Marked For Love (Mob Romance) by Cristina Grenier Page A

has me killed to send a message. Is that right?”
    “…It is.” The words were uttered without a shred of commiseration. Vicente’s strong features were neutral as his gaze met hers.
    “How?”
    He blinked, arching a brow at her unexpected inquiry. “’How what?”
    “How will they kill me?” It was a question she’d been struggling with ever since she’d been captured, and now that it had finally left her lips, Grace wasn’t so sure she really wanted to know the answer. She waited for Vicente to speak with bated breath.
    The man ran a hand through his raven locks, exhaling hotly before looking to her again. “I will kill you.” Grace stared into his eyes, trying to swallow her horror. “Most probably with a bullet between your eyes.”
    An almost violent shiver traversed the length of her form. How he could speak of it so casually, as if it didn’t matter whether or not she kept on breathing. Though she didn’t expect him to pour out his undying love for her, the man was obviously attracted enough to her to fuck her – but not enough to stay his hand.
    “Why you?” She managed, crossing her arms over her chest as she fought to maintain her composure. She had once had a very healthy fear of this man and she found it returning at the cool resignation in his gaze.
    “Because I’m good at it.”
    “Good at what?”
    “Killing people.” Grace’s stomach roiled in uncertainty at his unflinching words. “I have killed more men than you will ever know, and I have done it without flinching.”
    Though she had never seen him actually shoot a gun, Grace didn’t doubt him for an instant. There was something about the way the man carried himself – his seriousness, the way his dexterous fingers wove around one another when they were empty that spoke of danger. She’d seen Matteo and Gio defer to his commands – though she didn’t understand them – without question.
    It was obvious that he was someone important.
    “Who are you?”
    At her inquiry, the man before her smiled, the gesture utterly devoid of humor. “Someone you will forget, in time, Grace. Once your father sends for you, I’ll be nothing but a distant, horrifying memory.”
    She stared at the man’s handsome visage, utterly perplexed. “You think you’re horrifying?”
    “I know I am.”
    His certainty was breathtaking. “How do you know?”
    Vicente fixed her with another, thin smile. “Because it’s the only thing that’s kept me alive.” With that, he rose from the bed, turning in preparation to leave. Grace’s heart leapt into her throat. That was it? Now that she was finished telling him everything about her past and her father, he meant to leave her alone again with her thoughts?
    She didn’t think she could bear it.
    Reaching out before he could think twice, Grace wound her fingers around his wrist, her expression taut. “Wait!”
    Vicente stopped in his tracks before slowly turning to face her, his eyes taking in her grip on his arm a moment before rising to burn into her own. The lust she saw there stole her breath. “Do not take liberties with me, Grace. The first time, I was gentle with you. If you persist, you may not be so lucky the second time around. His hand raised to encircle her throat in a grip as sudden as it was firm, and when he squeezed gently, she found herself gasping for breath. “I could hurt you.”
    Even as warning bells sounded in her head, Grace felt an unexpected flood of warmth between her legs and her eyes widened. She didn’t think any man had dared to touch her this way. Though Vicente’s grip on her was indeed frightening, there was also something oddly arousing in it.
    He could crush her windpipe.
    Or he could just hold her in place, with his fingers wrapped firmly around her neck, as he fucked her into insensibility.
    The thought made her eyes slide closed as she took a shuddering, shallow breath. With his opposite hand, Vicente reached up to take a section of her dark hair between his