AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My heart cracked in two when he told me it was my duty to our family that I marry a man old enough to be my grandfather. And for what?
To strengthen our family’s criminal ties.
I have nothing to do with any of it. I’ve never been involved in my family’s shady businesses, and yet, they choose to use me like this?
Why me?
I mean, sure, all of my siblings are married, but still . . .why me?
I thought being a good daughter was enough to earn my family’s love but apparently not. They care so little that they would sell me off to an old man, and not just any old man, but the leader of the Albanian crime family. A man known for his cruel nature.
Hell, even my older siblings thought that it was a good plan and called me selfish when I said I wouldn’t do it.
Their agreement was the final straw that pushed me to rebel for the first time in my life and come to this underground fighting club, right into the hands of the Italian Mafia.
Despite what my family thinks, I’m not some naive little girl. I know why my father promised me to Anton Berisha. He wants an alliance between the Russians and the Albanians, something I know the Italians would do anything to prevent. My plan was to come here and find one of the Rossi familycaposand ask for sanctuary. If my family cannot find me, they cannot force me to marry Anton.
Finding this place was the easiest part. I’ve heard my brothers talk about all the cage fights that happen here and how many men gather here to watch fights and sometimes even bring their girlfriends with them.
The last thing I expected was to encounter Luca Ricci, the Rossi family underboss and the most feared man in the city. When he’d grabbed my wrist and spun me around, I’d recognized my father’s greatest enemy immediately.
“I-I’m sorry, I’ll just go,” I whisper, my heart pounding so fast it threatens to burst from my chest. Nothing my father will do to me could possibly compare the things I’ve heard about this man. “I promise I’ll leave. Please don’t hurt me!”
“I don’t believe for a second that you came here for help. Why are you really here?”
“I’m sorry,” I say again, tears rolling silently down my cheeks, my chest growing tight as my throat closes up, and suddenly, I can’t breathe. “I—”
He catches me before I can drop to the floor, lowering me gently as I fight to catch my breath. “Slowly,” he says in a soothing tone I would have never guessed him capable of as herubs circles over my back. “Slow, deep breaths, princess. Don’t pass out on me.”
I dig my fingers into the arms he has wrapped around me as I fight not to choke on air, the soothing motions on my back and the deeply growled assurances ease the ache in my chest but not completely. “P-please . . .”
“I won’t hurt you,” Luca says roughly, his voice sending a calming sensation to my chest. “No one is going to hurt you.”
“Okay,” I whisper, falling slack against him as my lungs resume functioning. I can’t explain it, but something about him makes me trust what he says. We stay on the cold floor locked in silence, the sound of cheers and rough grunts from down below echoing through the room.
“I won’t hurt you,” he says again, finally shattering the tense silence. “But you know I can’t let you go, right?”
“Why not?” I whisper, panic swelling in my chest once more. “I promise I didn’t mean any harm. I’m not here to spy. I won’t say anything to anyone if you let me go. No one knows I came here, and no one will.”
Luca doesn’t respond, and I figure he’s mulling it over, but my hope comes crashing down when he shakes his head. “I cannot let you leave here and marry the Albanian.”
My head whips around to look at him. “How do you know about that?”
He shakes his head but doesn’t say anything as he helps me to my feet. My instinct is to thank him, but then I remember the situation I am in and decide to keep quiet, wishing again that I had stayed safely at home.
The thought brings me pause.
There is no telling how long I would be in that home before I’d have to move in with my husband as his fourth wife. The thought of sharing my bed with the man I’ve been promised to sends a shiver through my body.
“Let’s go,” Luca says, grabbing my wrist, but I dig my heels into the floor.
“Where are we going?” No way am I going anywhere with this man unless he promises to drive me home. “You said you wouldn’t hurt me.”
“I stand by that,” he says firmly. “I am not going to let anyone else hurt you either, but until I know what to do with you, I am keeping you with me.”
“What? No!” I cry, grabbing his hand with my left and trying to pry his grip off me. How can he be so casual about kidnapping me?
“You have two options: be a good little girl and follow me out quietly or continue to be stubborn, and I will be forced to carry you out. Either way, you are leaving with me.”
