Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 62266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 311(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 311(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
“Come, I want to show my daughter off.” Dad puts his hand on my back, not giving me much of a choice. I see Z out of the corner of my eye. Oh, now I know why he’s pissed, and I’m worried for everyone in the room.
Thankfully, War and Tova enter the parlor. War is quick to lock in on Z, but he’s good at picking out the threats in a room.
“Cosima, you remember Mr. Amato,” my dad says as we approach the elderly gentleman.
“Of course. It’s lovely to see you again, Mr. Amato.” He leans in to kiss me on one cheek and then the other.
“Please call me Tullio. Mr. Amato makes me feel like an old man.” I smile to be polite. “I swear you look more and more beautiful each time I see you, Cosima. You definitely take after your mother.” I smile, knowing that comment has definitely bothered my father.
“Watch it, Tullio,” my dad warns, making me giggle.
“Cosima, you remember my son, Salvatore.” Crap. I know what my father is doing. I clocked it when I entered the room and saw who all was here.
No wonder Z is all bent out of shape. This is my father’s way of trying to nudge me toward finding a husband without forcing me. Little does he know that I already have a husband, so none of this is necessary.
“Pleasure seeing you again, Salvatore.” I reach my hand out in greeting, knowing there is no way in hell Z is going to allow Salvatore to kiss me.
“Call me Sal.” He takes my hand and begins to lift it to his mouth.
I don’t need to even look at Z to know he’s staring at us. I can feel his gaze on me like a physical touch. Maybe in this instance it’s more like a burning inferno threatening to end Salvatore’s life just for touching me.
Before my hand can reach his lips, there’s a loud crash, causing Salvatore to drop my hand. All of us turn to look around and realize that one of the servers dropped their tray. How convenient.
My gaze quickly goes to Z, who just so happens to be standing next to where the server went down. There’s no mistaking the look on Z’s face. I need to navigate this situation carefully, or Z is going to out us.
Usually, I would be a brat about all of this and try to needle Z. I would play up the whole Salvatore thing to ruffle Z’s feathers and make him jealous. I bet that would get me one of those spankings. But even I know there’s a time and a place for such things. This is not it. Another man flirting with me is not a joking matter. I know for damn sure I wouldn’t like it if the shoe were on the other foot.
I love you, I mouth over to Z with the smallest movement of my lips as possible.
My only plan tonight is to make sure everyone here makes it out alive.
Chapter Twenty
Z
Inever thought of myself as bloodthirsty. That tends to be Ronan, but right now I’m salivating to draw blood, and Salvatore Amato isn’t the only man that I want. It would be so easy to pull out the gun I have strapped to my ankle and take out three of these asses, all of whom have their eyes on my wife.
“Z.” War shoves a scotch into my hand. “Drink it,” he orders. I toss it back. It’s not enough to get me drunk or give me a buzz, but it might relax me. At least that’s War’s thought process. It’s not going to work. I’m already wound too tight.
“What are the odds that the Amato family happened to be in the same little town that Cosima had been in and are now here?”
“I was wondering the same.” Now both War and I are fixed on Sal, as he often refers to himself.
I never gave him much thought. The Amato family is high-ranking but not one of the top. They have strong ties but have never managed to move up. A marriage into the Marino family would give them that. Over my dead fucking body.
All of those politics are normal for this lifestyle, but one glaring issue I have is how they knew Cosima’s whereabouts in Italy, down to the small town she was staying in. It has my hackles rising.
I'll be digging into him and his family when this night is over. That is if I don't end up killing Sal before that. He touches my wife again and he’s gonna be a goner. I don’t give a fuck who his family is.
Cosima is on her best behavior right now, not lingering in any conversation with the men her father takes her to one by one. I see her glance my way repeatedly.