Page 73 of The Ruin I Chose

“We need to move before that.”

“I’ll get some of my men in too. They’ll touch base with you by tomorrow,” I said.

Cheung leaned in. “Things will get busy. I hope you don’t have any liabilities. You know how important trafficking is to him. It’s his main source. He’ll come at you with everything.”

“Just what I want,” I said. “This time, I’ll finish him for good.”

Cheung smiled. “Good. Then let’s begin.”

I knew exactly what Cheung meant by liability.

Mine was Roxanne.

I was supposed to stay away. But inside—I wasn’t sure. I’d felt her pulse. Touched her lips. Heard her whisper my name like I still belonged to her.

And now, every move I made felt like betrayal—to her or to myself, I couldn’t tell.

I had to end this fast. For her. For me. For whatever chance we had left. Before Lorenzo turned Roxanne into collateral.

CHAPTER 30

LORENZO

The villa was quiet. Just the wind, waves, and the weight of power. The kind of silence only men like me could afford. The kind that came after bloodshed.

I sat at my desk, shirt open, chest bare, whiskey in hand, watching the world burn—because I lit the fucking match.

The woman between my legs was working like she’s done it a hundred times. I grabbed her hair, shoved her deeper—groaning as she gagged on my cock. Her throat clenched around me. I liked that sound—the one she made when she choked. Knowing that she was one breath away from turning blue with the lack of air made my cock throb.

The phone buzzed. I ignored it. Let the world wait. It rang again. I flung the burner towards Marco—my most trusted man. He caught it mid-air, checked the screen and spoke low.

“Ahh, bella… that mouth of yours is fucking magic. I’m about to come.”

I pushed my cock deeper, shoving ropes of cum down her throat. She coughed, wiping her mouth, eyes glazed. I zipped up. Don’t look at her again. Just another throat. Just another hole.

“Who the fuck is it?”

“Chang. From China.”

Of course it’s Chang. Those slippery fucks can’t do one thing straight. Always need a leash. Isabella stood, adjusting her blouse.

She looked at Marco. “Enjoyed the show?”

He didn’t answer. He never did.

I downed the rest of my whiskey, listening to Chang’s voice. Then hurled the glass across the room, shattering against the wall.

“Fuck!”

The cargo’s gone. The merchandise—fucking meat vanished.

“Ambushed,” I growled. “Just before Chinese waters.”

Someone got brave—or stupid. Doesn’t matter. They’ll be dead by the weekend. Isabella poured herself a drink, eyes narrowing.

“Do you know who it is?”

I walked to the window. Waves crash against the rocks. I took a long drag from my cigar, exhaled slowly. Smoke curled around my face like a veil.