Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 56680 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56680 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
“Oh, that’s a feature?” I laugh. “I just thought the crappy phone was broken.”
He smirks, and I make a face at him, so he makes one right back, leaning down and scrunching up his forehead. It’s so intimate and couple-like somehow. It makes me feel closer to him. Maybe that’s just me being dumb and OTT.
“Are you going to miss this place?” he says.
I reach up and touch his face. “It’s been a crazy couple of days. I wish I’d reacted better to Vito.”
“Most people don’t react how they think they will. Real violence, real blood, it always hits harder.”
“I always think of myself as strong,” I say stubbornly. “It’s the only way I’ve been able to get through certain things.”
“You are strong,” he snaps. “Now, tell me your story.”
“Masked men, dressed all in black, pulled up in the parking lot. They attacked Vito and grabbed me. They put a bag over my head and earplugs in my ears. Then they put me in a dark room. I could wash, and they fed me, but I didn’t see anybody. Just people in masks.”
“That’s it,” he tells me, nodding. “There’s an actual group that does this. It’s a legitimate cover story. We can end this all quietly.”
I nod. “I get it, Dante. I’m ready.”
He touches my hand, leans down, and brings his lips to mine. I sink against him. The kiss melts so much wannabe strength in me. The kiss makes me want to be brave again, adventurous, grab him, and take him. He leans away. “I need to go. Colt will be here soon.”
I sigh. “Okay, Dante. I…” What is it I want to say, exactly? I want him. I need him. I want to forget every time I ever thought being alone forever was a good idea. “I’ll see you soon?”
“I’ll bring your painting,” he says.
Yeah, but what face will he be wearing? Once he’s gone, I quickly shower and change into some of the clean, plain clothes Dante brought for me. After around thirty minutes of waiting in the living room, the elevator door opens, and Colt walks in. The large, older man has a deep frown on his face. He walks quickly over to me.
“Lexi is so worried,” he tells me stiffly.
“I’m sorry. It’s hard to explain.”
“If we can end this without hurting anybody, I don’t need an explanation. I can’t say the same for Lexi.” Colt reaches into his pocket and takes out a head covering. “Are you ready? This needs to seem realistic.”
I take a breath, then nod. “I’m ready.”
I’m ready for a future I never even knew I wanted. I’m finally ready to feel like somebody, like a human being, a woman with feelings and intentions. I want a say in my romantic life, my sex life, my artistic life.
Colt puts the bag over my head and cuffs my hands in front of me. “Not too tight, are they?” he says. “Lexi’ll kill me if I hurt you.”
“It’s fine,” I tell him.
“Dante would kill me, too,” Colt says.
“Has he said something?”
“Didn’t need to,” Colt replies. “I’ve never seen him like this before.” He leads me into the elevator. My belly drops. I’m off-balance from the weird experience of being blinded while going down. “I knew something more than his mom was on his mind, and doing this… taking you… It’s not like him.”
“He wasn’t going to let Vito hurt me.”
CHAPTER 16
Dante
“Who’s this?” I say when another car pulls up to the old tollbooth entrance at the dock warehouse’s parking lot. It’s the furthest spot in the estate, currently out of operation, but there’s another car sitting at the barrier.
Luca glances at me from his car. We’re sitting side by side in the lot, waiting for the so-called kidnapper to turn up so we can make the drop. It wouldn’t usually be Luca on a job like this, but we need to keep this contained to the four of us. He’s risking his reputation for his family and me if we mess up somehow, get caught, and this goes south.
I flash my lights at the car, my hand on my gun. The car honks its horn.
“Stay here, boss,” I say.
“Don’t call me boss, Dante.”
I drive over to the barrier, parking sideways. That way, I can duck behind the bullet-resistant doors if he starts unloading. The man climbs from the car. He’s tall, maybe even as tall as Luca and me. He’s broad, too, wearing a black leather jacket and a leather vest underneath. He has slicked black hair with threads of silver in it. He walks around the barrier and approaches my car, lighting a cigarette.
“Relax. You’re Dante. That’s Luca Marino.”
“Who the fuck are you?” Luca growls. He had gotten out of his car, and his hand was in his suit jacket.
“Your old man didn’t call?” the man says.