Page 119 of Joey

“What happened to him?”

“Viktor slit his throat.”

She wipes the tears from her cheeks and glances back at the trunk where Viktor currently lies, sedated. “Evil fuck,” she mutters.

* * *

Joey barely speaksfor the rest of the journey home, and as soon as we arrive at the mansion, she jumps out of the car and runs to Kat and Anya who stand in the driveway with Lorenzo, awaiting our return.

“Joey!” Kat throws her arms around her, hugging her tight. My girl clings to her, sagging against her sister-in-law, finally showing vulnerability. Anya hugs her too, and the three women stand in the driveway embracing. Tears are shed, but no words are needed.

When they pull apart, Lorenzo tugs his sister away and kisses her head. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” She nods.

“Let me deal with this sack of shit.” He nods at Viktor as Dante and I take him from the trunk.

“No. I want to,” Joey insists. “I need to, Lorenzo.”

He nods his understanding. “Of course, but it’s late. Everyone’s tired, and he’s not going anywhere.”

“Kat can stitch up that knife wound. Then we leave him chained in the basement tonight and we can handle him tomorrow,” Dante adds.

Joey opens her mouth to argue but sways on her feet. Kat wraps an arm around her. “Your brothers are right. You need to rest right now, and then tomorrow you can decide what to do.”

Joey looks at her eldest brother. “You won’t do anything without me, will you?”

“No. I swear.”

She glances at me. She’s barely spoken a word to me since she told me she hates me.

“Let him wake up alone and cold and wondering when someone is coming for him and how he’s going to die,” I suggest.

“Okay,” she finally agrees.

ChapterForty-Nine

JOEY

My heart is racing, and my stomach is a twisted knot of emotion as I walk inside my bedroom. Max follows behind me and closes the door. The click of the lock makes my breath hitch in my throat. I told him that I hate him. I punched Dante. And all they did was come to rescue me.

The tension in the room is thick enough to taste. My skin bristles, sensing his closeness as he draws near. He steps up behind me, his warm breath tickling my neck, and a shudder runs the length of my entire body.

“So you hate me, baby girl?” he says, his voice is low and full of danger, and it makes my knees tremble. Max presses his lips against the shell of my ear, and my flesh breaks out with spontaneous goosebumps. “Or do you want to take that back?”

Of course I don’t hate him. But I’m still beyond fucking angry. Pissed off at everyone. At him and my brothers. Monique. But mostly, my incandescent rage is directed at the Russian sack of elephant shit who thought he could force me to become his wife. Histhing.

Turning around, I look up at Max as he towers over me. “I hate when you don’t trust me enough to tell me the truth. Like I’m some sort of idiot who would fall to pieces if I had to deal with reality.”

His eyes blaze into mine and the heat that surrounds me does nothing to stop the tremors rippling through my body. Tucking my hair behind my ear, his fingertips graze my skin and make me shiver. “I’ll never keep the truth from you again.”

Tears prick at my eyes. That was the last thing I expected him to say. “You promise?”

“I promise.”

He dips his head low, dusting his lips over my neck. “I love you so fucking much, Joey.”

I close my eyes, trying to savor the moment with him because this is all I dreamed about when I worried that I’d never have it again. But all I can think about is Viktor. His hands on me. His smell. His kiss. His vile little cock. Bile surges up from my empty stomach and I reel backward, but Max puts his hands on my hips, holding me steady.