Page 67 of Cartel King

For starters, he hasn’t dumped me on the floor and stormed out. He’s listening to me, and I think he’s reserving judgement. He hasn’t flipped out and sworn to bludgeon Tommaso. I count that as a win. There’s so much more I could tell him—want to tell him—but I can’t.

I no longer feel any loyalty to Tomasso, but I’m a Vizzini, no matter what my last name is. I was one when I was still a Luigiano. I’m still one now that I go by McCann. My family’s always been Mafia. I worked for the organization. There are things I’ll take to the grave before betraying my family by blood and by bond.

“Chiquita, what’ll happen when Tommaso finds out?”

“He can go fuck himself.” My lips purse. “He’ll have plenty to say. I mentioned the car with the camera, and I believe he doesn’t know about it. But I could be wrong. He might already know about us.”

“I don’t think so. He would’ve confronted me about it. He wouldn’t have sent you on a mission where you could’ve fucked him over to help me more. He would’ve known I’d gut him for suggesting you go.”

“True. I need to tell my other boys, and you need to tell your family. How will they react?”

“It’ll piss my brother off. Alejandro’ll feel guilty he tried to kill you. And you’ll impress my other nephews.”

“Should you tell them alone?”

“No. I want them to meet you and see who you are. They can read people as well as I can. I admit I didn’t guess you were a mercenary, but I’ve always known how loyal you are to family. I can hear it and see every time you speak about your sons. It’s no surprise there’re no limits to what you’ll do to protect them.”

“Won’t they fear I’ll tell Tommaso anything I hear? That I’ll try to kill all of you?”

“Probably.”

I wrap my arms around myself, putting a barrier between us and guarding myself. He pulls them apart, putting my hands on his heart.

“You’ve done everything to separate yourself from the Vizzinis. It explains why my family couldn’t find anything about you.”

“Or they’ll think I’m still an active mercenary, and I’m living in plain sight to distract from who I am.”

“They might.”

Nothing he says reassures me. I’m growing more anxious by the word. I want to retreat. Just when I let myself think I have a future with Enrique, reality kicks me in the teeth. I shouldn’t have let my guard down.

What was I thinking?

Everything about my past screams, “don’t get close to anyone else.” As though my baggage from my marriage wasn’t trunks rather than suitcases, my history with the Mafia fills fucking storage tubs.

“Chiquita, don’t run away. Can you trust me to make my family come around?”

“I’m more likely to cause a massive argument. I knew I shouldn’t have agreed to anything.”

His gaze hardens, and I wish I’d kept that to myself.

“You are mine, Elodie. Either you and my family can accept that without a fuss, or I will make you all understand it.”

“Don’t call me that. I don’t need scolding.”

“But you could use a spanking for arguing with me.”

I stare at him for a moment as guilt threatens to pull me into its undertow.

“You know it’s not that simple. Iwill notcause friction in your family. I refuse to get between you and anyone else in your family. I’m not w?—”

“I dare you to finish that sentence,chiquita.”

He cuts me off, and it’s probably just as well. He’s giving me a chance to save my ass from that spanking. Of course, who am I to use common sense?

“I’m not worth the trouble, Enrique.”

He snarls as he rises from the sofa. He hefts me over his shoulder and pulls down my shorts. He spanks me all the way upstairs and into my bedroom. He pulls the shorts off and hurls them across the room. He puts me on my feet and grabs the front of my plain blue shirt. He rips it apart, pulling it off me. His hand comes down on my right breast.

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