Arranged Hearts (Joey and Adora Duet #1) Read Online T.L. Smith

Categories Genre: Alpha Male, Dark, Erotic, Mafia Tags Authors: Series: Joey and Adora Duet Series by T.L. Smith
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Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 61082 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
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Joey stops at the door, looks back, and I feel his eyes on me before I meet his blank gaze. “Please stay,” I sob, not holding anything back from him. Hoping he knows what I feel for him, that he sees the truth if he won’t hear it. But it’s a moot point now with all that has transpired. And he’s already shown me as much. His eyes close for a second before he, too, walks out and leaves me standing in a room with my child’s father.

“Good, now that’s done…”

Something hits me on the back of the head before I can turn to address him. I fall forward, my head throbbing as I clutch it. Wetness seeps between my fingers as I’m hit hard in the stomach.

He’s kicking me.

Beating me.

I hear his laugh echo through my ears.

Why?

“No one is going to save you now. You are mine.”

The asshole’s retreating footsteps fade as I lie on the floor, my body curling in on itself.

SIX

JOEY

“So, she loves you,” Abigail says. “And you married her.” She shakes her head as she sits across from me, whistling. “Sis getting lucky.”

“Do you even like her?” Lucas asks.

Keir sits in the car, not saying a word. I know he wants to, but he won’t in front of Abigail.

“Nope, can’t stand her.”

“Why is that again?” I press, and her eyes fall to me.

“She killed my father.” She crosses her arms over her chest, which seems to be her go-to stance when she’s feeling stubborn or defensive.

“Oh, you mean the man who sold her off like a plaything and was going to do the same thing to you?” I fire back.

Sitting back in her seat, she shakes her head in denial. “Bullshit! He wouldn’t have. He loved us.”

“No, sweetheart. He loved power,” Lucas chimes in.

She focuses her attention out the window after that, and we ride to the plane without another word.

“Um… who is this?” Piper asks, nodding to Abigail as she waits for us by the car after we land. “And why isn’t Adora with you?”

“Change of plans,” Lucas replies, smiling. He throws his arm around Abigail’s shoulder and pulls her in, ruffling her hair. “We got this little shithead instead.”

“I’m an adult, thank you very much.” She shoves him off and fixes her hair. “Are you always this annoying?”

“Yes,” Piper and I answer at the same time.

“Where will I be staying?” Abigail asks no one in particular.

“With Joey.”

I didn’t plan that far ahead.

I was mad.

Too furious to think straight.

Do I even want this?

“Same bed?” she presses, her gaze drifting to me.

Fuck no.

Piper coughs.

“No,” I bark.

Lucas laughs as he gets into the car.

“Damn. Okay, well, what am I going to do here? I’ve never been out of my country.”

“You can work for me. I need a new bartender.”

“What happened to your last one?”

“I killed him,” Lucas says without hesitation.

“Well, I don’t want to be killed. So don’t kill me, okay?”

“I make no promises.” She only smiles at Lucas. I wonder if she knows he would without hesitation. Piss him off, he would off her head, and he wouldn’t lose a wink of sleep over it.

“So, how long were you married to my sister?” Before I can answer, she cuts me off. “And is it even considered legal if she’s already married?”

“No, it isn’t.”

“Thought so. But, hey, if I have to marry you, you have to at least wine and dine me first.”

“You can’t drink here. You aren’t twenty-one.”

“But you can buy a gun?”

“Correct.”

“Damn, that’s some fucked-up shit.”

The car stops at my house, and I get out. Reaching for her bag, she follows, giving a wave to everyone in the car like this is just any other day. I hand her the door keys and nod to it. As soon as she’s up the stairs, I turn back to see Keir already with his window down.

“You should have killed her.” I assumed that’s why he was there—to kill Adora.

“We got what we wanted,” I reply with a sigh.

“No, we didn’t.” He turns away, and Piper drives off.

Scrubbing my hand down my face, I head inside. I find Abigail standing in front of the bookshelf.

“This was hers, wasn’t it? She always had a fascination with reading and an obsession with books.” She picks one up and starts flipping through it. “Especially romance.”

“It is.”

She holds the book in her hands as she turns to face me. “Will I have to marry you?”

“I hope not,” I answer her truthfully.

She doesn’t make a face at my words, simply looks at me, puzzled.

“Do you still love her?”

“I do,” I tell her. “But I also despise her.”

“How you finding that?” She smiles, and it’s unnerving. “Have you considered other avenues?”

“What avenues?” My eyes narrow as she bites her lip, trying to flirt with the wrong person. Again.

“Possibly fucking her out of your system.”

What the fuck am I going to do with this girl?



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