The Power of a Woman: A Mafia Erotic Romance by Gina Whitney, Leddy Harper

causing my eyes to open. “So this plan of mine…are you in? And before you answer that, I need to make things very clear to you. By saying yes, you’re agreeing to follow my lead. No matter what. No questions asked. My plan…my rules. It’ll take a lot of trust, but I promise you, you’ll be by my side in the end.”
    “How exactly will I be by your side if my voice will be muted?”
    “When climbing a mountain, Tesoro, you have a leader—a guide—and then you have the single-filed line behind, trusting the person in front. But once you reach the top, you line up side by side and admire the view. I need you behind me going up…but once we’re standing on the top, you will be right next to me. Only you.”
    I nodded, no longer questioning him. I didn’t need to because he had my trust, my heart, and my soul. He hadn’t steered my wrong yet, and had given me no reason to believe he would.
    The only thing I needed to do was quiet down my inner feminine voice, and allow him to speak…for now.

Returning back to my father’s house, I’d hoped to sneak in and hide out in my room until my nerves had settled some, but I had no such luck. Daddy sat on the couch in the formal room across from the foyer, elbows on his knees as if waiting for my arrival. The moment the front door opened, he was on his feet, charging at me with arms spread wide and a deeply furrowed brow. I understood his worry, but wished he would’ve held off on the affection just a little bit longer.
    His arms hugged me tight and caused me to gasp, desperately holding in my pain. I didn’t do a good enough job, because he released me and took a step back, taking in my appearance for the first time. I watched silently as his eyes narrowed and glistened.
    “Jordana…what happened? What’s happened to your face?” Concern and anger laced his tone, warring with one another.
    “It’s not a big deal, Daddy. I went up to the market for some fresh fruit and got mugged. I’m fine, just a little busted up.”
    “Who was it? Did they catch the fucker? Did he get away?” Daddy fired off question after question, not giving me a moment to answer.
    “I don’t know who it was. I fought back and then was knocked down. He got away.”
    “Did he take anything? Did you cancel your credit cards? How much cash?”
    “Daddy,” I said, placing my hands on his broad shoulders to calm him down, “all I had on me was the bag of fruit. It was just the corner market. Everything is okay. I just need to lay down and relax please.”
    He seemed torn between following my wishes and keeping me close. “Why didn’t you call me?”
    Losing my patience, I looked him in the eye and said, “You sent me there because you had to deal with Matty, remember? I didn’t want you worrying about us both, especially since I was fine.” I gave him a quick peck on the cheek and then hauled my bag up the stairs to my room.
    The silence felt overwhelming, suffocating even. I hadn’t been alone once since Scarface, other than the thirty minutes earlier while waiting for the family car to show up. But there was something about sitting in my childhood room, observing the innocence I once held, and knowing that I was no longer that person. I’d never be that person again. It didn’t matter how strong I was, Zeke took something from me I’d never get back.
    A tear leaked from my eye before I even knew it, and I quickly wiped it away with the back of my finger, berating myself for showing any weakness. I’d made a vow to myself that I wouldn’t allow what had happened to me to break me. That monster might’ve torn me down, but Stefan built me back up. He remade me into a different person, a healed person. He’d given me his strength and promised me a future. All I needed to focus on was that.
    I didn’t remember falling asleep, but I knew I had when I woke up covered in sweat, my throat raw and my heart pounding heavily in my chest. My door flew open and my dad came rushing in,