Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 61672 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61672 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
“What happened?”
“A fight with some men who worked for the Espositos at one of the clubs. It got out of hand. Franco was outnumbered,” comes the answer from the phone.
“Shit.”
There’s a number of clubs in the city that the Guerrieros and the Espositos fight over. The war has gone on for so long nobody knows which club was in whose territory, so whenever a dealer from one family sees another dealer from the other family, it always ends in an altercation—often bloody.
“I won’t lie, this may make things worse. You know how much the men like Franco. They’re angry, and they want revenge. Blood will be spilled. You need to be here.”
He’s right. I should be home. My people need me to lead them, to give them strength, to come up with a plan of attack.
Grace and Jack don’t need me. They’ve been doing just fine without me for years. But I can’t be without them, now that I’ve had a taste of how good things could be.
“I’m not done here,” I say, knowing he won’t be happy with this answer.
“This is the longest you’ve been away from home. You know normally I let you do whatever you want because you never let your work suffer. But now, you’re sacrificing your family for a wild goose chase.”
I wish I could tell him I have two more family members to think about now, and they’re more important than life itself.
I want to defend my actions. This is the furthest thing from a wild goose chase. I’ve found the woman who could put an end to this battle.
But I know Grace would want me to wait until she’s ready to tell my family.
The shrill sound of a doorbell pierces the air. I look out the window to find Lily and Jack standing on the porch.
“Dad, I have to go. But I’m looking for a real solution here, a permanent end to the war. I’ll come home as soon as I find them.” I hang up.
I pull the front door open to see a scowl on Lily’s face. Even though Grace has tried to explain to her that things between us are good now, she hasn’t forgotten the fear in Grace’s eyes when I showed up outside.
“Hey, buddy. Did you have fun?” I ruffle Jack’s hair.
“Yeah.” He gives me a grin even as he struggles to keep his eyes open.
I laugh. “Thanks for looking after him.”
“Where’s Ashley?” Lily asks, eyeing me like she thinks I’ll take off with Jack tied up in the trunk to sell in the black market.
I realize the answer is only going to make her more suspicious. “She’s asleep.”
It takes me a while, but I finally manage to convince Lily that I’m telling her the truth and I don’t intend Grace or Jack any harm. It’s a negotiation more terse than some transactions I’ve had with crime organizations.
Lily probably still thinks of me as the guy who made Grace so scared she had to abandon her life and start over. It’s not an unfair assessment, really. I was the reason Grace had to fake her own death.
She’s just being a good friend, and it comforts me to know that someone cares about Grace like she obviously does.
Now that she’s got me, I’ll take care of her better than anyone ever has. I’ll never let her out of my sight. When I come home, she’ll be right by my side.
Grace
Sun rays stab my eyes, and I peel them open to find myself alone in my bed.
It’s bright here with the light pouring in through the window, but I was just in a world of darkness and heavy breathing and violent touches that turned into explosive orgasms.
As I push myself up to a sitting position, the memories of last night flood my mind, and I wonder if they were real.
Wait. Did I ever pick Jack up from Lily’s?
Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
I slide my feet into my furry house sandals and run out of the bedroom. Lily has asked me to let Jack have a sleepover at her house before, but I didn’t want to impose on her.
Jack may seem perfectly delightful for a few hours, but if he cries and Lily doesn’t have me around to hand him off to, she may swear off ever babysitting for me again.
When I grab the door handle, I realize it feels cooler than usual, and I realize I’m naked. I grab the clothes at the top of the piles in my wardrobe and rush outside, running down the hallway.
“Where’s Mommy going, so early in the morning?” comes a masculine voice.
“Matteo?”
Heavy footsteps approach. Matteo shows up in the hallway, wearing nothing but a pair of jeans, cradling Jack against his body. His chiseled, smoking-hot, just-walked-off-a-magazine body.
I stare at him, no words coming from my mouth even though I know I should say something. He’s so attractive I can barely focus even under normal conditions. And now, he’s holding Jack in his muscled arms like the three-year-old weighs nothing.