Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 142664 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 713(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142664 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 713(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
“What do you mean what’s wrong? My wife just cried her heart out on my chest; somebody’s got to pay.”
“Calm down there, Timur Tamerlane, sheesh how come I didn’t notice this about you.”
“Notice what?”
“Your penchant for violence. I like it. Let’s do some shit, but not this time. I know my Dad. Once he reads this, he’s going to be bedridden for a few days. Trust me, a bullet is too easy, but thanks, though.”
My phone alerted me with a text. “Ooh, my girl Jackie.” I tried getting off his lap because he doesn’t need to see my work in action, just in case I have to come at him at some point. “Where are you going? Open it.”
I pouted, but he wasn’t even paying attention the bastard; his eyes were too focused on my phone. I opened the message, and a video was attached. “I like videos.” I sat up, all grief forgotten, at least for now, and opened it.
I’d been up for a while this morning before waking him up, and it looked like my hard work had paid off. The hardest part was coming up with that ditty and then finding the right voice to go with it because I didn’t want Helen to know that it was me just yet.
I watched the whole thing up until she was carted off in an ambulance, then read the message beneath. “She’s been admitted to hospital in very serious condition. The car was crushed as of two hours ago. Will update once the second phase is completed.”
“What’s the second phase?” I almost forgot nosy Nellie was there.
“That’s where she gets reintroduced to all those friends she made at my mother’s expense as what she really is; trash.”
“I don’t follow.”
“You’ll see!”
“By the way, our first interview has been set for two days away.”
“Great.” I was a bit preoccupied while he spoke because my mind was already moving on to the next thing. I’m not a crazy person who spends every waking hour plotting, but I’d decided that just as I didn’t want to spend my entire honeymoon dealing with my enemies, I didn’t want to spend the start of our life together doing it either.
Which meant I had to take care of everything in the next week and a half so I could just sit back and watch the fallout. Either later at night or early in the morning is when I do my thing; that way, I’m not taking any time away from my new husband.
He was playing in my hair, something I didn’t know I liked, and it made me feel weird, in a good way. I don’t know why that particular action made me realize that he’s always hyper-focused on me and that he’s always right there, ready and willing to do whatever I need.
There was a fluttering around my heart followed by a warmth that seemed to permeate my entire being, and it hit me like a cyclone. Sexual attraction and compatibility are things I can deal with. But I was in no way ready for what I suspected this was.
I gave him the stink eye before hauling off and slugging him. “Ouch, what the hell, Lyssa, what was that for?” Now he’s calling me by a cute name, the bastard. He rubbed his chest and looked at me as if waiting for an explanation.
“Bastard! You did this on purpose.”
“Did what exactly?”
“You know what you did. Why do you have to be so nice to me? I know what you’re up to, you jerk.” Even as I said these words, I knew I sounded crazy, I felt crazy as shit too.
I tried getting off his lap, but he held me hostage. “Stay where you are and tell me what bee got under your crazy bonnet.”
“Don’t you call me crazy, you snake. Ooh, I’m so mad I could spit.”
“Alyssa, baby, what’s the matter?” I folded my arms and turned my nose up with a pout. I will not be moved by his sugar-sweet bullshit. I have cultivated my persona since I was nine years old, and there is no way I am going to let some newcomer upstart change my shit.
He rocked his thighs, “Tell me. Whatever it is, I’ll take care of it.” My nose went higher in the air, and he sighed, which only pissed me off.
“If I’m annoying you, you can always just take your ass off somewhere else.”
Look, I know most people, especially those closest to me, have always thought that I was crazy, but I’m not. At least, I didn’t use to be. But right this second, I feel as if I am losing my damn mind. I wanted to hit something and scream because I did not want to feel these things.
How the hell had he snuck under my guard without my noticing? Was it because I didn’t know what signs to look for? I tried to remember anything he had done that I didn’t like to use against him and this stupid growing feeling, but from beginning to end, there was nothing.