Strong-willed, badass and bounded by the chains of an arranged marriage, Isabela Arias dreams of the freedom to live and love as she chooses.
Being sold to the Italian mafia wasn't exactly on Isabela's to do list...
As she's forced to navigate the r...
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Static.
Nothing.
Darkness.
The ding of a beeping monitor seizes my attention.
My eyes shoot open.
The first thing that assaults my senses is the sunshine beaming in through the window, mixing in with the sound of ruffling papers, and bringing with it a throbbing in my head.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Confused, I scan the room for Isabela, but I come up empty. She isn't here. Where is she? She isn't— no, no. That's not possible. Panicking, I pat the mattress, twisting my head from side to side as I scope out for anyone familiar.
"Hey— hey, it's okay. You're fine." A large hand playfully slaps my cheek. "Your knight in shining armor, Enzo is here."
"Enzo?" I croak out anxiously, feeling my heart race at a hundred miles an hour, as I'm desperately in need of a dose of Isabela. "Where's I-."
"Isabela?" He sighs. "That's all you think about, huh? We're one and the same."
Dismissing Lorenzo, I reach for the wires in my nose and yank them out, causing the monitors to go haywire. Before I could continue, Lorenzo pushes my chest down with his hands, using his body weight to overpower me. Normally, I could stand my ground, but my entire body aches like fucking hell.
My hands automatically move to my side. It's bandaged? Pain sears through my entire chest. Marks are all over me. Bloody scabs. Bruised skin. Raw, ripe stitches. Julieta did a number on me, but honestly, I could fucking care less.
I need to know about Isabela.
"She's fine, Julian," Lorenzo says, handing me back the wires I yanked out. "Relax."
I clench my eyes shut. "I need to see her."
"You will," Lorenzo pauses. "But not right this second. The bullet landed in her shoulder, and she had to undergo a procedure to remove the bullet. She's sleeping. Isabela isn't in place for any visitors."
My chest burns in protest. "Please, I just want to see her for myself. I won't talk to her. I won't bother her."
I just need to make sure she's okay.
Because this is all my fault.
As if Isabela's target on her back wasn't big enough already, I've added another reign of terror on her long list of enemies. It's time to open the vault called my secrets. She already had my heart— might as well let her take my soul with her. I need her to understand that I didn't want any of this to happen. All I want is for her to be free from everyone.
