Undercover Wife: Married to the Mafia boss.

erine'

d my husband and I aren't in love

No romance. No fairy tales. Just

o crumble. My mother was rushed t

iding back years I didn

e, I was

d always been just me and her. I was only twenty-one. Still in school. Working late-nigh

like a drowning woman. I begged for a loan. I offered anything

urned

g. I didn't even notice I'd stepped into the road until a blaring horn sn

expensive. The kind of ca

as racing rapidly,

k door

's when

Tailored suit. Cold eyes. There was some

tailored b

shar,p with a straight

yled in a sleek back with a few s

him with a loud thud sn

body tensed. I wanted to move, but I couldn

h and irritated, and my vision slightly blurred f

y from me, so close that I got a

on him, my hands

and I quickly dropped my

arrassembarrassment. A had seen me like thi

take a step, I felt the warmth of his ha

inst my skin, and I f

e broke. I sniffled, and a tear rolled down m

r from my face, tucking it carefully behind my ear. His touch was careful, alm

g in his voice that made my chest ache. No pity. Not

ason, that made

he's dying. The hospital bills are too high. I tried everything, the bank b

ng time. His thumb was s

steady as stone,

ust have heard

sn't insane. "A contract. You'll be my wife-public wife publicly; I'll cover

ed. "Why would

," he said simply. "An

-

o, and even JoKess sometimes. She tells me to have faith, to bel

e universe t

laric Bl

n I ma

ose last n

I bare

alas, dressed in gowns that cost more than I used to make in a year. Sometimes, he rests hi

me home, the i

youhouse. You'll it that. The place is beautiful, but it never feel

, and so does

sleeps at all. I don't know his favorite color. I don't know if he

f I'm invisible. Oth

ones, sometimes desperate. Once or twice, I swore I heard someone s

ask. What

esses. Or maybe it's somet

sore, and the soft carpet felt like relief. I tied my hair into a messy bun, strands sticking to my cheek. Th

want to

want to g

ock kno

. Imp

e room and opened the door."Elena," I

perfectly against her shoulders, every inch of her polished and perfect. She

e something dirty. Details for M

ld that usual condescension, the k

der with a qui

round and walked away, her h

ighter than necessary as I walked back to the bed and opened it. Lin

buzz

nst the nightstand. I

alle

ut it made my

y, pressing the phon

ine Sin

ped by some kind of fi

ed. "Who

the voice said. "Depends

zen, listening to the silence on the oth

te

phone," the

one away from my ear,

ph

lying in her hospital bed. Tube

gers trembled, and before I realized it, the file in my hand slipped to the floor. Pa

back to my ear, bare

?" My voice cracked. I was trying

aid, calm and cold. "I

art l

y

o survive. Trying to keep her mother alive. I swall

a few tasks for me. Refu

swaying. That sent

nce press down like a w

as. But all I could think about was my mom. How

ake up if I made

" the voice warned. "Fi

sharp with desperation. My lips

be

ts from where you are. Fifth aisle. Beneath one o

through the speaker. I flinched so hard I nearl

her's head if you're not there in t

ne wen

My hands were still shakin

isn't

was dangling by a thread-an

egs to move.

room. For a split

I tel

He wouldn't care. Not really. I was just a responsibi

ump in my throat

ng. My lungs burned from the cold air. I stumbled inside, pushing pa

he fifth aisl