Page 11 of Final Installment
“He died and left me to clean up his mess.”She poked my shoulder so hard I winced.“This wedding will happen without any drama from you or your sister.Iwillget my son back or so help me God, Elona, I will bury you and your sister right next to your father.”
Her threat rattled me to the core.I was suddenly a small child again, frozen as my mother berated and scolded and smacked me around for some ridiculous infraction.All I could do was stare and listen.
“Do you really want to be the reason Skender is killed?”
My heart stuttered in my chest at the mention of our brother who existed under constant threat of death to secure our family’s obedience.One wrong move, and they would slit his throat.“No, of course not.”
“Then you better make a decision, Elona.”Mom poked me again.“Are you going to be selfish and run off again?Or are you going to do the right thing and stand with your family to save your brother?”
Chapter Three
KRISTO
It's no good here.
No interest?
Interest but no money.
Fuck.
Houston?
Not good here either.
Watch your back.
I will
And your front.
LukadetestedHouston.Theheat, the humidity, the traffic.He couldn’t wait to get back on a plane and return to his quiet, secluded villa.
I shouldn’t even be here.
He didn’t see the point in flying all this way to have dinner with her family.This was a marriage of convenience.Neither one of them cared about doing any of this bullshit.Being tied to this family of backstabbing assholes was the price of peace, and he would do his duty, even if it sentenced him to years of unhappiness.
The alternative was something far worse.A bullet to the back of the head if he was lucky.A much longer and more creative torturous death if he wasn’t.It was the same fate that awaited Aleksander Dushku, currently a hostage in the care of the Raffaelli family, if this marriage didn’t happen by the end of the summer.
We’re running out of time.
Instead of dealing with this nonsense about Dafina refusing to leave Houston, he should have been back home handling business.But Besian had heard through a contact in the front office of the basketball team where Dafina worked that she was planning to come right back after the wedding.Apparently, she had no intention of staying in Tirana to try to make their arranged marriage work.
Frankly, he didn’t blame her, but there were appearances to keep up and expectations.So.Here he was.Hurtling toward what was sure to be the worst dinner of his life.Trying to think of some way to convince his soon-to-be wife to give up everything she’d worked so hard to earn.
His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he retrieved it.He glanced at the screen and frowned at the message waiting for him.
I miss you.Call me.
Liliana had been texting and calling nonstop since he broke things off with her three weeks ago.Some of the texts were simple pleas like this one, but others were seductive nudes.She wanted him back, and she was making it clear that she was willing to be his side piece.She ought to have more self-respect.She deserved better than being his mistress.She deserved to be someone’s wife.
Just not mine.
She should have been Kristo’s wife.
Would have been if I hadn’t gotten involved and ruined things.
Ignoring the wave of disgust and shame that roiled his gut, he scrolled to the next message.Because the universe had a sick sense of humor, it was from Kristo.
