Page 20 of The Gangster King

I was always taught to show no weakness. My mother said it was the only way to survive this world. Then again, she never showed strength, either.

Sometimes I think she died just to escape this world.

“Fine. You want me to be the perfect little wife? To cook and entertain, then I’ll do that.” I lied, storming across the room.

Before I was able to open the door, he stopped me.

“Adelina,” he growled.

I didn’t turn. I didn’t want him to see my anger, my fear, my hatred.

“Do not disrespect this family or our name. Go, do whatever you need to express your anger today, but do it privately.”

Bastard.

I’d been twenty-one. Old enough to drink, so I went straight to The Bonjourno Bar and drank my body weight in vodka.

Gianna and Dante had been there that night with Nick, Jono, and a few of the other soldiers.

“You need to slow down,” Dante had told me, as I danced around a pole on the dance floor.

“Do I?” I laughed, bumping my hip against him. “Or do I need to do all the naughty things I’ve wanted to do?”

“Don’t say naughty.” He groaned in a voice so deep I could just hear it over the music.

“Naughty,” I mouthed at him and spun away, laughing.

Dante caught my hand, but Gianna danced over, and I was dragged away. I smirked over my shoulder, and he stood there still among a sea of dancing bodies, watching me darkly.

Three days later, I searched for a business school online and signed up. There was every chance my father’s accountant would tell him about it, after all, the credit card bills all went to him.

What was he going to do?

Toss me to the fishes like he did to all the people that crossed him.

It was a risk I was willing to take.

But as it turned out, it never happened.

A year later, I’d completed the online training and had a certificate in business. No, it wasn’t Yale or Harvard, but it was the knowledge I wanted, not some fancy college to brag about.

During my training, I’d thought about what kind of business I wanted to run. After hundreds of hours of research, I started one.

I discovered I had creative skills as well as a business brain. Through my love of reading, I followed authors online and began to design book covers for them. I shared my designs on social media and people loved them.

Readers and authors.

More authors reached out and suddenly I found myself running a company.Illicit Ink. I started a bank account with an independent money transfer company and the rest is history.

It’s perfect.

I make money from my computer without leaving the house. Heck, without leaving my bedroom. Even better, no one in the family is aware of what I’m doing.

I am creating financial independence and soon freedom. Well, I will when this damn gangster gets out of my house.

You see, several weeks ago, I realized I had enough money to make my move. Searching online, I found a rental in California and put a deposit on it. I was both exhilarated and terrified at the same time.

It’s not furnished, so between designing covers for my clients I’ve been buying beds, sofas, and kitchenware. It’s all going to arrive the same day as I do.