Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 62569 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 313(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62569 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 313(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
Quite possibly—by doing the right thing.
"I’m not sorry, though.” I found myself continuing to talk like I couldn’t stop even if I tried. “For coveting something so precious. And that’s the truth.”
Suddenly exhausted, I leaned against the counter. Dante lifted the gun and shot directly between my feet, missing on purpose no doubt. “Then, what do you owe me, Ace?”
I lifted my chin. “A pound of flesh.”
"When can I expect it?”
I held out my hand. “Give me your knife and I’ll do it now.”
"Then I’ll be worried you’ll short me.” He shook his head and shoved the gun back into his pants. “No, both of you, follow me, you were headed our direction anyway for the birthday dinners. You’ll give me my pound of flesh then sing me happy birthday with a damn smile on your face for the family. Speak of this to no one, not until it’s done.”
"It will be done tonight,” I said again.
"Tonight?” He let out a laugh. “I’ll get my flesh tonight, and this weekend, this weekend, I’ll gain a son-in-law.”
"Pardon?” I rasped.
“Welcome to the family. Now get in the fucking car.”
14
RAVEN
A pound of flesh, a present, for the birthday boss.
In all my life, I’d never experienced such a tense car ride. Ivan was staring at his phone like any minute it was going to explode, setting him free from the stress of it all, and my dad has yet to stop glaring at Ace.
I couldn’t believe he actually claimed me and made it seem like he was responsible, knowing full well the ramifications of his choice. I was so stunned I missed my moment to tell my dad he was wrong, and then it just happened.
Multiple times I could have told my dad no.
I didn’t want to get married.
No, the baby wasn’t his.
No, he never touched me in that way.
But selfishly I had to wonder, did I need protection even from my own dad, knowing I was carrying Louis’ baby? Knowing they were still not only investigating his side of the family but trying to find out why I was targeted in the first place?
Would a baby even be safe right now in this environment? With that blood line? And why the hell was our family so deranged it was something I had to even think about?
Bloodlines.
Honor.
Loyalty.
Revenge.
Louis had always been gentle with me. The last few weeks things had shifted, though, and he’d become a bit more aggressive physically. Not like it was unwelcome; if anything, I’d been the one pressuring him telling him how much I loved him and wanted to take things further. I even offered to go to my dad, which seemed to really freak him out.
“No.” He grabbed my hand. “I’d be happy just to stay by your side, maybe hold your purse or something.” He winked. “Love doesn’t need a label or a schedule. Let’s just keep existing the way we are.”
"So you don’t want me?” I teased.
He cursed and looked down. “I want you on my terms, that’s all.”
“Do mine count?”
He kissed my forehead. “Always.”
A day later he’d ripped my clothes from my body, confessed his love and inability to wait, which had been both romantic and a bit out of character—and we slept together.
It was the first time.
It wouldn’t be our last.
It seemed like every day he couldn’t get enough of me, and when I teased him that I’d unleashed a beast, I’ll never forget the look in his eyes as if to say “you have no idea.”
It was the only time in our interactions that I actually hesitated and wondered if I knew exactly what I was getting into.
The next day he was killed.
The next day I lost my chance to ask him.
I cleared my throat and tried to use my voice to cut through the silence. “Happy early birthday, Dad.”
He grunted, his eyes still trained on Ace. “Told you not to touch her, you swore an oath in blood.”
Ace leveled him with a matching glare. “And I’ll pay in my own blood, in my skin, prove that I’m loyal to you. But know this.” He leaned forward, his forearms flexing against his knees. “She comes first, she always will, so if I have to take a bullet and it’s between the two of you—sorry, but you’ll see the pearly gates first.”
Dad cracked a smile. “It’s not that easy to get rid of me.”
"I’m sure there are very creative ways. You just haven’t used your imagination enough,” Ace quipped.
Dad didn’t set the gun down but finally gave me his attention, not that I was comfortable with it in his current deliriously pissed state. “Raven, do you know why we call it a pound of flesh or where that saying came from?”
I swallow hard and mutter, “Shakespeare.”
"Yes, from the Merchant of Venice. You see, Shylock, a debt collector, required payment a merchant wasn’t able to give, which tells us one thing. One should never gamble what one is not willing to lose.” He licked his lips, his stare intense. “What if you come up short? After all, asking for a pound of flesh from Ace here is what he owes me for daring to touch you. A simple touch means I weigh it out. Gold for gold. And the rest of his payment? His life. Not only will he marry into the family and protect you until his dying day—he’ll owe us an alliance with the De Lange blood line. It benefits him as much as us, which makes me wonder the last question. Did you…” He turns his attention back to Ace. “Did you gamble with your life in order to enter into the fold?”