Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 94076 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94076 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
But until Lucretia and I can make it out safely, then I need to behave like their pretty little pawn.
To ensure my compliance, Luca has placed one man in each of the rooms either side of mine, and I have to check in with them every night. I’m also supposed to catch a bus to and from the clubhouse without stopping on the way. “Or I’ll know.” So he’s obviously having me followed as well.
Luca looks around the room with complete disdain. He is out of place here in his Armani suit, Rolex watch, and the bottle of cologne he’s wearing.
He glances in the wardrobe then takes a quick look at the tiny bathroom with its stained tiles and plumbing from the middle of last century. Seeing the inside of the shower, he quickly moves away as if the mold and water stains are contagious.
“This will work well.” He flashes a smile of perfectly straight white teeth. “It might make you a little more appreciative of what you have at home.”
I glance around me. Yeah, there is a big difference between the two. Home might be a sparkling mansion, but it is full of monsters. While this motel, with its water stains and sour air, gives me the tiniest bit of freedom.
Right under Luca’s nose.
A smile plays on my lips, but I fight it. Because if Luca thinks I am anything but terrified of being left here then he will pull the pin.
I swallow thickly and do my best to look forlorn. Which, let’s face it, is easy to do considering I’ve had months of practice.
Luca mistakes my silence for bewilderment. As if I’m wondering how I’ll cope in this predicament.
It wouldn’t occur to him that I’m silently high-fiving myself for getting this far.
Walking toward the door, Luca stops when he reaches me. He hands me an envelope. Inside is a driver’s license, birth certificate and a social security card.
It only took a matter of hours for one of Viktor’s men to create a new identity for me. Not a huge feat when you’re a part of a massive crime syndicate, but still swift.
I study my new driver’s license. In the photo, I have blonde hair and bangs. I look at the other ID and it all looks real.
I look at my new last name. Antonio.
Luca’s middle name.
Meant as another reminder that he owns me, no doubt.
Until he hands me over to Viktor.
“Viktor’s man also created a small history of you online should those biker fucks decide to dig further into your past.”
“I told you, they already did that with facial recognition,” I say.
“Yes, but Viktor’s man was able to create some kind of plausible reasoning for that. Something to do with facial configurations or something.” He waves it off. “Your job is not to understand how others do their job. It’s to make sure you do as I tell you.”
He also hands me a phone, which also looks like it’s from the last century.
“This is so I can contact you. If you don’t answer, I will see it as a breach of trust.”
One day, I am going to shove this phone down his throat and watch as he chokes on it. But until then, I nod, biding my time until I can do exactly that.
“And before you think about calling anyone else, just remember, I have access to the calls you make.”
It’s a burner phone. Not even Luca Moretti is that powerful. But again, I just nod.
“Don’t let me down, sister. Or I’ll have my men show Lucretia what happens to those who disobey me.”
I don’t look at him. Just him mentioning Lucretia makes me burn with hatred.
Instead, I imagine myself stabbing him in the heart and then cutting it from his body. It makes it easier to force the compliant smile across my lips.
“I know what is expected of me,” I say.
“Good, otherwise it will be too easy for you to fuck this up.”
He walks out of the motel room as if he is the most important man in the world. As if he was the man who built the mighty Moretti empire. As if he isn’t an evil monster who sold his half-sister to another evil monster.
I watch as his driver opens his car door, and Luca slides in and puts on his sunglasses. When the door closes and the darkened window rolls down, he doesn’t say anything. Just stares at me from behind black sunglasses as the car pulls away.
I close the door behind me and let out a quiet squeal.
I can breathe.
I can finally fucking breathe.
The next morning, I wake up feeling well rested and happy after sleeping better than I have in the past three months. Despite the scratchy sheets and the groan of the ancient plumbing whenever anyone in the motel used it throughout the night.