Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 72496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
“Why after the party?” Dad asked. “Why are you still having a party, we have a funeral to plan and a broken family to fix because of you!”
“Broken families…” Ivan sighed. “Yes, I have experience with those. Then again, they can’t complain since they were all killed in cold blood, or what did you call it? Cleansed, yes, that’s right, cleansed.” Ivan shuddered. “Such a pretty clean word for something so horrible. It’s like you think you have a leg to stand on. I’m the new boss, so unless you want to call a commission before the funeral, this is how it’s going to go. You took from me, from all of us, now I’m going to take what’s most precious from you—oh wait, sorry—I already took, devoured, licked, and destroyed every shred of innocence, but don’t worry, the hard part is over. Now, we just play nice and get along. I’ll send you a wedding invite.”
He hung up the phone to my dad’s screams.
Ivan cupped my face with his smooth hands and leaned in until his mouth was almost touching my lips. “Even your own Family has abandoned you.”
“At least I have one.” I snapped.
He jerked back and smirked, then rubbed his hands together, his heavy rings clanging together. “I kind of like it when you hurt me.”
“That’s sick.”
“I thought you knew. The De Langes are sick, that’s my family line, get used to it. And try to show some leg, your tits aren’t impressive enough to get a second look.”
Tears burned the back of my eyes. “Yes, because as your fiancé, that’s what I want, attention from other men.”
“Better than attention from me.” He shrugged.
I reached for his hand, then dropped my own in my lap. “Why do you hate me so much? Why are you ruining my life?”
He frowned and got down in front of me, he reached up and cupped my chin. “If you think this is true hate, you’re in for a rude awakening, all you need to do is play your part and say I do and then leave the rest to me.”
My tears were streaming down my cheeks. “You said to trust you.”
“And you were dumb enough to do it.”
“Maybe because I’m dumb enough to see past the facade you’ve always had, maybe because I watch you more than you realize, maybe because I’m hoping I’m right.”
Ivan licked his lips and got up, hovering over me, pressing me back against the wall, his knees on either side of my body, digging into the bed. “Shall I prove you to all the ways you’re wrong then, starting with helping you get dressed?”
I stared down at his hands and then did a double take. His right hand was shaking, and his left hand was clenched into a fist.
I nodded. “Sure, Ivan, show me.”
His eyes flashed before he jerked away from me and went back to his side of the room and peeled off his shirt. “We don’t have time for games, plus you’d take more than a few minutes to get ready, prudes always do.”
“Whatever you say,” I whispered and went over to my closet to find something that would drive him crazy. I finally settled on a red leather mini skirt I’d worn for Halloween one year. Why did I even pack that? I added a matching red top and a long black tuxedo jacket with thigh-high boots. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and channeled my older sister, putting on dark lipstick and makeup that made me look older than I was.
When I was done, I turned around. “Good enough?”
Ivan’s eyes started at my toes, and slowly, painfully, inched up my body to my face.
He said nothing, just stomped over to me and shoved me against the wall, his mouth was on mine in seconds. He didn’t ask. He just took.
I gasped when he parted my lips with his tongue, flicking it against mine before he pulled away. “A reward for your efforts, prude.”
I reached for my knife from the bed and charged him with it, slamming him against the wall.
He flipped me around so fast that my head spun, pressing my chest against the same wall and the knife in my hand clattered to the ground. “He made you weak. Next time don’t make so much noise when you charge me, better you seduce me then stab me, then try to stab me, and get me distracted by this.” He slapped me on the ass gave me one last shove and moved away. “Let’s go.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“People often say things aren’t what they seem, but I digress, sometimes, they are exactly as they seem. You can’t hide the cold hard truth, especially when it stares up at you with lifeless eyes.” -—King Campisi
King
All of the old bosses were in the room, along with the new ones and every other captain and underboss.