MAFIA EMBRACE

AR

s my chest tightened, my breaths coming in

lie I'd ever told. My hands shook in my lap, my pulse racing like a cornered animal. Desp

used expression flickering across his

nking. The second those words left my mouth, my hand flew up over m

s face for just a moment. A breath of silence passed between us before the corne

ing, "I mean, really-there's been some kind of mistake.

an

Mr.Dante. Rea

rds died in my throat when his hand reemerged holding a sleek, black pistol. He set it on the table

mach d

that shut her up completely. He didn't raise the gun or

I swore, words tumbling before my inner editor could clip the spill. "It's not what you think-I only took it bec

digging into me like twin daggers. He s

s expensive, and the hospital was going to kick her out if I di

dable. Then, after what felt like an eternity, he exhaled a plume of

" he sai

tunned. "You

. Your mother's illness, your dead beat dad, your mentor, your crushed dreams, your

htened. "I d

cing through me like a knife. "You

d yelled. Hard, I swallowed, biza

did you ev

ash from his cigarette into a crys

did I do that?" Lying and

umb, Siara. You hacked one of my accounts-a secured s

sed... something I created. A dummy program,

as he regarded me. "A dummy creation

"I didn't think it

it another cigar and took another drag from it,

rt revealing a hint of his toned chest. The veins in his forearms stood out

zing it, my gaze lingering

eyes were locked on my mouth, the intensity

I quickly looked awa

d. "You owe me twenty thousand dollars. And an extra

I said quickly to which he responded with, "No shit." I purse

He said simply. "There i

d a beat. "What

expression unreada

rrowed. "Wo

der your debt settled. I will also make sure your mother

l open. "You

ste my time

acing. "What

base and stay for the duration of the year. You won't leave, break

lazily to the g

ath hi

discussing the weather. "And the men stationed near your m

vision swam.

y m

options; it wasn't really a choic

e cracked. "I don't

op

n defeat. "Fine," I w

nto a sleek briefcase and produced a contract, s

" he o

embling. I hesitated, my mind sc

nd pressed it to the dotted line. With a qui

ze was cruel, a faint sm

board, Sia