Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 69945 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69945 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
“I don’t know,” a third person said. “If we take him out, we’re going to have trouble with his brother. Is it worth it?”
I let out the breath I was holding. I didn’t have a brother. It had to be someone else.
The first voice scoffed at that. “He’s nothing. It’d be child’s play to kill him too.”
Kill. They’d said the word so I couldn’t pretend not to know what they meant by eliminate. They weren’t going to eliminate this person from an organization or something.
Beatrice had said they were in the mafia, but apparently I hadn’t really taken that in. I knew Dominic had been an assassin, but I’d kept that in the abstract. I never thought about that actual moment when he killed, even though I had worried he was going to assassinate me.
“It’s the cleanest solution,” Dom said.
“I’m not arguing with that,” said the second unknown voice. “But it’s going to make things messier in the end.”
“Or will it simply send a message?” the first voice said. “A message that we don’t stand for people who tell us they can pay and then can’t.”
Fuck. They really were mobsters.
I moved a step closer, but my foot scratched against the floor, almost making me fall.
Dominic turned and looked at me. He didn’t seem surprised at all to see me standing there. “Come in.”
My hands were shaking, and I could barely pull air into my lungs. This was it. He hadn’t killed me when I’d insulted his ability to protect me, but now I’d overheard mob business. That had to be just as bad as what I’d overheard at the firm.
Dom looked me up and down. I tried not to look at the other men in the room. It would be best if I couldn’t recognize them. “What do you need?”
“I was going to thank you for the cake.”
Dom looked down at his hands. It was the first time I’d seen him look uncertain. “You’re welcome.”
“Don’t tell me you haven’t been feeding your guest until now. Jesus, Pops. He’s not a prisoner.”
“Of course he’s been fed.”
Pops? So were these his sons? I couldn’t help but turn to look at them then. They were both as gorgeous as their father, but from what Beatrice had told me, they were both attached.
“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” one of them—who I’d guess was the elder—asked.
Dom narrowed his eyes. “You’re getting far too comfortable here.”
The man just smiled.
“Corey, these are my sons: Valentino,” he indicated the one who’d asked for an introduction, “and Vito.”
Valentino held out his hand, and I shook it. His grip was tight, and his expression wary. Was he warning me to be careful with his father? As if there was anything I could do to Dom.
Vito held out his hand, and I shook it as well. He also seemed to be assessing me.
“Stand down. He’s been very polite,” Dom said.
Wait, was he defending me?
“So, if you’ve been feeding him, what’s the big deal about today’s breakfast?” Vito asked.
I glanced at Dom, unsure what to say.
“I couldn’t sleep last night. I made a ciambellone.”
I glanced at Valentino and Vito, and they were both staring at their father like they’d seen a ghost.
“You baked for him? You never bake for us.”
Dom huffed. “I baked because I wanted to. I couldn’t sleep.”
Both sons glanced over at me. “You must’ve made quite an impression.”
“Enough,” Dom said before turning to me. “Did you need anything else?”
I shook my head, “No, sir. I’ll leave you to whatever you were talking about that I definitely didn’t hear.”
“Smart,” Vito said. “It’s always best not to hear when we’re talking about family business.”
“I guessed that.” I forced myself to take slow steps and pull the door closed behind me, then I practically ran up the stairs to my room. I closed the door, leaned back against it, and took deep breaths.
I was more confused than ever. Clearly, the Marchesis were exactly what Beatrice had said, but the interaction between Dom and his sons surprised me. He was still distant, chilly, but not icy the way he’d been with me. And the way he’d defended me, the way he’d been almost kind… What was I supposed to think of him? And how was I supposed to survive months in this house without developing the worst crush in the world on him, even if his sons were potentially older than me?
10
DOM
Iwatched Corey leave, then focused back on my sons. They were both staring at me.
“What is going on with you two?” Valentino asked.
I did my best to look scandalized. “Nothing.”
“You didn’t tell us he was so hot or so young.”
Vito nodded. “And you made a cake for him.”
“I made a cake. It wasn’t specifically for anyone. If you’d like a piece, go get it. I didn’t realize you’d be jealous.”
“We’d only be jealous if you had made it for him,” Valentino pointed out.