U

lip, and for a

in her face. "Put the knife back, Luca. If you kill me her

let alone walked into my study, uninvit

ou." I shifted forward on my chair to tak

the eye, yet here she was, holding

di

laughed. The Costa Mafia was like every Mafia. If the

way she held herself so stiffly. Yet l

aying with my tiny dagger, a gift from my m

a Co

She didn't fit the family. Too clean, too polished. Too innocent. An

as bloody, c

ushed the door open. He didn't bother with m

was my right hand man. He controlled the men, and they took orders from him

nnoyed by the interrup

ving him off. "They'll wait

before nodding and stepping back out. The loc

now, most women who walk in here aren't l

flashing in her eyes.

nt of me. "Clearly. So tell me, why me? Why not

ne in my family might h

was a secret. Her eyes didn't flinch. "It is a secret for now. I'm

t need the Costa family wealth even though it was

y open, her blue fixed on his, her hand

" I asked, cuttin

inking like she wasn't sure whe

but barely old enough

u're twe

er homework, at least. But it sti

d for her to follow me. "Come on. Let's

but followed as I led

ding to the basement. One of them looked at her,

odding silently as I unlocke

smelling of blood and sweat. The lights wer

someone like her, and ye

forward. His shirt was torn, his face swollen, blood falling to the

eaning against the wal

him and looked back at her. S

disgust. J

calm. The nothing

finally, the man's swollen face. She didn't

l of surpri

the face. His head jerked up, and he let out a weak cry,

aid coldly. "You stole from me.

unning around the room like

nderstand now? Do you see wh

still blank. "I already

ness thr

an choked. "I d

hand, and

eakly at the ropes. I pulled out m

an cried. "Pl

fi

the man bent forward, blood pouring out o

, expecting fear, disgu

ck at me, her face too

erstand now

stand

call me Th

s. And I still wa

rying to figure out if she was crazy or just stu

ous about th

she sai

like she was prey. "You just watched

with you?" s

t-I laughed. A sh

u could marry, you ch

ne dangerous," she sa

ink I'll pr

no

in years, I didn'

my arms crossed. "You don

enough,"

argue, but a loud k

through the door,

"you're going to

ed. If he was shouting, s

houlders, yet she was so fierce just standing the

the way she grabbe

me wit

e-she was scared and didn't want to be left in the dungeon. Wh

along. "Let's see what mes