Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 77824 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77824 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Franco told me some of the shit his wife went through before they met, and the last thing I want to do is trigger a panic attack in her.
“Let me take him so you can visit with Renzo,” she tells Franco.
He hands their son over to his wife then nods at the door.
I follow him to the living room, where he pours two tumblers of whiskey. Handing one to me, he says, “Take a seat.”
Sitting down on one of the couches, I sip on the drink while glancing around the room. There’s baby shit everywhere.
“Have you found that guy you were looking for? Castellanos.”
I shake my head, frustration flitting through my chest. “Not yet. He’s all over New York, scurrying around like a fucking rat.”
He takes a sip of his whiskey, then says, “So the woman.” Shaking his head, he mutters, “What are you doing, Renzo? It’s clearly fucking with your head and not good for you to have her around.”
I suck in a deep breath and stare at the amber liquid in my tumbler.
“I get Giulio’s death hit you hard, and you need to deal with it, but is this really the way to do it?” he asks.
Lifting my eyes to his, I mutter, “How would you deal with it if someone killed me for my kidney.”
He thinks for a moment, then lets out a heavy sigh. “I wouldn’t take anyone captive. I’d just fucking kill them all.”
“The woman included?”
Again, he thinks about it before he answers, “No. I’m going to side with Dario on this one. Her only crime is being the recipient of the kidney. She wasn’t the one who killed Giulio, and her father bought the kidney. From what I understand, she was completely unaware of what was happening behind the scenes.”
He sets his tumbler down on the coffee table, and leaning forward, he rests his forearms on his thighs. “I get it must be hard knowing Giulio’s kidney is in her body, but maybe you should rethink what you’re doing.”
I don’t respond immediately as I think about the past five weeks.
The excruciating pain of losing Giulio. The rage. The men I’ve killed and the ones I plan to torture to death. Harlan. Skylar.
“If Harlan Davies didn’t order a kidney, Giulio would still be alive,” I say.
“Then kill him.” Franco picks up his drink again. “Kill him and let the woman go.”
No.
“Because of her, I have no heir,” I mutter. “Because of her, Giulio’s dead. It starts and ends with Skylar Davies.”
Franco lets out a sigh. “What do you want me to say, Renzo? Do you want my blessing to kill the woman? Fine. Off her. It makes no difference to me. I just fucking hate seeing you like this.”
I down the rest of the whiskey, letting the alcohol burn down my throat.
Do I really want to kill her?
No.
Am I going to keep her locked in my penthouse for the rest of her life?
That means I’m stuck with her forever, and that’s a fucking long time.
Fuck.
“Or…” Franco lets the word hang in the air until I look up to meet his eyes, then he continues, “You could always marry her, and she could give you the heir you lost.”
“What. The. Fuck,” I practically gasp.
He shrugs. “Just saying. It’s another way for this thing to play out, and you’ll get an heir from it.”
“Hell no,” I growl, not even willing to consider it as an option.
“Dario says Skylar Davies is beautiful and talented,” Franco mentions. “Isn’t there any attraction?”
I give my friend an incredulous look. “Whether a woman gives me a hard-on doesn’t qualify her to be my wife.”
“Most relationships start with attraction, brother. You just need to get it up to make a baby.”
“You really think an arranged marriage is the way to go?” I chuckle, my tone still incredulous because this conversation is absurd.
“Take a page out of Angelo’s book. It will be a forced marriage because from what you and Dario have told me, Skylar won’t be saying ‘I do’ out of her own free will.”
“Raping a woman just to have an heir is not exactly my style,” I growl. “Just because we’ll be legally married won’t change shit. She’s not just going to lie back like a good little wife and take it.”
Franco shakes his head. “Yeah, you’re right.” He finishes his drink. “Forget what I said. It was a stupid idea.”
We both lean back against the couches and let out sighs.
“So I’m back to square one. I’ll continue to keep her captive.”
Chapter 23
Skylar
Sitting out on the balcony, I stare at the city lights.
I’m only wearing a pair of shorts and an oversized T-shirt, and it’s starting to get chilly.
Rubbing my hands up and down my arms, I think about the past five days.
I’m starting to get used to the new routine. I prepare three meals every day, even when Renzo’s not home. When I’m alone, I watch the live stream, taking every chance I get to see Dad.