Page 35 of Bound in Debt
“Liam’s father was involved with the Italian mob. He owed over six million dollars when he was killed. Now, that debt falls on Marissa, Liam…and me.”
Out of those three names, he’s the one that I didn’t want to hear was involved.
Insane, since he can’t stand the sight of me and scolds me every chance he gets.
“Liam needs your trust fund,” he continues. “My brother got involved in a lot of shit and couldn’t pay them back, so?—”
How is he speaking so calmly about this? I pull free from his touch. This is real life, like he said. Real, fucked up, life.
“Did they kill him? Are they going to kill me? I can’t marry Liam, Professor. I don’t want to be a wife. Especially not his. He’s not going to take care of me. They’re the mob. They’re going to traffic me and I’m?—”
“Calm down,” Professor Moretti orders, but his words don’t have any effect on me.
In fact, I’m on the verge of having a freaking panic attack as I try to process how much trouble I’m in by association. My engagement is public news and Liam is refusing to retract the announcement.
God, does my mother know?
“I need to call my mom—” I make a move for the door, but Professor Moretti stands in my way, blocking my exit.
“If your mom is willing to make you marry some asshole you don’t even want, what makes you think she won’t run to the cops? They get one hint that badges are sniffing around and the mob will bury each of us six-feet deep. Alive. Do you understand me?”
I shake my head because this can’t be happening right now. I’m not totally surprised that Liam is using me, but we’re not getting hitched for a month. And he said?—
“Thirty hours,” I blurt. “He said I had thirty hours to pay him back.”
Professor Moretti blows out a heavy sigh before raking his fingers through his hair. “How much money is in your trust fund?”
My brows clash together because how deep is he in this? What did he do?
“Why should I trust you?” I grouse, jumping on offense. “You’re Liam’s uncle. I don’t know you.”
“Because I’m the only one you’ve got that can make this work. Liam isn’t going to pay the mob. He’s going to jump on a plane and head out, leaving you here to deal with things alone.”
“He…wouldn’t.” That’s such a bullshit lie if I’ve ever told one. Liam is capable of doing anything. He brought me into this and didn’t even tell me.
“Listen, sweetheart,” he beseeches through what seem to be clenched teeth. “I know Liam well enough to know that the prick isn’t going to follow through on your wedding vows. He’s going to leave you here?—”
“Then what am I supposed to do, huh? There won’t be a prenup. I won’t be able to block his access to those funds.”
“You’re not marrying Liam,” Professor Moretti hovers over me. “That’s off the table.”
“Not according to every single piece of social media or the gossip that has already spread through town. I’m dead either way.”
“You’re not dead. There are other ways?—”
“I don’t have any other way to get six million dollars in thirty hours,” I remind him as a shiver racks my whole body. “They’re going to come back for me. He said they were going to get physical. He insinuated he would rape me—” Professor Moretti grips my tee and yanks me against his body, trapping my hands between our chests. The hand that wraps around my back and splays across the base of my spine sends adrenaline flooding through my system more quickly than anything else that’s happened tonight.
“No one is going to rape you,” he protests, his tone gruff in a way that makes it sound like the thought bothers him as much as it obviously does me. “But we need to move quickly, Victoria.”
“What…are we going to do?”
I feel his fingers twitch once before his next words shake me right to my core. “You’re going to marry me.”
13
DANTE
Tuesday, September 10
