Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 91243 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91243 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
“Yes, Don Cardone. I’m very lucky.”
I leave him in the conference room. Someone will come around to drag away the body soon enough. They’ll get Russo on his feet and show him back to the private plane he took here.
Lucy walks alongside me. “You realize you started a war.”
“The war was already running. I only changed the game.”
She looks thoughtful. “How deep do you think they’re in with him?”
“Medved owns Licciardi and Trentino. Zaza and Catania are still mine. With Pasutto gone, New York’s up for grabs.”
“Why not kill the other two?”
“If I do that, none of the other smaller families will fall into line behind me. I want them to tear each other apart from the inside.”
“I suppose we’d better get to work.”
ALLIE
The nursery is stunning. Someone painted a beautiful jungle theme on the walls. Cartoonish lions and panthers stare out from shockingly realistic trees. The furniture is all high-end and brand new. Dozens of stuffies are scattered all over, and there’s a massive, gorgeous dollhouse in the corner.
Rosie loses her mind the second she sees it. I try to keep her away, but it’s a losing battle. Eventually, I let her play in there, and when she gets tired, I reluctantly place her down into the crib. I keep telling myself that if she doesn’t like it, I’ll bring her back out.
But she seems content to watch the slowly turning mobile hanging above her pillow until her eyes grow heavy and she drifts off to the sound of the noise machine playing chirping birds and whirring insects.
I feel wrong leaving her in there, but at least there’s a monitor. The camera shows every inch of her room. I keep it close as I sit back out in the living room, drinking good wine and looking out at the moon hanging over the ocean.
This isn’t what I had expected.
Coming here still covered in blood right after my wedding, I assumed this would be like getting thrown into a dungeon. I had one night two years ago with Mass. That told me basically nothing about the guy.
When I saw what he’s capable of, I figured I was finished.
But this is more domestic. It feels almost normal. Which is dangerous, because it’s definitely not.
I’m just not the prisoner I expected.
Although I’m still very much trapped here.
The elevator doors ring and slide open. Nobody ever comes up without permission, and I know it’ll be him the second it makes that noise. Mass strides into his apartment and glances at me, his body tense and radiating a masculine energy. He’s intense and big, beautiful and terrifying. I sit up whenever he’s around.
He pours himself a drink and studies me for a moment. “Have you eaten yet?”
I take a second to understand what he’s saying. “I’m fine.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“I ordered down to the kitchen a little while ago.”
He nods like that’s good. “You need to make sure you’re eating. Satya said she was worried.”
“Like I said, I’m fine.”
“Have something now.” He walks to the cabinets. “Did Rosie eat? What is her diet like?”
“Please, stop it. My daughter’s food isn’t your concern.”
“Our daughter.” He brings down a box of crackers. “Have some of these.”
“Quit trying to feed me. I’m fine, honestly.” I can tell he doesn’t like my answer. He takes a moment to glare at me before putting the crackers back. “What am I supposed to do around here all day while you’re out working?”
“Anything you like.”
“Back home, I had family and friends. I could go visit people. I had a phone. I had the internet.”
“You’ll adjust.”
“I’m afraid that’s not true.” I feel like I’m walking a fine line. It’s one thing to complain, but another to become annoying and whiny. I don’t know how he’ll react if I can’t keep myself under control.
Mass gives me a hard look before drifting into the living room. He looks out at the ocean, drink in one hand. “What do you know about the Dragons?”
I take a second to process this abrupt change in conversation. “Only what my father told me, but that’s not much.” Mass continues to stare ahead without speaking, so I keep going. “He said you’re like crime lords, only bigger. He said there are rules most families follow to keep everyone in line. Otherwise, law enforcement would be all over us, and nobody could get any work done. He said you’re powerful.”
He nods as if that’s good enough. “All of that is mostly true. But it misses the central reason the Dragons exist. For a very long time, crime families have existed in loose affiliations with each other. Daughters of one Don marry sons of another. Bloodlines mingle. Clans grow, shrink, and grow again. All this intermingling got complicated over the years, and eventually, it became worthwhile to create five judges who could rule over any disputes. Those judges gained vast amounts of power, and eventually, the Dragons were born.” He finishes his wine and cradles the empty glass. “That was two hundred years ago. I am the twenty-sixth man to hold my position. The transfer of power has never been clean. There’s always a vast amount of blood and treasure involved.”