Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 112069 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 374(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112069 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 374(@300wpm)
For me.
For Violet.
For himself.
"You were right," I said to Vaughn. "My reasons for bringing Remy here were selfish."
"No, I wasn't, and no they weren't. He's a beautiful young man, but I know in my heart you would never take advantage of him. I also know that your priority has been keeping him safe. Him and the little girl," Vaughn responded.
"I thought maybe the guilt… maybe it would be less. But things are just more fucked up now." I considered what I was admitting to. As much as I was going to miss Violet, my thoughts always ended up back on Remy. The idea of not seeing him every day, of not talking to him, tore at something inside me. Which was ridiculous because Remy and I barely talked as it was. I had no clue how my life had become so intertwined with his. "I don't want him to go back to that apartment. It's all a sham. The smiles he puts on for people, the neat, tidy apartment, even that job of his…"
"He quit his job."
"What?" I said in disbelief as I looked at my brother in shock. While Remy's job had still been relatively entry-level, he'd already received two promotions in the years since he'd begun as a data entry clerk.
"Ronan told me. He's friends with Dom, the man who owns Barretti Security Group. I guess when all this stuff started happening with the little girl, Remy took some vacation time. But when that ran out, he just up and quit. Dom's been wanting to talk to him about it, but Ronan's convinced him to wait until things are settled with Violet."
I wasn't sure if I was more hurt or angry that Remy hadn't told me any of this himself.
"Maybe his boss was giving him a hard time about taking the time off?" I asked.
"No," Vaughn said softly. “The Barrettis don't work that way. They consider Remy family."
My phone rang before I could question Vaughn further. When I answered, my brother King said, "We'll be there in fifteen."
"Thanks," I said and then I nodded to Vaughn. I made a move to step past him so I could go tell Remy that Violet's aunt was almost here, but Vaughn surprised me by stepping in to hug me. My brother and I had never been super touchy-feely, but I had to admit it felt good to have his arms around me. It had been a lonely couple of months without him, and truthfully, he'd been working undercover for so long that it felt like I'd lost him years ago.
I hugged Vaughn back, then moved around him and headed for the door leading to the backyard. I'd ended up renting a large house near the hospital where Gio was staying. Now that my son was awake, I had plans to go to the hospital regularly, even if all I could do was sit in the waiting room. If it took every day for the rest of my life, Gio would know I was there. That I'd always been there and always would be. His doctor had recommended that I not have any encounters with Gio for a little while, but he was fully on board with me visiting the hospital every day.
Since waking, Gio hadn't spoken to his doctor other than to continue to insist that he wasn't my son and that he wanted to leave. It was a frustrating experience because I just wanted to take Gio home and be his father. I felt almost as helpless now as I had while he’d been missing. To know that my son had been brainwashed so convincingly by the man who'd hurt him in the most inconceivable ways made me violently ill. But Dr. Taylor had warned me that undoing the damage Kurt had inflicted would not be an easy thing. It would take months, even years before Gio accepted he was safe enough to face what the sick son of a bitch had done to him.
As I approached Remy, Aleks, and Violet, the little girl spied me and began clapping her hands together excitedly. Remy looked decidedly less happy to see me. Aleks got up from the little group and made his way back to the house, grabbing my hand in a simple embrace as he walked by me. I was grateful that he seemed to know I needed some privacy with Remy.
"Hey, princess," I said to Violet as I took Aleks's spot on the grass. Violet immediately began pumping her arms up and down like she was going to take flight. Remy had a hold of her, but he knew what she wanted and gently released her once she was steady on her feet. The child was off and running, though technically, she was walking. She wobbled as she moved, but her balance was good enough to keep her upright. I put out my arms and enfolded her within them when she reached me. I showered her with words of praise.