Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 39756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 199(@200wpm)___ 159(@250wpm)___ 133(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 199(@200wpm)___ 159(@250wpm)___ 133(@300wpm)
“I’m always here. If you need me in the middle of the night, my phone will be right beside me. Same goes for tomorrow.” Poor Delaney. His ears are probably bleeding from all the whining I’ve done today.
“So much, same, always. Love you, Lane.” I use the nickname I gave him long ago.
“Love you, Journey, forever.” My best friend is the absolute best even if he does threaten my prized sweat collection. We hang up after that, and I decide to move into the bathroom and relax, highly doubting I’ll be heading back to Nico’s. I swerve into the kitchen to top off my wine. I’m ready to crawl into myself, leaving everything where it lands, and focus on shutting my overthinking self down.
TWENTY-THREE
Nico
Holding my breath was what I did when Enzo and I walked into the back room of the restaurant, cold with the blasting of frigid air to keep the room at the perfect temperature. A tactic to get men to talk. The longer you’re in there, the colder it gets, and it seems the man who was clearly Russian, had the markings of Petrov’s Bratva on his chest, was unwilling to give Angelo answers. By the time I got through with him, he was begging for death and yet still didn’t give us the information necessary to figure out Petrov’s next move.
After being at it for more than six hours, I was done. There was something else that was more important and pressing than torturing a dumb fuck. We left him hanging in the freezer. Angelo was willing to stay the night, watching over him. His wife was out of town with his three daughters. Him not needing to be at home tonight worked in my favor. Enzo went back to the house reluctantly because he wanted to at least follow me to Journey’s condo. I shook him off. If Petrov was going to come after me, he would have already. Instead, he’s playing a mind game. Smart, really, considering we’ve yet to get our hands on him, let alone see the man with our own eyes. Though, that last part makes Petrov a coward of the highest caliber.
I use my key to gain entry to Journey’s condo and walk through the dark house. Not a single light is on in the place. It’s a good thing I know it like the back of my hand. Back when we started, shit was simple. There wasn’t some fucking psycho hellbent on going after our territory, our women, and our children. The condo is warm, warmer than I’ve been used to seeing as at my house, she only kicks it up a degree or two than what it’s set to usually.
“Christ.” I strip out of my suit jacket, go to the thermostat, and kick it down a whole lot. It may be going on midnight, and Journey may be asleep, but this can’t wait any longer. I’ll be damned if my wife feels like I’ve failed her, forgotten her, and that this marriage is over. A lump forms in my throat when I see for myself how vulnerable she looks with her hair wet and on the pillow, another one snuggled in beside her. She’s holding it like a lifeline, and the sweats she’s given up for the most part are back on her body. I did this to her. I can see her cheeks are tear-stained, and as I move closer, I realize she is shivering. Here, in what feels like a sauna to me, my wife is freezing. That could have something to do with her wet hair. I know that’s the not the case her, though. Journey’s emotions are shining through even when she’s asleep, and I’m the bastard who made them that way.
“Vita mia.” I sit on the edge of the bed, hand shaking as I reach out to touch her cheek, gently waking her up. Not that it’s likely to cause her to rise. Instead, she scooches closer. My hand cups her cheek, my other moving the pillow away to allow her the comfort she’s desperately reaching for, wishing I’d at least had the forethought to take off my shoes before entering her room. It would have been a lot easier to slip in bed beside her, gathering my wife in my arms instead of what’s happening now.
“Journey, Tesoro.” Treasure. Unable to wait another moment, I pick her up and place her sideways in my lap, grabbing the blanket she was sleeping on top of instead of underneath, letting her absorb my body heat.
“Nico, what are you doing here?” She jars awake, trying to pry herself away from me. My hold tightens. If I were in a better frame of mind, I would have turned a light on before sitting down.
“Where my wife is, that’s where I’ll always be.” I move and kick off my shoes, feeling her body stiffen with those words, knowing in the past month I’ve only been home a few hours here and there, so my words have little to no value.