Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“Then who hit you?”
“I don’t want to talk about it here. I think I’ve had enough for one day.” Her teeth come down to worry her lower lip.
“Fine. You will tell me when we’re alone. Once I find out, whoever it was will be next. Regardless, this fuck-head here is done because he dared to try and buy my woman.”
“I didn’t know she belonged to you. If I had, I sure as fuck wouldn’t have agreed to the deal. In my business, untouched women bring more. They’re more valuable.”
“God, I’m going to throw up.”
“I’d say Kelly gives a lot of women that reaction, Lina.”
“No, I’m serious I’m going to hurl,” she argues. “Besides you can’t kill him. Killing him will cause a war.”
“Taking you started the war. I’m just finishing it. Didn’t I tell you to stop arguing with me?”
“But—”
“Victorio, take my woman to the vehicle,” I order.
“Antonio, please listen to me,” she says, holding her stomach.
“Victorio!” I snap. He moves away from the people in his aisle to do my bidding. Killian’s men take over watching the others.
“Please,” Melina begs. Before I can chastise her again for questioning me, she gags and throws up—most of it landing on Victorio’s shoes.
It appears that Melina has no stomach for the life I lead. That’s okay. She will get used to it. I will protect her. She’ll never see this side of it after today. I’ll make sure of it.
From now on, Melina’s well-being is mine to ensure.
I swore I was never going to have that type of a relationship. Now, I look at the woman who is trying to apologize to a man who is looking at his very expensive shoes with disgust and damn if I’m not looking forward to the challenge in front of me.
melina
“I really am sorry,” I whisper, feeling horrible. I’m dizzy, hot, panicked, and worried Antonio is doing something so publicly that he’s going to end up in jail for the rest of his life. On top of all that—which is a lot damn it—I literally just barfed on one of Antonio’s men’s shoes. He hasn’t said a lot. I can’t tell if he’s disgusted or pissed. I’m leaning towards thinking it is a mixture of the two. He opens the door to a large black SUV and frowns at me. “I didn’t mean to, you know,” I mutter, starting to feel defensive.
“Get in the car, where it’s safe,” he orders instead of acknowledging anything I’m saying.
“You need to go back and make Antonio stop before he does something that could get him killed or worse.”
“There’s something worse than getting killed?” he asks drolly.
“He could go to jail for life.”
He gets the strangest look on his face as he looks at me. It’s enough that it makes me shift uncomfortably. “You consider that worse than death?”
“I’ve spent a lifetime being a prisoner while surrounded by luxury. I imagine prison would be worse. In those scenarios I can assure you, death would be preferable at times.”
“Yet, you’re still alive.”
“I’m either foolish or stubborn. I’m starting to think it’s a mixture of both.”
For a second, I think I see his lips twitch, but then it’s gone. He motions toward the door. “Don’t be foolish now. Get in the car where it’s safe.”
“It’s not a car. It’s a tank,” I mutter.
He shakes his head. I know I’m talking so much because my nerves are getting the better of me. I can’t seem to stop myself. I get inside and sit gingerly on the seat. I expect him to close the door. Instead, he opens the driver’s door and reaches inside. Part of me wants to see what exactly he’s doing but I can’t drum up the energy. I bring my gaze down to stare at my hands that I’m wringing together in my lap. I’m nervous and scared. I don’t want Antonio to get in trouble because of me. I don’t understand how he’s even here. I find myself wondering if he is the one that has made the deal with my brother and if so, what does this even mean? Has he truly been searching for me? It would seem that it’s true considering he showed up today. He said I was his. I can’t deny the thrill that moved through me when he said it either. I’ve missed him from the moment I walked away from him, and that ache just got worse with every passing day—even if I did find joy in being truly free. I have so many questions swirling in my head that I’m literally dizzy.
“Here.”
I look up to find Antonio’s man he called Victorio standing there again, only this time he has two bottles of water. He’s shoving one in my direction. I cautiously take one, watching him closely. He opens his bottle, so I do the same. I swish the water around in my mouth, feeling even more awkward when he pours it on his shoes. I wince and as inconspicuously as I can, spit out the water. When I look up at him, he’s watching me. I take a sip of the water, forcing myself to swallow it down. “Thanks,” I mumble grudgingly.