Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27953 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27953 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
“I don’t do drugs,” he bites out. I hadn’t said that, but I thought it might be a possibility. He’s edgy and unlike himself. He also hasn’t been all over me about being more into jobs. Nikolai jumped at any opportunity to go to meet-ups with me. He was eager to prove himself.
“All right.” I believe him. I didn’t think he would, given his upbringing. But sometimes we do things we never thought we would. "Nikolai, if you so much as touch that girl—” His fingers tighten around the leather chair's arms. Interesting. "If you so much as hurt that girl," I rephrase, his fingers relaxing, “you will deal with me, and it won’t be like before. You’ll go to the basement like everyone else.”
“I won’t hurt her,” he grits out. His response lets me know exactly why he had the reaction he did to Riley. He’s smitten with her. Shit, what am I going to do with this?
“Is she why you’ve been at the club?” He leans forward, placing his elbows on his knees and lowering his head.
“I really don’t want to fucking talk about it.”
“She’s cute.” His head snaps up. “Don’t,” I order before he can say something that might get him backhanded. I know what I need to at this point. “Don’t toy with her. Mona is going to be my wife; that means she’ll be my sister-in-law.”
“So she’s not going anywhere,” Nikolai finishes for me.
I have never paid much attention to what kind of women caught Nikolai’s eye before. Given that he is a teenager, I assumed that he was attracted to most women. There’s no shortage of female attention when he is in one of the clubs, but he is usually working. Nikolai also doesn’t appear to be eighteen. But Riley isn't a woman. She's still a young girl. There might only be months between them, but in history, they are decades apart.
“She’s not going anywhere,” I confirm.
“Are we done?” Nikolai stands.
“For now.” He nods. “Are you going to the club tonight?”
“Think I’ll hang around.” Right. “Matteo.” He pauses at the door. “She’s not cute. She’s breathtaking.” I’m not sure if this is a good or bad thing. It depends on how Nikolai handles it.
I go in search of Mona, finding her with her sister in one of the spare rooms. They’re sitting on the bed together, talking. Mona smiles when she notices me standing in the doorway.
“Come.” I extend my hand to her. She comes to me. “Nikolai—”
“It’s fine, really.” Riley gives me a smile. I know she doesn’t want to cause problems. She’s quiet and keeps to herself.
“All right.” I lead Mona down to our bedroom.
Our visit to the city isn’t just because of the doctor's appointment. All of this turmoil is coming to an end. The families will soon settle their differences. Only a few people know that I’ve brought Mona and Riley here for safekeeping.
“Everything okay?” Mona asks when we enter the bedroom. I close the door behind us. “He seemed pissed, and I couldn’t get anything out of Riley.”
“Nikolai will be fine. He would never go against my orders,” I reassure her, knowing how protective she is of her sister.
“I know, I trust you, but I wasn’t asking about that.” It has only been a few weeks, and she is already getting good at reading me.
“I have to go out. I’ll leave Sal and Nikolai here.” There will also be a few men downstairs too, but they should be secure here.
“This is different.”
“I’m meeting your brother and father.” Her lips purse. I know they aren’t her favorite people. In many families, women are treated as mere commodities. You utilize them in a manner that best serves your family. I'm not even a father yet, and I could never envision entrusting my daughter to a marriage for personal benefit. “Mona, you do realize there is a good chance I will kill them.” I tell her the truth, not wanting there to be any secrets between us.
To my surprise, she gives me a soft smile, stepping into me so her body is flush with mine. Her hand slips up my chest and wraps around my neck.
“I love you, Matteo. I pick you. Our family. I’m not an O'Haire. I never was one of them.”
“You’re a Cattaneo,” I finish before I claim her mouth. I wasn’t asking for permission to kill them. There are many things Mona could ask for, and I’d do them without hesitation. There are two things I will, however, never budge on.
I could never let her go. Even if she had asked me to do so, I wouldn’t. I never claimed to be a good man. I want her to be with me, and I would do whatever I had to ensure she was always by my side. The second has everything to do with her safety. With her brother and father out there, I’m not sure what they would do. Even if they begged and gave me their word that they would leave her be, I would never trust them.