Severed Ties: A Dark Stalker Romance (Tainted Love Book 1)

Mia doesn’t stick around for long after she brings me some toast and a soda, saying the sugar will help me beat any lingering drowsiness from the drugs. But once I’ve eaten and drained the sweet drink, I’m left lying in an unfamiliar bed with dread settling in my chest.

How the hell am I going to escape what I can only assume is a fortress?

All I know about the Lombardi family is what my father told me when I was half-asleep on the way to that last job he had me do, and that wasn’t much. Some basic information about Salvatore, a few things about their operation, mainly drugs and guns, if I remember correctly, but apart from that, it’s just what I heard on the street. We didn’t always live in Florida and often moved around when my father double-crossed someone he shouldn’t, so my knowledge of the organization is pretty limited.

The door opens slowly and I quickly bring the covers up around me. I was fully dressed in soft pajamas when I woke up, and I don’t even want to think about who put them on me. I’m still sitting up with the empty plate in my lap and the can in my hand, but I still feel the need to cover myself.

An older man strolls into the room in an expensive charcoal suit. He closes the door behind him, and welcomes me with a bright smile. “Clara, it’s so lovely to have you here at last.” His dark hair is peppered with gray, and his hazel eyes are shining with something that looks a lot like happiness.

Is this Salvatore? Surely he isn’t this happy to see me just because he intends to marry me off to his son.

I can’t bring myself to reply, too overwhelmed with the rush of fear and anxiety that rolls over me in waves.

“I’m terribly sorry for the way we had to bring you here. I’m sure you understand the need for discretion, considering the circumstances.”

“You mean my close relationship with a rival Mafia family?” I ask quietly.

He chuckles. “That’s the one.”

I nod as if I understand, but I’m not sure I really do. If he was so worried about my ties to the Saint James family, he wouldn’t have come after me. He would have decided it was too much work and just killed my father like he deserves to be killed.

So why would he bother? Surely I’m more trouble than I’m worth when you take all that into account.

“I’m sure you must be very confused.”

“You could say that.” I laugh nervously, my fingers gripping the edge of the plate in my lap. I need something to ground me, and the delicate porcelain between my fingers is all I’ve got right now.

He moves farther into the room and I look around me for anything nearby I can use to protect myself if the need presents itself. But there’s nothing. Of course there isn’t. These people are part of one of the most infamous organizations in the country. They wouldn’t be stupid enough to leave something their prisoner could use as a weapon.

“May I?” He gestures to the seat beside the bed, and I give him a small nod. It seems pointless to say no. It’s his home, after all. “Your father owes money to a lot of people, which I’m sure isn’t a surprise to you.”

I scoff, the sound hoarse, but a small smile tugs at his lips at my understanding.

“The information he had you stealing all those years ago was very valuable, and he sold it off to the highest bidder in order to pay off some of those debts, but of course he’s made new ones.”

“Of course,” I whisper.

“I do have to apologize for what my men did to you that day. We are not normally in the business of hurting women, and certainly not ones who are as young as you were at the time.”

My hand moves to where my scar is hidden beneath the insanely soft pajamas and the telltale panic forms low in my belly.

His brows pull together, and he lets out a sigh. “If it gives you any peace of mind, those men no longer breathe the same air you and I do. They were thoroughly punished for harming you.”

“I don’t understand.” I stole from them. They were only doing what they were trained and paid to do, so why would they lose their lives for such a thing?

“Your father and I had a deal before he went and concocted the deal that saw you hurt. He would hand over his oldest daughter to marry my oldest son, and I would wipe clean his debt and pay off the others. No offense, dear, but the deal well and truly benefited your father more than myself, but my sons have always been wild, and I thought giving them good women would help to tame them.”

I think he thinks his words are comforting to me, but all they’re doing is forcing me further into the panic that pools in my belly. This isn’t a fleeting thought. It’s something that’s been in the works for almost a decade, and that’s terrifying.

“Unfortunately, my sons think they will be choosing their own women, and although I want nothing more than for my sons to be happy, I may not be able to allow that to happen. You see, I’m getting older and I would like to enjoy my retirement. However, I cannot do this until I’m sure my succession plan is sound and there’s no chance our family will be overthrown.”

“I’m sure there’s someone more well-placed to marry your sons than a thief’s daughter who helped him steal from you.” The words are out of my mouth before I’ve even finished thinking them through. I shouldn’t have said that. But I need to understand why I was chosen when there are so many people that must be a better option than me.

He chuckles and brushes his fingers along his chin. “That may be the case, Clara. But I like you, and I think my son could come to love you. If I gave him a high society princess, he would grow bored within the week, but you, my dear, will challenge him, and he needs someone like that.”

“And what happens to me if your son isn’t interested in me?” The fact that I’m entertaining the idea of marrying this perfect stranger and becoming a part of the Lombardi family is insanity in itself, but I have to know what my other option is. Maybe I can appeal to Ronan. Maybe I can remind him that he doesn’t know me and that marrying me would likely be a mistake if I can’t make him happy, but I have to know if it’s worth trying or if my best option is doing as I’m told.

“If I were you, I would hope he falls head over heels as soon as he meets you.” The ominous words are the last he speaks as he stands and leaves the room, and the hopelessness that rains down on me is suffocating.

I never gave much thought to marriage, but this is certainly not what I expected when I was a little girl dreaming of walking down the aisle to my own happily ever after, like the ones I read about in storybooks.