Page 53 of Angel

Chapter Sixteen – Paige

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the ceiling.

What was the point, anyway?

The world held nothing good for me anymore.

As of six hours ago, I was officially twenty-five. I could rent a car. I could say I was one quarter of the way to a century.

I could marry that Italian mafia boss.

All day long I’d been on edge, unable to get anything done at work. Despite that, I hadn’t wanted to leave the office.

Now twenty-five, the New York streets were scarier than they’d ever been. How exactly would this deal go down? Would I be walking to the subway when a black car would pull up and snatch me, then take me to a basement where I would be married off and kept in captivity, not able to see anyone or go to work ever again?

Despite those fears, I made it home in one piece. No one waited for me on the streets, or at the apartment.

Which meant it could happen any time. Moretti’s goons could be walking up the apartment steps right now.

Would I fight? Would I just give in?

I hadn’t decided yet.

Once I saw the face of the man who had a part in killing my parents, I would likely lose my shit and try to destroy him. Maybe I’d be punished. Or killed.

Maybe that would be fine.

I hadn’t heard from Angelo. Which made sense. What I’d perceived as growing love had been nothing but an illusion. It was best if we never saw each other again.

And Sophia had been MIA as well. Again. I hadn’t gotten her on the phone since she flew out of the apartment with that claim to ‘take care’ of things.

The game was over. I’d lost.

A noise came from the front of the apartment, sending me bolting up to sitting.

Here he came. Moretti.

“Paige?”

I let out a sigh of relief. “Sophia!”

She pushed my cracked bedroom door open. “What are you doing?”

“Waiting for my life to be over.” I pursed my lips in an attempt to not cry, but the bottom one trembled horribly.

Bags sat under Sophia’s eyes, but her irises sparkled. “Nu-uh. Not today, sister.”

“Huh?”

“There is no more Moretti.”

“What are you talking about?”

“He died. Someone killed him in Italy.”

My jaw came unhinged. “What?”

She came and sat next to me on the bed and took my hand. “And there’s more. It turns out he already took care of the paperwork for your marriage. He signed his Sicily house and property over to you and me.”