabs my father by the collar of his suit, dragging him through the service door with a trail of blood in their wake.
“Abella!” My sister pounds on the main entry door. “What’s going on in there?”
I glance at Nicky and shake my head, a silent plea not to let them in. He nods and walks to the door, opening it a crack to tell them everything is okay and the wedding will start a few minutes late. He repeats the same thing on the radio to someone else before he comes back and hoists me off the floor, propping me up on the vanity chair.
I stare at my reflection, completely numb as Nicky moves around the beverage cart, filling a bag of ice and getting a cloth to clean the blood off my lip. I look a mess, but I can’t be bothered to care right now.
“He’ll have you killed, you know,” I tell Nicky as he hands me the ice, and I press it to my cheek.
“He can certainly try.” The ghost of a smile curves his face.
His body language suggests he’s not the slightest bit worried, and it takes me a moment to register that’s because he works for Angelo—the new Don. That means, Nicky, by default, has power too.
“Any chance you’ve changed your mind about helping me escape?” I ask wryly.
“Everything’ll be okay. You’ll see.”
“Men like to tell me that.” I turn toward the mirror and dab at the blood around my lip.
“Well, I believe everything happens for a reason. Besides, you’re strong. You’ve already made it through the worst of it.”
“You don’t know that.” My voice hitches. “Nobody knows what the future holds.”
“Maybe not,” he says. “But I know it sure as hell won’t be anything like the way you’ve been living.”
I set the ice aside and apply more makeup to mask some of the redness on my cheek.
“I don’t suppose there’s any way you’ll keep this between us, is there?”
“No can do,” he says, softening his tone. “Why would you want to protect that piece of shit anyway?”
“It’s not about protecting him,” I counter. “I just don’t want Angelo to know.”
Nicky considers that for a moment, then asks, “Why do you care what he thinks?”
I finish retouching my makeup, unwilling to verbalize the answer to that.
I shouldn’t.
Nicky escorts me to the assembly area for the wedding party. It’s a private garden, out of view from the guests. The groomsmen and bridesmaids are all mingling amongst each other, along with two of the Vitale cousins, one of whom is Alessio, and Nino, the ring bearer.
From here, the procession will pass through the gate to the central walkway and then down the aisle to the wedding pavilion. Set against the dramatic backdrop of rolling green hills, rows of cypress trees, and Tuscany at golden hour, it will be as picturesque as it gets. Everything about this place is beautiful, and if it weren’t for the fact that I didn’t choose the groom, this is exactly what I would have wanted.
A heavy silence falls over the wedding party when they notice my presence, and one by one, they all turn to face me. Tension ripples through the group as they steal glances at the marks on my face, most of my bridesmaids barely holding back their tears. The exception is Mariella, who appears to be plotting my father’s murder. If there weren’t so many witnesses around, I don’t doubt she’d go for it. The Vitale blood runs hot in her.
Likewise, there’s a noticeable charge in the air as all four of her brothers sharpen their gazes, shifting from casual to terrifying in the blink of an eye.
They’re a wall of black suits—strapping, formidable, sharp jaws, and dark hair. There’s no question that the men are from the same bloodline. Throughout the years, Michele, Rafe, Cristian, and Romeo have been a steady presence in my life—the protectors of the island and the older brothers I never had. Right now, they’re the thing of nightmares, and I can’t help but shiver as the question cracks through the air cold, flat, and deadly.
“Who?”
Everyone’s attention turns to Romeo, and one of the bridesmaids inhales sharply behind me. Out of all the Vitale brothers, he’s the most reserved and also the deadliest. Tall, scarred, heavily tattooed, and emotionally volatile—he’s known as the unpredictable one in the family. He spent years in and out of institutions after a lightning strike stopped his heart, leaving him with long-lasting neurological, psychological, and physical damage.