Page 91 of Stalking Ginevra

He draws forward, his breath reeking, hot against my face, the stench of cigarettes and cheap cologne making me gag. “That’s all the time you’ve got to come up with the cash.”

My pulse hammers in my throat. “I don’t have it. You know I don’t?—”

His hand shoots out, aiming for my throat. I twist away, but my foot slips on the gravel, sending me crashing to the ground. The sudden motion rips my skirt, exposing my thighs.

Laughter cuts through the night, sharp and cruel. My limbs lock on the floor, frozen in place, every nerve numb with shock.

“Look at her squirm!” one of them shouts, his voice thick with mirth.

The others snicker.

Their leader crouches down, his eyes boring into mine. “Fail to produce the cash and we’ll take you as payment. Right here, in this fucking driveway. And I’ll be the first to break you in.”

As he thrusts his hips, I snatch my gaze away from his rancid crotch, only to find the others making the same movement. The men close in, jeering and taunting, filling my ears with their crude laughter.

One of them yells out, “Don’t forget the MILF!”

Bile burns the back of my throat, but I choke it down. They won’t just take me—they’ll come for Mom too. I can’t let that happen. I can’t let her get dragged into this hell.

I force down the terror, the revulsion, the shame. All my options have dwindled to nothing, and my back is up against a proverbial wall. It’s time to swallow my pride and throw myself at Benito’s feet.

FORTY

BENITO

Ginevra should have come straight to me.

I lean forward in my seat, my eyes fixed on the screen. Her driveway fills the display, but I can barely see her through the crowd of sharks.

They have permission to speak to her, but with minimal touching. Because her body is mine. I control every inch of her skin, every breath she takes. But one question still burns through my mind.

How far will I have to go to force her to seek my help? The Brisket persona should have been repulsive enough to send her running into my arms, yet she’s returned home.

By now, my sharks will have communicated the extent of the threat hanging over her pretty head.

If she continues dismissing me as an option, I’ll be forced to stage an auction, hire frightened-looking girls and leering predators. An organ trafficker will win the girl before her, making Ginevra cry out for a savior.

I’ll arrange for the vilest looking man to bid on her body, shouting out obscenities that will make her heart lurch. Then atthe last minute, I’ll step in, outbid the bastard, and make her collapse with relief.

What an ordeal.

All for a woman I should have shot in the head.

Her death might have freed me from this addiction—my cock’s relentless need for only one woman in the entire world. Ginevra Di Marco bewitched me from the moment we met. Now, no other individual in the world, real or imagined, will satisfy my needs. My body only wants her.

A knock on the door pulls me out of my thoughts. I don’t turn around. The casino floor can go to hell for all I care right now. Whoever’s out in the hallway knocks again and again until I roar at them to enter.

Albert Malfi lumbers inside, out of breath, knowing better than to interrupt.

My teeth grind, and I tear my gaze from the screen just long enough to shoot a glare at my security chief. “This had better be important.”

“There’s a guy trying to cash in counterfeit chips worth a hundred grand. Eighth one tonight.”

“Handle it,” I snap. “Search through their devices. Get names, addresses, specifics.”

He hesitates, his bulky form hovering in the corner like a bad smell. “We think it’s a syndicate.”

I exhale lungfuls of frustration through clenched teeth. “Of course, it is. Get out there and get those details. Don’t interrupt me unless you find their leader.”

---