Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 49774 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 249(@200wpm)___ 199(@250wpm)___ 166(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49774 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 249(@200wpm)___ 199(@250wpm)___ 166(@300wpm)
Vincenzo held the gun in his hand, staring at Galiza to give the final order.
“Antonio,” Galiza said.
“Yes, sir.”
“Deal with this traitor the way we know how.”
“What will you tell Mother?” Rafe asked, gasping. The cockiness was gone, the pain clear in his voice.
“I’ll tell her that it’s not a woman’s place to ask questions and to get the fuck on with taking care of the rest of our kids,” Galiza said. “You tried to kill your brother, to bring down the Galiza family, to bring more power to our enemies, and the cost of that is death. Antonio, as he attempted to kill you, you may do this.”
Vincenzo watched as Antonio raised the gun and shot Rafe in the head three times.
This problem was no more.
Now, to deal with the Vitale problem, and then move on.
****
Later that night, Arika flicked through the pages of the book beside Vincenzo’s bed. It was a cookbook and staring at food now made her nervous. She’d enjoyed a large bowl of soup and bread before coming up to get ready for bed. Aunt Shauna was one hell of a strong woman. She’d put her sister to bed and kept all the women in line.
Running fingers through her hair, Arika got up from her bed and moved toward the window. Vincenzo’s room looked out over the backyard. She saw several guards walking the grounds.
This life, it seemed so scary and yet full of family. She was in no doubt that it was filled with ugliness, death, and pain. She’d seen a part of that when they took Rachel’s life, and of course when she got shot.
She wondered how Vincenzo was. How he was feeling. What he was doing.
Staring across the yard, she tensed as she heard the door open, and there Vincenzo stood, only he wasn’t happy.
Arika stayed near the window as he came into the bedroom, shutting the door.
“You’re still here,” he said.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I figured Annette would have pushed you away if given the chance.”
“Shauna wouldn’t let her.” She took a step toward him and saw blood on his shirt and the devastation on his face. “What’s going on, Vincenzo?”
“We lost a few men tonight. Daniel was one of them.”
“Oh, no,” she said, moving up to him.
She threw her arms around him, and he held her tightly. Closing her eyes, she felt his pain and grief, even as he tried to hide it. “I’m so sorry you’re going through this.”
“I didn’t even like him most of the time, but he didn’t deserve this. He didn’t deserve to die. He was a good man. A shit shot, but a good man.”
“What will happen?”
“He didn’t have any family. We’ll bury him as the soldier he was for his loyalty. He didn’t die slowly. It was quick.”
“What happened?”
“We went into Vitale land, and as we were negotiating with the son, the father decided to take us out. Rafe had warned him what was going on. We were not prepared. We lost a lot of men tonight. Galiza was shot, but it was a mere flesh wound. It’ll be okay.”
She cupped his face. “Were you hurt?”
“No.”
“Then I’m happy.” She pressed a kiss to his lips, but he pulled away. “Vincenzo?”
“I would understand if you wouldn’t want any part of this life. If you’d like me to give you a clean break. I can do this. I can make sure no one else will find you. That you can live your life far away from me.”
Tears filled her eyes, and she shook her head. “This isn’t a proposal.”
“No, I’m offering to set you free.”
“Then keep it because I don’t want any part of it. You can think and be what you like, but it doesn’t change the fact that I love you, Vincenzo. I know this life isn’t how I imagined. I tried living without you, but I can’t. I don’t want to. So I’ll take the bad with the good. Isn’t that all marriages?”
“You want to be with me?”
“Well, you keep telling me that I’m going to marry you, but your proposals need a lot of work.”
He cupped her face, slamming his lips down on hers. “I love you, Arika. I love you more than anything else in the world, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, loving you, taking care of you. Please, marry me.”
“Yes. Seeing as you asked so nicely.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he picked her up, carrying her through to the shower. She didn’t ask any questions, kissing him back with a passion.
There were always sacrifices to be made in this life. He was hers, and she would gladly go to the ends of the earth to be with him, to keep him close, to love him. She pushed his clothes off his body, and as they stepped into the shower, she wrapped her legs around his waist, crying out as he filled her, taking the pleasure he needed from her body.