Dare Series Collection - Shantel Tessier Page 0,408

Until they’re on their knees begging for their lives. Then it’s just too late. I give a little shrug. “Depends.”

Her face falls, and eyes widen, and her breathing hitches. Any confidence she had is starting to fade. Swallowing, she takes a step back as if the distance will give her an advantage. “Depends on what?”

I reach out, running my knuckles over her jawline before sliding them into her hair. Getting a handful, I jerk her head back.

She begins to fight me, struggling without any hope. “Shane …”

My free hand comes up and wraps around her throat, cutting off her air. I yank her to me, turning her back so it faces the calm water. Large blue eyes meet mine while her lips part, trying to catch a breath. My fingers tighten to hold her in place. “On how long you can hold your breath.” Then I shove her in.

Make sure to add TRUTH OR DARE to your TBR list.

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/39rTVYy

Thank you for taking the time to read my Dare Series. Do you also enjoy reading about an arranged marriage? Continue on to the prologue from my standalone Code of Silence: Dark Mafia Romance.

PROLOGUE

LUCA

Ten years old

“WHO DID YOU fucking talk to?” my father demands.

“No one, John,” Uncle Marco snaps. “You know that—”

“I know what I’ve been told and what you are saying doesn’t add up!” He pokes his brother in the chest. “And you.” He points at my aunt who stands in the corner of the living room with her back against the window that overlooks their backyard. “You’ve been running your fucking mouth too much.”

Tears fill her brown eyes as she stares at my father. Her shoulders shake, and she bites her bottom lip, trying to swallow a sob.

John Bianchi puts the fear of God in you. Because he is god. As the Don—the ringleader of the Italian-American Mafia—he decides when your time is up and how you pay for your sins. He was born in New York, but he and my uncle moved to Las Vegas when my father was fourteen. Uncle Marco was twelve. The laws in Sin City were more fluid back then, so my father was able to get his hands dirtier. He likes life messy.

“Don’t talk to her like that!” Marco shoves my father.

“I’ll talk to the bitch however I fucking please!” He punches my uncle, knocking him to his knees.

Aunt Ava cries out as blood runs down his chin, but she doesn’t dare go to her husband. No, she stays in her corner, knowing damn well there’s nothing she can do. At this point, all she can hope is that my father spares her life.

“You son of a bitch,” Marco growls, wiping the blood off.

My father pulls the gun from the waistband of his dress slacks and points it down at his brother.

“John!” He throws up his hands, eyes so dark they’re almost black, pleading with my father to spare his life. “Come on. We’ll figure this out. I swear it wasn’t me …”

My father pulls the trigger.

I jump, momentarily deafened by the sound except for the ringing in my ears. Ava cries out, falling to the floor. Bringing her knees to her chest, she openly sobs.

I look back at my uncle. He never did live up to the expectations of the Bianchi family. My father was born in the mafia, and he will die in it, but his younger brother always played a role. Marco has wanted out for years, and this was the only way he was going to get it. Putting a bullet in his head was John Bianchi’s way of sparing him. He could have made my uncle suffer.

He turns to face my aunt. “No!” she screams. “Please …” She shakes violently as tears run down her face, smearing the makeup she put on earlier. It’s their anniversary. We caught them on their way out to dinner to celebrate fifteen years of marriage.

“Strip,” my father orders.

“Please …!” She sobs, shaking her head.

“Remove your dress. Now!” he shouts.

Using the window for support, she slowly gets to her feet. With shaky hands, she undoes the hook that holds her dress around her neck. It falls down her chest, stomach, and hips before pooling around her black heels. Her frail body shakes as she covers her bare breasts with her arms.

My father smiles at her, obviously happy with what he sees. Or what he doesn’t see. A wire. Someone has been feeding information to the feds, and he suspects it’s her. But the things that have gotten back to my father were spot-on, so if she wasn’t the snitch, then her husband was.

He walks over to her, grips her auburn hair, and jerks her head back. Placing the gun under her chin, he shows no emotion as she closes her eyes and sobs uncontrollably. “You keep your goddamn mouth shut; do you understand me?”

She begins to nod, but he shoves her head back farther with the barrel of the gun.

“Fucking say it, Ava!” he growls in her face.

“Keep … my ... mouth … shut,” she chokes out.

He releases her, and she cries out when he shoves her to the floor once again. Turning to face me, he places his gun back in his waistband. Coming over to me, he says, “Never let anyone stand in your way, son. Not even fucking blood. They’ll be the first to undercut you, and they should be the first to die for it.”

Code of Silence: Dark Mafia Romance is available and FREE in KU. Grab your copy here.

AMAZON US: https://amzn.to/3q5qkKi

AMAZON UK: https://amzn.to/3lofV8R

AMAZON CA: https://amzn.to/36j0ElC

AMAZON AU: https://amzn.to/2JrcXDg

CONTACT ME

Shantel’s Facebook Spoiler Room.

Please note that I have one spoiler room for all books,

and you may come across spoilers from book(s)

you have not had the chance to read yet.

You must answer both questions in order to be approved.

Join Shantel Tessier’s mailing list for exclusive material and giveaways!

Follow her on Amazon

Facebook Reader Group

Goodreads

Instagram

Website

Facebook Page

If you would like to join the street team or review team please send all inquiries to [email protected]

OTHER BOOKS BY SHANTEL TESSIER

DARK KINGS SERIES

TITAN

GRAVE

CROSS (COMING 2021)

BONES (COMING 2021)

SEVEN DEADLY SINS SERIES

ADDICTION

OBSESSION

CONFESSION- COMING SOON

THE SELFISH SERIES

SELFISH

MYSELF

SELFLESS

STANDALONES

DASH

DONUT OVERTHINK IT

JUST A KISS

SLAUGHTER

CHAMPAGNE WISHES – WILD IN THE WINDY CITY ANTHOLOGY

MAKE YOU BEG – BULLY ME: CLASS OF 202 ANTHOLOGY