Bound by the Mafia

ot You

shot the question at Alessandro as

locked me inside this godforsaken palace and wa

an who hasn't learne

aid, stepping toward him.

ovement. Sharp. Calcu

remembered,

h the gunpowder edge of his aura. "You're not here to impress me, Valeri

goddamn messag

envelope. Fragile, sealed, and easily

is talent for turnin

jaw. "I'm not

already knew every lie I

d quietly. "I want your silence.

want a trained d

Instead, he turned, walked to the desk in the

ed it on

tar

uments. Pho

l

The books you read. The pills you flushed. The cal

k. My tongue

rd, close, voic

d I'll show you what

nce and the folder. But he'd

like a ghost is s

, but the tension in the di

ike a toddler," I said, stabbing a piece of

shrug. "We don't exactly hand out

handeliers, antique silverware, polished oak floors. But beneath the

red. The silence shifted with hi

site me wit

d to loo

ffee, calm as a prie

angry,"

. "You're p

," he said, "and yo

ithout a key and a ho

p down. "You think I enj

me, Ricci. I just

t slightly. "Liking m

g for permissio

ion between us hovered

the doo

walk

la Gri

tiful, and i

hispered something I couldn't hear, and left a lin

before she g

re Alessandr

shifted in his expressi

touchable because of

marble as she circled me like

om, arms crossed, back straight. "No. I k

ess. "You're just a spoiled daug

ou're the maid who cleaned h

hot out-qu

aught h

ened, just f

fraid of y

from my grip, stepping back. "Fear is

rd the grand staircase, he

dn't

t the top of the

seen

dn't

nodde

m

t

ime-I wasn't sure w

me like that?" I asked, vo

eplace, arms crossed, shadows dancing

out if you're the stor

air, stepping closer. "Yo

think you're here

ng heavy b

our prison

ot free eithe

e truth in

What do you want fr

Everything your fath

sing me will

red. "But it'l

something in me flutte

d my chin-light, f

't pul

ast e

a breath against my sk

ed. "I fe

without hu

ound came-muff

uns

cl

t far

rking orders.

n't lo

n't l