Page 105 of The Mafia's Bride

Agony rips across my face and this time, I can’t hold back the wince.

“You have a smart mouth for someone at my mercy. It’d look better wrapped around my cock.”

A slip of gold around his neck draws my attention even as my skin crawls. Right there, under his white collar, sits my mother’s cross.

Between his hard hold, I mutter, “You mugged me.”

I’m not asking, and he knows it. The asshole smiles.

“I needed you to be afraid. Think Lex couldn’t protect you. That anyone could get to you.” He releases me, holding the cross up like a trophy. He can fucking have it. “I didn’t expect my fucking cousin to coddle you. When you went to the docks, I had to improvise. This was supposed to be easy,” he snarls, dropping the cross.

White hot fury licks up my arms.

He was trying to scare me away from Lex. Never mind I was already falling for him, never mind that I only ever felt safe with him, Dom wanted me terrified. He wanted that captain to scare me.

Prove that Lex wasn’t in control. Show the world that he couldn’t be an effective leader.

Dom didn’t plan on Lex killing for me.

“So, scare me and then what, be my knight in shining armor?” I drawl, fighting back the urge to claw his eyes out. “You’d let Lex take the fall for all the shipment issues, step in to fix it and then what? Take over the family?”

He winks. “I always knew you were smart. It’d be so easy to do it. Especially because I was the one fucking with his shipments. No one expected me.”

“Except my sister didn’t react the way you wanted.” I’m fishing, but I need to keep him talking. Draw this out. Wait for help.

My eyes slide along the floor. My small beautiful clutch is across the way.

The small black gun Nico trained with is still in it. So is the knife Maeve gave me.

I could either wait for help or get to my purse.

“Fucking Ace.” Dom seethes, throwing his glass tumbler. Glass explodes by my head, but I don’t flinch. I can’t show any fear. “Your sister is a fucking cunt. She’s this hard-ass who plucks guys’ eyes out with her fingernails but lets Lex off with a warning when her shit goes missing? Like what does a guy have to do to see his cousin get fucking killed?”

Maeve’s stuff was missing? She didn’t hurt Lex for it?

I push that away for later. Survive now. Ask questions later.

“So this kidnapping.” I lick my lips, ignoring the cut. “Was a way to draw Lex out. Kill him and what? Make it look like someone else.”

He taps his nose. “Bruno has been looking to get even with Lex after his display over the bridge. Do you know I helped him do it? Bruno was pissed when it happened. This is just the smoking gun to make it look like they finally got him back. Take his wife, kill him, Ihappen to walk in and look like the hero.” He dusts his hands as if to rid himself of the invisible trouble. “Easy. What I wanted to happen was take you and therefore the alliance, but things get a bit complicated when emotions are involved. So we improvised. I’ll get what I want.” His eyes rake over my body again. “I’ll keep the alliance by marrying you. And Lex is gone. Finally.”

A noise behind us is so light, I almost miss it.

Unfortunately, Dom rears at it and hastily shoving a rag into my mouth. “Shh.” He taps my cheek, just like how his parents do to Lex to show affection.

Bile burns my throat. He disgraced something beautiful, and I hope he burns in hell for it.

He slips into the shadows to the side and I see Lex. His face is a mask of rage and fury, darkened by the shadows. He’s an avenging God, forearms bare, a gun held in his large palms.

Everything in me sags in relief.

Until he spots me, drops his weapon, and rushes to my side.

I try to warn him, but the rag blocks my words.

Once he takes it out, I say, “No, Lex! It’s a trap.”

He doesn’t move fast enough as Dom uses the butt of his gun to knock my husband unconscious. He crumples to his knees first, hands digging into my arms as if he can forcefully keep himself awake. Physically keep me safe. Dom hits him again, again.