Filed to story: Sold to The Possessive Mafia Boss Book (Xavier & Jane) Free Online >>
“No problem,” he replies, setting the tray down on the table next to ours. He spins back around, a gun in his hand, pointed straight at my head.
The air in the diner becomes thick, charged with a sudden tension that has my heart racing.
“Don’t scream,” he says, his voice calm as he takes a seat opposite us. The stark contrast between his words and the weapon in his hand sends a shiver down my spine.
He leans back, staring at me. “Stand up slowly,” he says, his eyes never leaving mine. “If you try anything, your friend gets hurt.”
I remember what Xavier told me. Act confident, believe in my strength. I shake my head. “I told you, we’re not moving.”
The diner plunges into darkness. The lights all fail at once, the shutters slamming down in the same instant.
A hand falls over my mouth and I’m yanked to the floor. I’m about to scream when a voice whispers in my ear. “Don’t make a sound.” It’s Xavier, his grip firm but not unkind. “This way. Keep quiet.”
“Where the fuck are you?” the man snaps, groping for the spot where I was a moment before. I hear him knocking the tray to the floor as he lunges for me in the dark.
“Where’s Emma?” I hiss, panic edging my voice as I fear for my friend’s safety.
“Ahead of you,” Xavier assures as he pushes open the kitchen door, guiding me through.
“Wait here both of you,” he says, his face barely visible in the blue glow of the kitchen’s bug zapper.
“What the fuck is going on?” Emma asks as he disappears back through the door.
A moment later there’s a scream but it’s cut off as soon as it begins. “The silence is deafening. “You can come out now,” Xavier calls as the lights flicker back on around us.
I walk out of the kitchen with Emma by my side, clinging to my arm for safety.
“He won’t be bothering you anymore,” Xavier says, kicking the bloody corpse at his feet.
“I warned you,” he continues. “You’re in danger if you’re not near me. I got word he was tailing you when you left the hospital. I got here fast, lucky for you I keep tabs on you.”
“You killed him?” Emma asks. “In the dark? You made the lights go out and you just killed him, just like that?”
Xavier nods. “I’ll kill anyone who threatens Jane.”
Emma, turns to me, giving me a weak smile. “This guy’s clearly a keeper.”
Xavier steps over the dead body. “We’re getting married. It’s the only way to keep you safe until Garibaldi’s dead. He wouldn’t dare hurt my wife, it would break the honor code of the families.”
“We’ll go to one of my places until the wedding,” he adds, as if discussing something as mundane as the weather, not a life-altering decision. There doesn’t seem to be any hint of love in his decision making.
It’s like the kind man I thought I knew has vanished, replaced by this cold controlling mafia boss. He reminds me of my father, another man who must be obeyed without fail.
I shake my head. “There must be another way.”
His gaze hardens, the softness I thought I’d seen earlier gone. “It isn’t a request,” he states, a finality in his voice that brooks no argument. “You’re going down that aisle. Your only choice is between walking or being dragged kicking and screaming.”
Xavier’s POV
“Welcome to your new home,” I announce, my voice echoing in the expansive entryway.
The foyer is a vast expanse of polished marble floors, the high ceiling adorned with a crystal chandelier that cost me four million dollars and took a year to make. Most of my guests are wowed by the sight but not Jane.
She’s got her arms crossed over her chest. “You forced us into your car, dragged us here. Now you’re telling us we can’t leave. In what way is this a home?”
Emma’s eyes light up with a mix of amusement and awe as she takes in the surroundings. “I could get used to it. How many bedrooms?”
“No idea,” I reply. “I never bothered to count.”
Jane’s defiance doesn’t wane. “The first chance I get, I’m out of here.”
My gaze hardens as I meet her challenge. “If you do, I’ll make you regret it.” The words taste bitter on my tongue, a necessary poison. “Where are you going to go? Your home, it’s gone.”
“I can stay with Emma.”
I shake my head. “If Garibaldi found your place, I guarantee he’s got her place watched.”
“What about me?” Emma pipes up, half-joking but with a glint of hope in her eyes. “Can I get my stuff brought here too? I love it here!”
I can’t help but chuckle at her straightforwardness, the mood lightening just a fraction. “Of course. This mansion is vast, certainly big enough for both of you to stay as long as you wish. Forever, even, if that’s what you decide.”
Emma’s grin widens, turning to Jane with a look that says, “See? Not so bad.”
Jane, however, remains unswayed, her gaze flitting around the grand entrance and the corridors leading to unknown luxuries. “I don’t care how many rooms or how grand it is. It’s still a cage if I’m not free to leave.”
I understand her trepidation, the fear of losing control. “You’re under my protection now, whether you like it or not. Look around, get used to the place. I have work to do.”