Page 34 of He Should Be Mine

Fire burns in my stomach. Hot and potent. It’s burning through me. Consuming and cleansing, and just like that, everything is suddenly crystal clear.

I’ve killed before. I’ve neverwantedto. But now I do. I want to wrap my hands around Riccardo’s neck and squeeze until the light goes out of his eyes.

Then I want to take Molly and run. Take him far, far away.

But that is a stupid plan. Stupid and shortsighted. It would be nothing more than a life sentence. If I murder the Ajello heir, Molly will never be safe.

I need to be clever. For Molly’s sake. If I want him to be safe and happy, there are steps I need to take.

Riccardo is clearly on the way down. His own father has ordered me to spy on him. So I need to help Riccardo on his way. Aid his fall from glory.

I have to feed the Don misinformation. Subtle. Slow. Believable. A dangerous game to play, but I will play it so very carefully, because I cannot get caught.

Then, once Riccardo is gone, Molly will be free. He will be safe. I can set him up somewhere nice. Molly will be happy and have everything he deserves. His blue eyes will shine with joy. He will never have bruises marring his pale skin.

I breathe in deeply through my nose. It feels so damn good to finally have a plan. To know what I want and how I am going to get it.

But at this moment, everything is awful. To achieve my goal means that right now, I have to take Molly back to Riccardo.

My hand gently takes Molly’s arm. He doesn’t react. My feet won’t move. They are frozen for the second time tonight.

I close my eyes. I have iron cast willpower, forged since I was a young boy. I can do anything I put my mind to. I’ve done worse things than this, even though right now it doesn’t feel like it.

I force my feet to move. Molly stumbles along with me. He follows me like a lamb to the slaughter.

Just as we reach the bedroom door, it opens. Riccardo’s hair is slicked back and wet. He has a towel slung around his waist.

“He wandered off,” I explain quickly.

Riccardo grins, wolfish in the dim light. He takes Molly’s other arm. I let go. He pulls Molly towards him and into the room.

The door slams in my face.

But I don’t mind the insult. Riccardo is going to pay. He is going to pay for everything. I’m going to destroy him.

And then Molly will be mine.

Chapter ten

Molly

Sunlight is burning through my eyelids. It’s lancing all the way through to my brain where it is pounding like a jackhammer.

With a groan, I turn over, away from the window. My vow to never sleep with the blinds shut again is seriously backfiring on me.

“Are you alive?” Dario’s deep voice rumbles from somewhere nearby.

I prise one of my eyes open a sliver. Dario is hovering in the doorway of my bedroom. His large frame all but filling it. He looks concerned.

“Unfortunately,” I croak.

He frowns. “Do you need a doctor?”

A doctor? How sweet. As well as melodramatic. I don’t think a hangover has ever killed anyone, even though they might have wanted it to. Which is pretty much the way I am feeling right now.

I groan out my misery. “No doctor, just a gallon of water, a ton of painkillers and a fry-up.”

“Can you make it to the living room?”