in, his lips curving into a seductive smile that had me feeling faint. “I’ll make a wager with you.”
“I don’t gamble.”
“You’re in deep with us and you don’t even realize it. Doll, you’re one mistake away from being a comare.” He sighed, “And of course you gamble, it’s in your blood to bet against the odds, isn’t it?”
Damn the man for being perceptive. And damn him for basically labeling me a mafia whore. He knew nothing about my reasons behind wanting Luca—absolutely nothing. And being told I was a whore did nothing to push me away from my plan—if anything it fanned the flames.
“I’m listening.”
He moved in, his body encasing mine against the bar, the heat radiating from his skin like a scorching fire. “You earn a kiss from Luca, hell you earn any sort of emotional reaction from the man, and I’ll pay for your hospital bills.”
“W-what?” My knees knocked together as my entire body threatened to collapse against him. How the hell did he know I was in the hospital? That I needed treatments?
“You heard me.” He whispered, his lips curving into a menacing smile. “Get’s expensive doesn’t it?”
“I have no idea—“
“—stop.” He tilted my chin toward him, his breath was hot on my face. “You win his affection, I save your life.”
Tears blurred my line of vision. So he knew.
He knew how bad it was.
He knew I didn’t have money to pay.
He was calling up my marker and forcing my hand.
Damn mafia, damn Alefero’s.
“Fine,” I pushed against him, “And if I fail?”
“You marry me.”
“W-what?” I screeched loud enough for people standing next to us to pause and take notice. My heart was beating so erratically I was worried I was going to pass out. Marry him while I loved someone else?
Frank leaned in, his lips curving into a predatory smile, “I need a wife. You’ll do.”
“You’re a bastard.” I hissed.
“I’m your savior.” He bit his bottom lip, “It’s a win-win, a sure bet, a sure thing. What could possibly go wrong? Either you win his affection, his heart, and his money, or you win me, and I clear your debt. Forever.”
I was making a deal with the devil. I knew it in my soul, I was making the wrong choice, a bad choice, but he was offering me my very life, how could I say no to that? When I so desperately wanted to live.
My hand shook as I held it out, “You have a deal.”
He gripped it tightly within his then jerked me against his chest. “That’s not how we make deals, doll.”
“Wha—“
His mouth crashed over mine. The feeling, while I wanted to say it was unpleasant, was anything but. Warmth seeped into my cold lifeless veins, my body came to life, and just when my tongue brushed against his, he pulled back. “Deal.”
CHAPTER TWO
Luca was a young man while Frank was fifteen years his senior… what Luca lacked in maturity Frank made up for in spades. The man was a walking, talking, gangster. People rarely looked him in the eye and I knew that Luca wanted nothing more than to follow in his older brother’s footsteps. It’s why he chose not to feel, why he shied away from women. But not for long. I’m afraid to say, this story, does not end as most do — Happy. – Joyce Alfero
I KNEW SHE’D BEEN staring at me, how the hell could I not? There wasn’t a moment I wasn’t aware of her. Damn it, even during the one and only time I’d been with a woman in my entire life— the whole time, all I could imagine was Joyce’s lush red lips, her steel gray eyes and long brown hair. Granted, the woman had been a whore. A gift from the men to reward me for being one of the youngest to infiltrate the family in over a decade—something my older brother hadn’t even accomplished.
They gifted me with a whore.
But all I wanted was Joyce.
“You alright?” Paul asked.
“Course.” I took a slow drink of whiskey and glanced back at Joyce.
Just in time to see Frank pull her in for a kiss.
The glass
“I don’t gamble.”
“You’re in deep with us and you don’t even realize it. Doll, you’re one mistake away from being a comare.” He sighed, “And of course you gamble, it’s in your blood to bet against the odds, isn’t it?”
Damn the man for being perceptive. And damn him for basically labeling me a mafia whore. He knew nothing about my reasons behind wanting Luca—absolutely nothing. And being told I was a whore did nothing to push me away from my plan—if anything it fanned the flames.
“I’m listening.”
He moved in, his body encasing mine against the bar, the heat radiating from his skin like a scorching fire. “You earn a kiss from Luca, hell you earn any sort of emotional reaction from the man, and I’ll pay for your hospital bills.”
“W-what?” My knees knocked together as my entire body threatened to collapse against him. How the hell did he know I was in the hospital? That I needed treatments?
“You heard me.” He whispered, his lips curving into a menacing smile. “Get’s expensive doesn’t it?”
“I have no idea—“
“—stop.” He tilted my chin toward him, his breath was hot on my face. “You win his affection, I save your life.”
Tears blurred my line of vision. So he knew.
He knew how bad it was.
He knew I didn’t have money to pay.
He was calling up my marker and forcing my hand.
Damn mafia, damn Alefero’s.
“Fine,” I pushed against him, “And if I fail?”
“You marry me.”
“W-what?” I screeched loud enough for people standing next to us to pause and take notice. My heart was beating so erratically I was worried I was going to pass out. Marry him while I loved someone else?
Frank leaned in, his lips curving into a predatory smile, “I need a wife. You’ll do.”
“You’re a bastard.” I hissed.
“I’m your savior.” He bit his bottom lip, “It’s a win-win, a sure bet, a sure thing. What could possibly go wrong? Either you win his affection, his heart, and his money, or you win me, and I clear your debt. Forever.”
I was making a deal with the devil. I knew it in my soul, I was making the wrong choice, a bad choice, but he was offering me my very life, how could I say no to that? When I so desperately wanted to live.
My hand shook as I held it out, “You have a deal.”
He gripped it tightly within his then jerked me against his chest. “That’s not how we make deals, doll.”
“Wha—“
His mouth crashed over mine. The feeling, while I wanted to say it was unpleasant, was anything but. Warmth seeped into my cold lifeless veins, my body came to life, and just when my tongue brushed against his, he pulled back. “Deal.”
CHAPTER TWO
Luca was a young man while Frank was fifteen years his senior… what Luca lacked in maturity Frank made up for in spades. The man was a walking, talking, gangster. People rarely looked him in the eye and I knew that Luca wanted nothing more than to follow in his older brother’s footsteps. It’s why he chose not to feel, why he shied away from women. But not for long. I’m afraid to say, this story, does not end as most do — Happy. – Joyce Alfero
I KNEW SHE’D BEEN staring at me, how the hell could I not? There wasn’t a moment I wasn’t aware of her. Damn it, even during the one and only time I’d been with a woman in my entire life— the whole time, all I could imagine was Joyce’s lush red lips, her steel gray eyes and long brown hair. Granted, the woman had been a whore. A gift from the men to reward me for being one of the youngest to infiltrate the family in over a decade—something my older brother hadn’t even accomplished.
They gifted me with a whore.
But all I wanted was Joyce.
“You alright?” Paul asked.
“Course.” I took a slow drink of whiskey and glanced back at Joyce.
Just in time to see Frank pull her in for a kiss.
The glass
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