Betrayed by my Ex-Husband, Married To His Arch-Rival

CHAPTER 2—TERMS AND CONDITIONS

I stood frozen, my eyes darting between the two men.

*How the hell did he know my name? I knew I was known... but not to this extent.*

None of them spoke.The one standing beside the sofa finally moved. Every muscle in my body tensed.

Thump.

Thump.

My heartbeat thundered in my ears.

*Take one more step. I dare you.*

I might not be able to take on two men, but wasn't planning on making it easy for them either. Instead of reaching for a weapon, he extended a black file toward me.

A file?

That wasn't what I expected. I eyed it suspiciously before taking it from his hand. It wasn't thick. My gaze shifted from the file to the man on the sofa, then back to the one standing.

"What exactly am I supposed to do with this?"

No response. I let out a quiet sigh.

"Right," I muttered under my breath. "Guess I'm opening it myself."

I flipped it open. The first page stole the air from my lungs.

WANTED.

My photograph was printed across the page, staring back at me. My fingers tightened around the paper.

FAITH VOSS

DEAD OR ALIVE

For a moment, the air caught somewhere in my throat. The bold letters blurred together as though my mind refused to accept what my eyes were seeing. I stumbled backwards until the edge of the dining table dug into my lower back, stopping me from taking another step.

Reward: Rule the Mafia World.

A bitter laugh almost escaped me.

"So.. that's what my life is worth now?"

I slowly lifted my gaze to the two men.

Nothing. Just the same cold, unreadable expression then again, it wasn't their faces printed on the paper. I swallowed hard and turned the page.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

My eyebrows drew together.

Rules?

Curiosity got the better of me. The second page became the third, every paragraph explained another condition.

Who could hunt me? Who couldn't. When. How. What happens if someone succeded, what happens if they fail?

A cold knot settled in my stomach. I haven't just spent five years in a bar just to walk straight into another cage. With trembling fingers, I turned the final page.

A contract.

Not just any contract.

A f*****g marriage contract.

My eyes flicked between the names.

FAITH VOSS.

DAMIEN MORETTI.

His protection, my freedom.

The room suddenly felt too small.

"..You've got to be kidding me."

The words came out sharper than I'd intended. Heat climbed up my neck until my cheeks burned. Of all the things I expected to find tonight, a bounty, rules on how people could hunt me. A reward big enough to make every psychopath in the mafia world come looking for my head.

But a marriage proposal? That one deserved an award for insanity. An humorless laugh slipped past my lips before I hurled the file across the room. It slammed into the wall, the pages scattering across the floor.

"This has to be some sick joke. I don't want your protection."

Silence.

"I didn't ask for it.”

Another beat of silence.

“So leave."

I turned on my heel and marched toward my bedroom. Halfway there, I stopped.

"Oh."

I glanced over my shoulder.

"Fix the doorknob."

Without waiting for an answer, I stepped inside my room and shut the door behind me. The lock clicked into place. Only then did my knees threaten to give out.

Marriage.

The word coiled around my throat like a noose.

No. Never again.

I rubbed the back of my neck.

"I seriously need a shower."

Maybe hot water could wash this day off me.

Steam curled lazily through the bathroom as I sank deeper into the tub,letting the heat seep into my aching muscles. I close my eyes for one brief moment.

"Faith Smith..."

The pastor's voice echoed somewhere deep inside my mind.

"Do you take…"

"No."

The answer escaped before the memory could finish. My eyes flew open. The water had gone cold. I stared at the ceiling for a long moment before finally climbing out. After drying off, I switched off the bathroom light and crawled back into bed. Sleep came easier than expected.

Morning arrived far too soon.

Yesterday still lingered at the back of my mind, but I refused to let it ruin today. A hot shower helped. Breakfast helped even more; eggs, bacon, toast, and a cup of tea. Nothing fixed a crisis quite like pretending it didn't exist. I was halfway through breakfast when something on the coffee table caught my eye, a card.

"I'll deal with you after breakfast."

I had priorities. Once I'd finished eating and washed the dishes, I picked it up.

A plain business card. one phone number, nothing else. I stared at it for a few seconds.

"Psst... what exactly am I supposed to do with this?"

Call?

Absolutely not.

Frame it?

Tempting.

Throw it away?

Now that sounded like a fantastic idea. Grinning to myself, I headed for the front door. The doorknob turned smoothly.

"Huh."

He actually fixed it.

"Very much appreciated."

I stepped outside, locked the door behind me, and dropped the card into the trash.

Problem solved. Or so I thought.

Work passed by faster than I expected. I told Cassandra almost everything about yesterday.

Almost.

The part about two strangers breaking into my apartment?

Skipped.

The marriage contract?

Definitely skipped, some secrets were easier to carry alone.

The walk home was surprisingly peaceful, no group of men following me or strangers waiting for me in my living room. Just me and my silence which I loved. I went to bed much earlier than usual.

My phone vibrating against the bedside table dragged me awake. I groaned and reached for it.

Ten missed calls.

Unknown Number.

"What now?"

The phone buzzed again. I answered without thinking.

"Hello?"

"Faith!"

Cassie. Her voice cracked. Every trace of sleep vanished. I shot upright.

"Cassie? What's wrong? Where are you? Are you hurt?"

A shaky breath answered me. My grip tightened around the phone.

"Cassie?"

"Help me!"