My Mafia Husband Said He Was Broke

So he knew.

He knew exactly how pathetically I had loved him for five years, how I'd believed his lies like a fool, how I'd endured humiliation just for the dream of a normal life.

And because he knew, he dared to trample on my dignity so recklessly.

But you're wrong, Santino.

This time, it's not a tantrum.

Once a heart is truly dead, there are no second chances. And I will make sure you never find us again.

The day Luca was discharged, the sky was a dreary gray. In just two weeks, my baby had been hospitalized twice.

I used the last of my money to hire a car, intending to take Luca back to that moldy basement to pack our things.

"Mommy, when are we leaving this place?" Luca looked up, his small face full of hope.

I ruffled his soft, curly hair. "Soon, Luca. As soon as Mommy mails the last documents to the council of elders, we'll—"

Before I could finish, a black van shot out from a quiet side street and slammed into the front of our car.

The deafening crash left my head spinning.

Before I could react, the car door was yanked open.

Two men in black ski masks burst in, knocking out the driver before grabbing Luca.

"Let him go!" I screamed, but the street was empty.

One of the men backhanded me across the face. A rag reeking of ether was pressed over my nose and mouth.

Before darkness consumed me, the last thing I heard was Luca's heart-wrenching cry.

"Mommy!"

When I woke up, the salty, damp smell of the sea filled my nose.

I was tied to a rusty iron chair in an abandoned warehouse on the docks, surrounded by shipping containers.

"Mommy..."

A weak voice came from my feet. Luca was curled up on the ground, his small body shivering from fear and cold.

"Awake?"

A brute of a man crouched in front of me, toying with a dagger. He used the tip to lift my chin. "The life of Mrs. Connor has to be worth a lot, right?"

He tossed a phone onto my lap. "Call Santino Connor. Ten million for the two of you."

"You have the wrong person," I rasped, my throat raw. "He won't pay. In his eyes, we are worthless."

"Cut the crap!"

The kidnapper slapped me hard across the face. "You're Don Connor's wife. You gave him a son. You think he won't pay a little money for you?"

I tasted blood. "We're getting a divorce," I said, my voice hoarse.

The kidnapper clearly didn't believe me. He grabbed Luca, pressing the flat of the cold blade to the child's delicate neck.

"Make the call! Or we'll see how he likes getting his son back in a body bag!"

Luca was so terrified tears streamed down his face, but he didn't dare make a sound.

"No! Stop! I'll call!" I screamed, my composure shattering as I dialed the number I knew by heart.

The phone rang. And rang.

It rang five times, then went dead.

The kidnapper's face darkened. He dragged Luca to the edge of the pier, dangling him over the dark water.

"Ah!" Luca cried out in terror.

"Don't! Don't hurt him! I'll call again!"

I cried out, dialing again.

A third time. A fourth. A tenth.

Each time the call went unanswered, the kidnapper lowered Luca closer to the churning waves below.

Luca was so terrified he was on the verge of passing out.

Finally, on the eleventh try, he picked up.

"Santino!" I sobbed, my voice shattered. "Luca and I have been kidnapped! We're at the East End docks! They want ten million, or they'll—"

"This act is getting old, Erin. Would you really go so far as to use your own son just to get my attention?"

I pleaded, betting on whatever shred of humanity he might still have. "It's not an act! They're going to kill him! Can't you hear the water? They're going to throw him in!"

"Enough," he sneered. "You know my accounts are frozen. I don't have a cent. If you want me back in that miserable hovel, find a less pathetic way to do it."

Enraged, the kidnapper snatched the phone. "Santino Connor? If you don't want your wife and kid to become fish food, transfer the money now."

The line was silent for two beats. In the background, I heard the roar of an engine.

Then, Riley's syrupy voice came through. "Santino, Finn's race is about to start. He's waiting for you to wave the flag. Who's being such a buzzkill?"

Santino's voice grew colder. "Listen, whoever you are, there's a limit to how far you should play along with this madwoman's act."

"You want money? It's not happening."

The kidnapper roared in frustration. "You really don't care? I'll kill them right now!"

On the other end of the line, Santino was silent for a long moment. "I don't have time for these games."

"Since you two love playing life-or-death games so much, you can live with the consequences."

With a final click, the line went dead.