Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 35213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
"Rafe and I will be with you," I murmur, brushing her hair back from her shoulder. "You won't be alone with him. He won't touch you. He won't even look in your direction if you don't want to allow it."
"I want him to see me." Her emerald eyes meet mine. "I want him to know that I'm the one who did this to him."
Even afraid, she's a savage. Even angry, she's a fucking queen. Is it any wonder I fell at her feet? She's perfect in every way, a goddess among mortals. I can't wait until she's wearing my ring. Until she's round with my child.
"Then he'll see you," I state simply. "He'll look you in the eye while Rafe delivers his sentence."
She smiles with savage satisfaction.
I kiss it from her lips, drinking her courage down my throat until my balls throb and my lungs burn.
Angelus clears his throat from the driver's seat, breaking us apart.
Genesis looks up at me with swollen lips and a dazed expression, far too fucking perfect. Far too fucking beautiful. I hope Santorum sees the passion in her eyes and chokes on the taste of it. He'll never have that from her. Even if he'd gotten his hands on her, he wouldn't have gotten her.
He knows nothing about the care and feeding of a queen. He knows nothing about her.
"Let's go, piccola fiamma."
We exit the SUV together, our fingers interlaced.
Rafe takes one look at her and his eyebrows climb.
"She's going in with us," I say, forestalling an argument before he can formulate one. He may be the Capo, but I've never been great at following orders. I'm too damn stubborn for that.
"Cristo, Gabriel. This is a bad idea," he mutters, glowering at me. "Omertà guarantees our honor when we call a sit-down. Nothing guarantees his. If he tries anything, you're walking her into a trap."
No, Omertà guarantees his honor. Today, it means absolutely dick to me. I owe respect where it's due. It isn't due here. Santorum didn't earn that right. He didn't bleed for it. I don't have to play by mafioso rules when meeting a fucking pig. Particularly not when meeting one who tried to claim what belongs to me.
But I don't tell Rafe about the gun at the small of my back. It'll just stress him out.
"If it's a trap, it's one he'll die in," I say with a shrug. "Let's get this shit show on the road."
"Mafankulo," my older brother curses and then stomps toward the door.
Mattia shakes his head at me and then follows behind him, grabbing the door to hold it open for us. Rafe sails through with one last dirty look in my direction.
"Come, tesoro. Let's go take out the trash."
Santorum is already inside. The bastard stands in his dress blues, his hands behind his back as if he's at parade rest. I suppose people would find him handsome in a brutish sort of way. He's crewcut, steely-eyed…a hard-ass cop. Or he was one once upon a time. Now, he's just a fucking traitor to the brotherhood he's supposed to protect.
"Mr. Valentino," he says, nodding at Rafe. His gaze shifts to me and the woman at my side. His expression cools ten degrees when he sees her hand interlaced with mine. "Mr. Valentino. Genesis."
"Santorum," Rafe says. "Thanks for meeting me. This is Gabriel." He jerks his chin in my direction. "And I believe you're already acquainted with Ms. Burbank."
"Intimately."
I resist the urge to smash my fist into his face. The lying bastard.
"It's good to see you, Genesis. I've been worried about you."
"Go to hell, Alexander," she says, drifting closer to me. Not even a sheet of paper could fit between us now. She trembles faintly but she holds her head high.
"Cut the shit," I growl at Santorum before turning to Rafe. "Can we get this over with already?"
"Yeah," my brother says, his voice flat.
"Good idea," Santorum says. "I appreciate you gentleman for dropping her off, but I'll just take her and go. No sense in setting tongues to wagging or giving people the wrong impression about any association between us." He smiles all apologetical-like, except it's complete, manufactured garbage.
"Yeah, that won't be happening," Rafe says.
Santorum drops the bullshit congenial act. "She's my ward, Valentino."
"Not for long, Santorum. Right now, my lawyer is meeting with the judge who signed off on the conservatorship. He's giving him the choice to dissolve it of his own free-will or to explain to the public why he colluded with you to force a woman who is completely sane into one in the first place." Rafe crosses his arms, leaning back against the wall. "You picked the wrong political climate for this one, Santorum. People don't look kindly on men abusing their authority over women anymore. They don't look kindly on men forcing grown women into conservatorships. Didn't you learn anything from Britney Spears?"