My pulse drums a frantic beat in my throat.
“Listen closely. You don’t have a choice. I don’t have a choice. You were a witness. Roman knows that.” His thumbs trace small circles on my cheekbones, the gentle motion at odds with his harsh words. “If we don’t get married, you die.”
Coldness seeps into my veins, starting at my crown and washing downward until even my toes go numb. I suck my lower lip between my teeth.
His eyes drop to my mouth, linger there, then lift to meet my gaze again. “I was supposed to kill you. But for some reason I’ve yet to comprehend, I didn’t. Now I’m saving you the only way I can.”
The confession skates down my spine. I can’t look away. Can’t break free from the unexpected depths of his gaze. Behind the icy calculation, beneath the violence and the control, lurk other emotions. Jagged and painful. A darkness shot through with desperate hope.
Brutal killer…but not a threat to me. This brutal killer wants to keep me safe.
For a split second, I see a man imprisoned by his own rigid rules. Alexei wants me alive. As his “fiancée,” I’ll be an asset for him to protect.
Gio Falcone wants me dead. The choice isn’t between freedom and a cage. It’s a choice between a cage and a coffin.
“Money?” The words slip out, barely above a whisper.
His hand tightens, his thumb pressing against my lower lip. “How much do you need?”
“A fuckload.” I grimace at how mercenary that sounds. “Little sisters in college are expensive.”
His gradual, predatory smile slides over my skin like a caress. “Good.”
I inhale, steadying myself against the dizzy feeling his proximity inspires. “Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”
Not a random number. That amount will pay for Samantha’s tuition, her books, her housing for the next two years, and her medical school. The amount will launch my sister into a life I can only dream of. Will ensure that no matter what happens to me, Sam will be okay. And I can finally pay off the debt I’ve been juggling for years.
If I’m trapped, I’m claiming something for myself too. I’m securing the one thing that matters.
I expect him to balk at the amount.
To laugh.
To negotiate.
Alexei doesn’t even blink at the outrageous price I declared. He simply pulls out his phone. “What cash app do you use?”
My ears start to buzz, but I share my information. He shows me his screen to confirm he found my account.
The buzzing in my ears grows louder, approaching a dull roar.
He taps the screen a few times, fingers moving with casual confidence. Then he slides his phone back into his pocket. “Done. Samantha and your bills are all taken care of.”
Just like that.
Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Gone from his world and transferred into mine. Like ordering a pizza.
Or fifty zillion pizzas.
“Where’s your laptop?” The question tumbles out before I can second-guess myself, but I need to secure the money before he changes his mind.
He gestures toward the sleek computer on his desk in the corner. I collapse into the chair, aware of him hovering behind me. Even without his touch, his presence is a physical weight against my back.
He has me wait an hour before checking my account. My fingers fly across the keyboard as I log into my bank.
The number is dizzying.
Six figures where there should be three.
