Total pages in book: 180
Estimated words: 168587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 843(@200wpm)___ 674(@250wpm)___ 562(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 168587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 843(@200wpm)___ 674(@250wpm)___ 562(@300wpm)
“It took me a while to figure out why it was so important that she remained a virgin before marriage.” I stab him again in his upper arm, and he sobs. “Virgins are worth a lot when being sold.” I run the tip of the bloody knife down his chest, and he tries to hold his breath to not move and cut himself. “Luke was going to drug her and sell her off to the highest bidder. But then I interrupted his wedding, and he knew I’d fuck her on our wedding night. Whitney informed my wife that it was her idea to knock her up. I didn’t believe it when Lake told me.” I roll my eyes. “Why would Luke and Miller go along with what she wanted.” I frown. “But then I did some research and found out that pregnant women are worth as much, if not more.” I push the tip into his stomach, and he sucks it in the best he can. “Breeding kink is big in the industry.” I nod to myself. “I get it. No kink shame here.” I hold my hands up, shaking my head, and he lets out a deep breath through his nose. “I love fucking my pregnant wife. But…” I push the tip back to his skin, right next to his flaccid dick. “Let’s just say that I give you the benefit of the doubt, and you weren’t aware of what Luke and your son had planned.” I remove the knife and place it under his neck. His narrowed eyes meet mine. “And let’s say that I don’t even care that you tried to put me away for murder because I’ve moved on from that. Without you, I would have never ended up with the life I have now. That I love. All of that is excusable. What’s not is that you still came into my club and threatened my wife. And that is unforgivable.” I slam the knife into his stomach. His back bows, the rope pulled tight, and he screams into the gag.
It took Lake quite some time to tell me everything—from her father threatening her before our wedding, to slapping her—but one night she broke down and told me she didn’t want us to have any secrets. She wants our family to be different than the ones we were raised in.
I agreed. I want to share everything with my wife, the good and the bad. I mean, she fell in love with me even when she thought I killed her sister, and she knows that I’ll kill enough people to form an army if it meant keeping her safe.
My wife could tell me that she wanted to burn the world, and I’d be proud to watch her burn it down to nothing but ashes. In my eyes, she could do no wrong.
I stand, leaving the knife inside Frank. “With you dead, your wife will be handed down to another Lord. Your son is dead.” I killed him off the other night. It wasn’t worth keeping him alive. I was getting bored with him and his pathetic attempt to beg for his life. “Whitney… Well, she’s been dead for years, right?” I laugh.
To the world she died, and soon, her body will be placed in the ground. That’s if the Spade brothers leave any of it to be buried.
“So Lake will be left with your empire. Now, I’m not sure she wants it, but I’ve got our family to think about. Our twins—a boy and a girl. She’s giving me the best of both worlds,” I say with a smile. “Well, like I was saying, Blackout isn’t what I want to leave them. I’ve got plenty of years to get Minson Hotels & Resorts how I want it to be before I hand it over to our children.” Wrapping my hand around the handle of the knife, I yank it out, and his body shakes uncontrollably. Spit and blood flying out from around his gagged mouth onto his chest.
“But I’ve got to make a point.” I pull the Zippo out of my pocket once again. “So I’m going to burn this one down and call it a loss.” He shakes his head, as if I wasn’t going to kill him. Leaning down, I place my face right in front of his as I speak, making sure he can hear me over his pathetic sobs. “It’s the last warning I’m going to give the world that if you fuck with my wife, you’ll burn in hell.”
Using my thigh, I light it on my jeans and then toss it onto the bed, watching it catch fire.
RYAT
I enter her apartment, knowing that she’s home alone. I made sure of it. Pushing her bedroom door open, I find her lying on the bed. She’s on her back, her hands up by her head. Eyes closed and breathing deeply. Passed out.