Page 80 of The Devil's Heir

"My father is making phone calls as we speak, trying to find out if any hits were put out," Joey informs me.

"I figured as much. I want Costa, Baratta, and Greco to be the first ones checked out."

"You don't think Carmen's uncle would do something like this, do you?" Joey asks incredulously.

"Honestly? He's my number one suspect."

"Damn, I knew he had an interest in being allies with your family, but I wouldn't have thought he'd go this far." My friend shakes his head.

"Who do you think inherits it all if I were to die without an heir?"

"Carmen." Joey deadpans.

"Exactly. I don't know if the shooter was after me or Liliana, or both, but either way, they're a dead man walking. Liliana could have been killed tonight, and that does not bode well for the shooters or the one who put the hit out."

I can feel my friend's eyes on me as I continue to drive. I'm just about ready to say something when he finally speaks.

"Talk to me, Jarek. Have your feelings for the woman changed?" he asks.

"What do you mean by changed? I've always had feelings for her; you know this."

"I know, but it seems like they may be stronger than what you had led on."

I give him another shrug. "It doesn't matter. Liliana will be the mother of my children, so I will protect her with my life."

"Children?" I can hear the amusement in Joey's voice. "I thought it was singular."

"Well, you thought wrong. I won't have a different woman for all my children. Liliana will bear all of my spawns."

Joey throws his head back with a boisterous laugh. When he calms down, he says, "Spawn is definitely the correct term for anything you produce."

"Fuck off, Joey…" I growl but end up smiling in the end.

We drive for a bit in silence, but Joey groans when Lonzo's estate comes into view. I don't have to wonder why. I can see the pink convertible parked in the circular drive. The car belongs to no other than Joey's future wife, one he did not choose for himself.

It's now my turn to grin. Joey may give me shit about Liliana, but at least she's my personal choice. My friend here, is stuck with the blonde Barbie Wannabe who his parents arranged for him to marry. So, I guess life could be worse for me—I could be in Joey's shoes.

THIRTY-NINE

Liliana

It's almost three in the morning when I hear my bedroom door creak open. I could remain still and pretend I'm asleep, but my nerves are frayed as they are; I need to know what Jarek has found out.

I sit up in my bed, and even though it's pitch black once he closes the door, I can still see his shadow move towards me.

"Liliana..." My name rolls off his lips in the dark, making me shiver, but not in a bad way. "You should be fast asleep."

"I couldn't sleep, not without knowing whether you found anything out," I breathed softly.

The bed dips with his weight as he sits on the edge. He reaches over and turns the small lamp on. Blinking back the little light that floods the room, I wait for my eyes to adjust, and when they do, I find Jarek gazing at my bare collarbone.

The strap to my negligee has fallen. I should straighten it, but I like how Jarek stares at me. A stirring occurs in the deepest depths of my core, and I find myself having trouble breathing.

"It's much better with the light on. The view is rather pleasing," Jarek muses with a smile.

"Jarek, please—tell me what you found out. I've been worried ever since you sent me away."

I need to take my mind off this man and what I know he can and will do to my body. After our dinner date, I don't think I can trust myself around him. Jarek has a way of putting me under a spell, and my body—the betraying bitch that she is—will submit to his every whim. Getting him to talk about last night will help distract me—Ihope.