Page 122 of Jude

I wasn’t mad about the stripping; I was angry she lied to me and placed my career in a vulnerable position, where I could be blackmailed.

The betrayal burned through my veins like acid.

My companion trucked on.

‘We’re also after mullah to make up for what Dario lost when the feds picked him up. All up, we’re after 5 mill. I’ve been instructed not to leave Italy without a fifty thousand dollars upfront deposit, mate.’

Ignazio sneered, leaning back and crossing his arms, confident that he had me cornered.

‘You’ve got twenty-four hours to obtain the cash, or the first email goes straight to your label’s public relations department, then to the Internet.’

I stared at the glossy prints in my hand, my jaw locked so tight it ached, while white-hot rage burned a path through my chest.

With a curse, I shuffled the photos back into the manila envelope, keeping my expression neutral, masking the storm howling in my heart and mind.

Ignazio leaned forward, his greasy grin widening as he anticipated a hefty payday.

‘I’m going to need some time to verify this garbage and arrange the logistics, Ignazio,’ I growled. ‘You’re not getting a single cent tonight. I’ll have to get back to you. Give me your number.’

Ignazio’s smile vanished, his eyebrows knitting together as his posture went rigid.

Then, with a sneer, he read out his details to me, which I punched into my phone.

‘Twenty-four hours, Judah. That’s the deal. I’m not playing games while my associates are rotting in a county holding cell. I’m staying here until you make the transfer.’

‘You’re quitting the premises right fucking now,’ I replied, my tone leaving zero room for negotiation.

I caught the eye of Enzo, the head of our band security, stationed near the archway, and gave him a single chin-up jerk.

Enzo, a two-hundred-pound Roman built like a brick outhouse, signaled his partner.

The two massive men materialized at our table within three seconds, their presence blocking out the lounge lights.

They gripped Ignazio by the elbows, lifting his lean frame off the sofa with effortless, professional efficiency.

‘Hey, you’re risking everything fratè!’

‘Fuck off, Ignazio. I’ll reach out when I have an answer for you,’ I growled.

The guards began dragging the irate man toward the hotel’s glass exit doors as my world detonated.

Chapter 24

JUDE

Breathing felt like pulling jagged glass through my lungs.

I needed air before I went upstairs and blew the entire floor apart with my fury, so I bypassed the elevators and strode straight out onto the stone terrace off the reception.

The midnight breeze did nothing to cool the magma in my veins as I pulled my phone from my leather jacket.

First, I did an internet search, and in moments I was staring at the image of my wife and her accolades all over Italian media sites.

Confirming what Ignazio shared, Sofia was a former star, once widely recognized for her formidable presence in both Italian television and modeling.

Noticed by acting scouts for the first time in her first semester at university, she went on to be chosen as the ‘Face of the Year’ in Italian entertainment at 18.

She acted and modeled for five to six years before disappearing from the public eye.