Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 69759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
“You know what?” I yell, slamming my coffee cup down. “How dare you come into my house and speak to him like that. We are your family, Giorgio, but lately it’s getting harder and harder to like you. You better back down, because I’ve about had enough.”
He glares at me in a way that does make me shiver, just a touch. “This isn’t up to you, Evelina. Dad is getting old and it is up to me to take over the family and keep the family name untarnished. One of us being in a fucking biker club is not going to help anything.”
“So you’d rather he dies?” I yell. “Is that how you’d rather this go?”
“I’d rather he pays the money back and has nothing to do with those scoundrels.”
“I swear, keep calling them names,” I mutter. “They’re the best people I know, and Stefan will be part of a family that far outweighs this one. You can’t get him out of this, not unless you want to risk your own life, too.”
“I have my ways,” Giorgio growls. “I will ensure they release him. Clubs like that have plenty of illegal operations. They can’t hurt him if they’re in prison.”
I jerk. He wouldn’t.
“You will do no such thing,” I seethe.
“Oh, I will. I have people in every corner of this fucking town and I’ll find something to bring those fuckers down. Once I have, then Stefan will be free of their grips and so will you.”
“I won’t let you do this!” I yell, throwing my hands up. “I won’t. You can’t control everything.”
“I can and I will.”
He turns and storms out of the house.
He’s had the final word and that’s that. The end of it.
Nobody is allowed the chance to argue any further.
I look to Stefano. “Why did you tell him?”
He shakes his head. “I didn’t, he overheard a conversation.”
“He’s going to destroy them,” I say, rubbing my face. “He’s powerful enough to and he’s right, they do have an illegal business. I can’t let him do this to them.”
“Not sure how you’re going to stop him.” Dom says, walking over and putting his arm around my shoulder. “But if there’s a way, we’ll find it.”
“Riggs means a lot to me,” I say softly. “Like, a lot.”
“I know.”
“We can’t let him do this, Dom.”
“I know.”
Stefano puts his head in his hands and exhales. “I’m such a fuckin’ idiot. If I didn’t get into drugs none of this would be happening. Maybe I should just take the punishment, it’s all I deserve.”
I shove away from Dom and storm towards my brother, grabbing his shoulders in my hands and forcing him to look at me. “Don’t you ever even consider taking the other way out. You made a mistake, but you’re a good person. Riggs can see that, which is why he’s bringing you into the club. We’ll find a way around this. Promise me you won’t do anything stupid.”
Stefano exhales. “I promise.”
This is going from bad to worse.
I need to talk to Riggs and I need to stop Giorgio.
He might be my brother, but he’s not going to do this.
I’ll make sure of it.
21
“I NEED TO...”
Riggs presses his lips to mine, kissing my words away.
“Talk to you...”
His lips move down to my neck.
“About...”
He nips at my throat.
“Stefano...”
His hand cups my ass.
He’s distracting me, and my god I love it. We can get back to whatever plans he has for me just as soon as I’ve spoken to him about my brother. He needs to be aware of what’s going down because if he isn’t, he very likely could end up arrested and the club could be in a world of trouble. I’m not going to let Giorgio do that to him.
“It’s important,” I murmur, closing my eyes when his lips trail across my shoulder.
He pauses and pulls back, looking at me. “You better talk quick. I need to fuck you more than you could imagine.”
“Oh, I can imagine, but it’s urgent.”
He releases me and his eyes scan over my face where he can see the concern.
“It’s about Stefano joining the club. My older brother found out and he lost it. He said if you don’t release Stefano, then he’ll find a way to bring the club down. It might seem like a big old empty threat but he’s powerful, Riggs. He’s the kind of man who could find any illegal things you’re doing, and have you charged for them.”
Riggs narrows his eyes and then mouths. “Fuck.”
“I’m sorry. I know this is the last thing you need, but I had to come and tell you. My brother is crazy, like full-blown crazy. Like, he and Carmen could have crazy babies together and live the rest of their lives in crazy land.”
Riggs snorts. “Always so descriptive. You know I can’t release Stefano. It goes against every rule we have in this club. It’s not just me, it’s the other chapters and those higher up. It’ll send a message that someone like that can get away with anything they want. I can’t change the rules.”