The Carrero Contract - Selling Your Soul (Mafia Romance)

I am rooted to the spot, paralysed and I literally start to tremble; that look never breaking, and he doesn’t blink once.

I can almost feel myself getting faint as my body gives way a little. Gino is talking at him, getting minimal response, but it’s holding the beast at bay. Gino looks at me over his shoulder and I can see the tension, the air of concern that he knows he’s only just marginally keeping Alexi under control and has doubts as to whether he can keep it up. He looks genuinely concerned, and it just fuels the wave of nausea which overpowers me.

‘‘Go upstairs, Camilla … Now!’’ Gino snaps and I can almost see Alexi’s muscles bulging and tensing with growing anger, hating me and barely keeping himself under control as I turn and hightail it upstairs. I get to the upper balcony and halt when I hear his tone and it makes my blood curdle.

‘’I’m going to fucking kill her. No one runs from me.’’ Alexi sounds insane and it just adds new levels of terror to what I already feel. I sink down, my body suddenly weak, and I’m unable to keep moving on my legs that have given up the game, clinging to the bannister in a bid to ground myself.

‘’Be smart … think about this and calm the fuck down.’’ Gino, I presume, as he sounds exactly the same, only not angry just indulgent and calmer. He sounds like someone who knows how to pacify the devil or at least try to.

‘’Calm down? She had the nerve to run Gino, which part of that don’t you get? How this looks and what that means.’’ Alexi sounds volcanic and I have never seen or heard him lose his cool quite like this. This terrifies me more than that danger tone of his. This one is purely emotional and unbridled anger.

‘’Why did she run Alexi, huh? Because you are making her terrified. She’s obviously afraid of you and whatever you did to make her run. You’re only going to make it happen again if you go up there like this.’’

Listen to your brother, he talks sense. I couldn’t be any more afraid of him than I have become and this only fuels that fire. Gino has a very good point. I ran because of Alexi.

try not to cry. Sliding my arms around my legs and rocking myself to try and stay calm while listening intently. I want to know my fate rather than sit and wait in my room for it to come to me, and

out footsteps pacing around, and I can almost imagine him like a caged animal, crazily walking the room to simmer that temper and keep his shit together. Although he’s right, he did bring me here to keep me safe, yet

face and vulnerable look, she’s a gutsy one and obviously

do, it’s all an act. She’s a born manipulator and a whore.’’ It cuts more than it should, I don’t know why but it does. It’s not just that he thinks everything I do or say is gameplay, but the fact he’s calling me that when he doesn’t even know what I was. That word has always been a huge trigger for me; I hate it and what it represents, what it means to be called that. I abhor it with every fibre of my being, and I start to silently well up with as

call me if he knew all

him, I never want him to touch me ever again yet it wounds me to hear him call me that. I didn’t choose

no idea what kind of strength and grit that takes. I was only a child, alone in a cruel world and instead of crumbling, just like so many kids who walked the same path, I thrived. Clawed some sort of existence, battled through hell and pain to come out the other

see the good in people and give them a chance.’’ Gino sounds saddened suddenly, and my ears perk up, stifling my sobs. Interest peeking through my anguish and any hints at more about Alexi is like a drug—I need to know more about him. I am

her to get me to snap. I’m wise to your attempts at it, Gino.’’ Alexi sounds mad again, his moods all

want my brother back?’’

anywhere. It’s all in your head. I am still your brother! I still come home for every family event like a good little kid and play the adoring Carrero, as expected. What more do you want from me?’’ Alexi is reverting to a cold tone and closing out emotion. I guess this is a subject he doesn’t like, and I strain to listen through the railing some more, pushing my fear aside to just get snippets

normal human being sometimes. He would never have treated

Why is he being so age-specific?