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“Butcher.” I repeat the name.
“Yep, I’m sure you’ll meet him at some point. He’s around.” She waves her hand. “If people think we’re psycho, it’s probably because of him. He can be a bit unorthodox in his ways, but he must be very good at what he does because my brother keeps him around. They say he can get information out ofanyone.”
I swallow hard. “I’d rather not test the theory for myself.”
Carina bursts into laughter. I don’t know what to make of Carina, but I know I like her. She’s a bratty smartass with a dark side. But I also like how direct and in your face she is. She doesn’t hold back.
“We might butcher people here, but women aren’t cattle.”
“Your brother married me against my will,” I remind her.
“Did he?” she challenges. “Does he make you do anything against your will? Besides when it comes to safety…” I open my mouth and close it. She’s right. “You’re safe here. Antonio will never make me marry against my will, nor would he ever make any children you two have together.”
“I’m not having kids with him. I’m killing him.” I drop back down in the chair, stretching out my legs. “Not today, obviously. But soon.”
“Right.” Carina giggles. It grows silent for a long moment before she speaks again. “Our father wasn’t always the best when it came to business, but he was good to our mother. He taught us loyalty above all else. The loyalty also extends to your spouse as well.”
“So you’re saying your brother won’t be having a butt load of mistresses?”
“He would never. A man would be very stupid to cheat on his wife and lie next to her each night while he sleeps.”
Now it’s me that laughs.
“True, but who wants a man if the only reason he doesn’t bang another woman is because he’s scared you’re going to murder him in his sleep?”
“Antonio doesn’t fear that you’ll kill him in his sleep. He’ll be loyal because he’s a man of his word but also because of love.” There she goes with that word again. She even does that dreamy sigh to emphasize it.
“This isn’t love.”
“Really? Cause he wouldn’t shut up about you last night when we played chess. Angel this, Angel that.”
“Really?” I peek over at her. She nods her head up and down.
“It’s sweet how openly loving he is with you too. Telling his men not to touch or look at you. Not like some men who pretend you don’t exist.” She spits her gum out angrily all of a sudden.
“Is someone pretending you don’t exist?” I thought maybe I saw her glancing over at Gilly a few times, but I wasn’t sure. Antonio had also mentioned something about him avoiding her as well, but I hadn’t really thought anything about it. Now that I see her reaction, it’s starting to make sense. Oh, this could be interesting.
“No man is allowed to know I exist.” Carina stands from her chair, adjusting her hot pink bikini. She’s petite but still has some curves.
She’d let me borrow one of her bikinis, but it’s snug on me. My breasts are almost spilling out of the thing. I put a robe on to come down to the pool because I’m a bit self-conscious. Especially with the lingering bruise still on my side. I hate that I’m embarrassed about it. My father is the one who should be.
When we came out to the pool, the guards fanned out farther away. They all have their backs to us.
“I think every man will know you exist in that bikini,” I assure her.
“Apparently not.” She adjusts the straps at the top. “Want to get some snacks? I’ll show you the library.”
“There is a library?” I’m up out of the lounge chair and grabbing my robe before she can say anything else. Carina doesn’t bother to cover up. She practically skips across the patio and into the house. I have a feeling if I did that I’d be in a world of trouble.
I’m just not sure if that’s a good thing when it comes to my new husband or a bad thing.
13
ANTONIO
My meetings are finished, finally, and I’m about to leave my office when I get a message from Butcher.
I snap up my phone and call him. “Anything?” I ask.
