Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70269 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70269 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
I glared at Vito as he took the man’s seat. “Why are you here?”
“I came to save you.”
“I think I could hold my own with that man.”
Vito grinned. “To save you from doing something stupid.”
“Like enjoying a few drinks and a hot, willing man? That doesn’t seem like a mistake to me.”
Vito’s hand circled my wrist, squeezing hard. “I’m the only man you need to be with.”
“Who do you think you are?”
“A fucking Marchesi.”
“Is this how you usually approach men?”
He smiled. “No, most men and women are far more willing. They usually come to me.”
I could see why, but I wasn’t about to say that. “Then go find someone else.”
“I want you.”
I took a deep breath and forced myself to look away from him. There was a man seated in a corner booth watching me. When he raised a hand and smiled, my stomach flip-flopped. I didn’t recognize him, but somehow I knew he wasn’t looking for a hookup.
“What’s wrong?” Vito asked. He followed my line of sight and when he saw the man, he snarled and slid off his stool. The man rose and ran for the side door.
“What the fuck? Do you know him?”
Vito grabbed my arm. “We need to get out of here.”
“What? Why?” A moment ago I’d been thinking the same thing, but I hadn’t planned to leave with Vito.
“You aren’t going to walk home alone with that man out there.”
“I’m hardly a weakling. I can hold my own with some asshole.”
“Not if he blows your head off first.”
Now I was really fucking scared, but I played it off. “The guys from Vegas want their money, so they aren’t going to kill me.”
“I don’t have time to argue. Follow me. Now.”
“I haven’t paid my tab.”
Vito pulled a stack of bills from his pocket and threw them down on the bar. “That covers it. Don’t make me throw you over my shoulder.”
I raised my brows. “You think you can fucking carry me?”
“I know I can.”
“I’m—”
“Shut up and follow me.”
I didn’t hesitate again. I did exactly what he demanded.
He looped his arm through mine as we stepped through the exit. Did he think I was going to run? Did he really think he could stop me so easily? Hadn’t he seen the fights I’d been in on the ice? He had to know I wasn’t someone he could easily fuck with.
I let him lead me down the street to his SUV. It beeped as he unlocked it and gestured toward the passenger door. “Get in the car.”
“Vito, I’m not going home with you.”
“Get in now. I’m serious.”
“You can’t—”
“There’s a man over there watching you. If you hadn’t come out with me, he and his accomplices would be beating you in an alley right now.”
“What?” It felt like ice water had been splashed in my face. The pleasant buzz from the drink I’d had seemed to fade as I glanced toward the man. Holy fuck. I recognized him. He was the man who’d broken my arm. He’d come at me like a crazy man, and no matter how many punches I’d landed he’d just kept beating me like he felt nothing.
Vito grabbed the side of my face and forced me to focus on him. “Don’t look his way. Get in the goddamn car and let me take care of you.”
I pulled the door open as Vito moved around to the driver’s side, keeping his eye on the man waiting in the alley.
The man didn’t move. He clearly didn’t mind if he was seen.
“Don’t pursue this,” Vito yelled. The man just laughed. Did he know who Vito was?
“Do you know those men?” I asked when Vito started the car.
“Yes. Loony, the man I chased out of the bar, is a mercenary we’ve hired before. The other man is Benito, a fucking psycho who’ll do anything for the highest bidder. He’s not supposed to show his face in Boston anymore.”
“I saw the second man in Vegas.”
“Fuck. Did they send him after you?”
“Yes.”
“That’s fucking overkill if all you want is to scare someone.”
“He did the job by breaking my fucking arm”
Vito slammed his fist against the dash so hard I thought it would crack. “I should kill him right now. How dare he. He fucking ruined the end of your season.”
I didn’t want Vito deciding to go after him now, so I tried to change the subject. “He was there when I borrowed the money too.”
Vito glanced toward me, then back to the road. “I’m going to need to make some calls.”
When Vito turned onto my street, I realized I’d never told him where I lived. “You know where my apartment is?”
“Yes.” He didn’t sound the least bit apologetic.
“What the hell?”
“I found your phone number, didn’t I? You really think I couldn’t find your address?”
“This has got to stop.”
“What has got to stop is these men following you. They mean business, and Benito gets off on torture. If he gets ahold of you again, things will be even worse than before. He’s a mastermind at killing, Zeke. You’ve got to take this seriously.”