Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 54092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
"I'd tear the fucking world apart for her," I rasp, meaning every word.
Norah gasps quietly.
"But as I recently discovered, she doesn't feel the same." I tip my glass to my lips, draining it.
"I bet that's not true," she whispers, her face falling.
"You'd lose that bet then."
"Do you…want to talk about it?" she asks.
I laugh abruptly. This girl is unbelievable. "You came here to save my brother from my clutches, and now you're asking if I want to talk about my love life?"
"It's not you I'm trying to save him from. It's your world. Your job. The things you do." She waves her hand in the air as if to indicate what she means. "I'm sorry. I don't know the appropriate term here. I just know that Nico is a good man with a big heart and a bright future. If you take that away from him, he'll lose himself."
"You're so sure I want to take something from him. Why?"
"I…" She trails off, her brows furrowing. "I guess I don't know that," she admits. "I guess I just assumed you wanted to pull him back into the…things…you do."
"Did."
"Huh?"
"The things I did," I mutter, shaking my head. "It's a long, sad story that I don't feel much like telling at the moment. I'm not accepting your deal, Miss Bishop. Go home to my brother where you belong."
"No."
I flick my gaze in her direction, my patience running out. "That's the second time you've told me no," I say, my voice soft. "I wouldn't test my patience by saying it a third time."
"I'm not afraid of you."
"You should be," I growl. "I've killed people for less."
"I remember. I was there," she snaps, scowling. "And yet I'm still standing here. You may think you're this big scary monster, but you're a man just like anyone else. You're a little crankier than most of them, but you're still just a man. And I think I could say just about anything to you and still walk out of here alive because you still love your brother and you and I both know that killing me will destroy any chance you have of ever getting him back into your life."
I stare at her through slit lids for a long moment. For twenty years, people in this city have tiptoed around me, treating me like the big, bad wolf. And then I met Amalia. She was never afraid of me, not even once. Now this little slip of a girl is reading me the riot act too. Either I've lost my touch, or women truly are the most terrifying things on this earth.
I'm pretty sure it's the latter.
"I can see why he fell for you," I say, my expression softening. "You're both stubborn."
"We're scientists."
"Clearly." I reach for the decanter beside the lamp to refill my glass. "But I'm not letting you walk out of here because I'm worried about destroying our relationship. It's occurred to me that I fucked that up a long time ago. There is no taking it back now."
"I don't know what that means," she admits.
"It means…" I sigh, replacing the stopper on the decanter. "It means you're free, Miss Bishop. It means he's free too. Tell the world what you saw or don't. I don't fucking care anymore."
"Oh." She frowns. "Why not?"
"The girl I love is with the FBI right now, turning over everything she has on me," I say. "This time tomorrow, I'll be in cuffs." Or dead. Either way, it's over for me.
"Oh. Wow. Um, that's a lot."
"Indeed." I raise my glass to my lips again and sip. "As interesting as this visit has been, I'd prefer to wallow in misery alone. So, please, Miss Bishop, go home."
"What's her name?" she asks, her voice soft.
"Amalia."
"Amalia," she repeats. "It's a beautiful name."
"She's a beautiful girl."
"You really love her?"
I nod, staring at…nothing. Feeling nothing.
"I'm sorry," Norah whispers. "I won't pretend to know what happened between you or how she feels about you. But I think if you love her, she must be someone worth loving. I don't think you would have fallen for her if she wasn't. Maybe she'll surprise you."
"Maybe," I mutter, leaving it at that. Is she worth loving? God, yeah. Would I do it again even knowing how it ends? In a heartbeat. A moment with her is worth an eternity in hell. A single moment.
"Good luck, Rafe," Norah whispers, turning to leave.
"Miss Bishop."
She pauses at the door.
"You're good for him."
"He's good for me too."
"I'll call you a cab."
"Thank you." She slips out the door, leaving me in peace.
My peace is short lived.
Not even twenty minutes after Norah leaves, Nico shows up.
"Norah!" he shouts, flinging open the front door so hard it crashes against the wall.
"She isn't here."
He spins toward me, eyes wild, breathing hard. Panic clings to him, fear heavy in the air around him. He's terrified. I know the look. I'm pretty sure I wore it when I heard Amalia scream the day Carmine tried to kidnap her.