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)
“No.”
He gets up and grabs the remote from the coffee table. Switching on the TV, he searches for a folder out of the many ones on the screen and clicks on it.
Come to think of it. I’ve never seen Renzo watch regular TV. He just uses it as if it’s an oversized computer screen.
The next moment, there’s a live stream of the restaurant on the TV, and my lips part in another gasp.
Renzo takes his phone out of his pocket, and as he dials a number, he says, “Keep your eyes on the screen.”
A second later, he says, “Hi, Viviana. I can see you’re busy. I just need you to wave at the camera.”
I watch as the manager waves, a smile on her face.
“I’ll drop by tomorrow,” he tells her before ending the call.
Holy shit.
I can’t stop staring at the screen, and Renzo has to switch off the TV before I turn my attention back to him.
“Your father’s house is not the only place I watch. I like to keep an eye on all my businesses.”
Renzo owns La Torrisi.
I blink at him for a solid minute before I ask, “Why be a criminal if you have such an amazing restaurant?”
“Being a criminal is my birthright. I was born into the Cosa Nostra and took over when my father died.”
“Still. Can’t you just leave?”
A smirk forms on his face. “The Cosa Nostra is my family, topolina. They come first.” He waves at the TV. “My other businesses are purely a source of income.”
He leans back against the couch again and watches me, the playful expression still on his face.
Today, I’ve seen a side of this man that’s left me speechless.
This mafia boss who kills without blinking an eye and kisses like the devil is also a businessman with a playful side.
And I get the feeling I haven’t even scratched the surface. There’s a hell of a lot more to learn about him.
Chapter 28
Renzo
Leaning my shoulder against the doorjamb with my arms crossed over my chest, I watch Skylar as she sleeps.
The events of yesterday keep replaying in my mind.
Kissing her was not planned, and it only left me wanting more.
Remembering how she melted beneath me and kissed me back with a fuck ton of passion, the corner of my mouth lifts.
She might not like me, but she sure as fuck is attracted to me.
Talking with her until late into the night was also not planned, but I enjoyed every second of it.
The act she was putting on to flirt with me fell away, and I got to see her real smile and talk about something she’s passionate about.
Does it bother me that she’s trying to flirt with me in the hopes that I’ll free her?
Not one bit. It’s entertaining.
But this isn’t some Beauty and the Beast fairytale where she’ll get to return to her father. She belongs to me.
Forever.
Pushing away from the doorjamb, I walk closer to the side of the bed and stare down at the sleeping woman I was never supposed to fall for.
It’s only been three weeks, and I no longer have the desire to torture her.
I take in her slightly parted lips, her hands that are tightly fisted beneath her chin, and her body that’s curled in a fetal position.
Even while sleeping, she’s tense.
When I watched her in her bedroom at the Davies mansion, she used to sleep on her back with her fingers relaxed.
Sitting down on the side of the bed, I bring my hand to her hair, and pull my fingers through the strands.
They’re as soft as they look.
Letting out a sigh, I whisper, “What am I going to do with you?”
When I mentioned marriage to her last night, I saw the shock on her face. Skylar isn’t from my world, and she won’t just be a good little girl and say her vows.
If I threaten her father’s life, she will.
Remembering the attitude she gave me last night makes a smile tug at my lips.
She has some fight in her, after all.
As I continue to look at her, I become more and more curious. I want to see what she’s like when she’s happy.
Leaning over her, I press a kiss to her jaw before saying, “Wake up, topolina.”
Her breathing changes, and her eyelashes flutter open. When she sees me sitting next to her, fear flashes over her face, and she quickly sits up.
Her tone is cautious as she asks, “What? Why did you wake me?”
“Get dressed,” I say as I get up. “We’re leaving in fifteen minutes.”
“It’s still dark. What’s the time?”
“Four am.”
Walking to the door, I say, “If you want a chance to cook at La Torrisi, be downstairs in fifteen.”
As I leave the room, I hear her footsteps hurrying in the direction of the bathroom.
Letting out a chuckle, I head to the kitchen to pour myself a cup of coffee. I only get to drink half of it before Skylar comes into the kitchen. Her hair’s tied back in a ponytail, and she’s wearing a black and white dress.