Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 94720 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94720 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
“He’s sick,” Gio said. “Watching someone because you think they’re in danger and want to protect them is one thing, but this is sick.”
“How could we not have noticed?” Loren asked quietly, in disbelief.
It was the question I’d been asking myself since I opened the USB drive. How could we not have noticed someone following us with a camera? How could I not have noticed? I’m more aware of my surroundings than most people. They must have used a long-scope lens the entire time. With my sniper rifle, I could watch people 1,200 meters away, and I was sure there were camera lenses that went the same distance. I glanced at the bag in the corner that I’d asked Dean to bring with him. My weapons of choice were my body or my Matriarch knife, but I’d use whatever I could get my hands on to defend Lenora. There was a knock on the wall behind us, and we turned to see Lenora and Rosie standing there.
“Can we join you?” Rosie asked, looking at Dominic.
He raised his arm, welcoming her, and she smiled as she ducked under his arm and settled against him like he was her favorite reading chair. As she said hi to Gio and Loren, Lenora sat in the empty chair beside me. She looked up at me and smiled but didn’t move to touch me or sit on my lap, which should have been fine — because when the fuck had I let a fully-clothed woman sit on my lap anyway? When I was fifteen, maybe. But Lenora made me want that. I wanted to be able to open my arms and know she’d instantly be in them. I wanted to touch her, smell her, and feel her on me as often as possible.
She turned her smile to greet the guys on screen and I couldn't take it anymore. I reached for her hand and tugged. Her brows pulled, but she stood up without hesitation. When I guided her to my lap, with her legs crossways over mine, she looked at her brother to gauge his reaction. He watched us closely, but he didn’t look angry, just curious and so confused that I almost laughed. I tucked her head under my chin and breathed her in as I wrapped my arms around her, eyes on the screen. Lorenzo and Gio both had their mouths hanging open.
“Oh. Shit.” That was Loren.
“Well, now we know what happened to your face.” Gio’s eyes danced.
I raised my middle finger to him but felt myself smile, and instantly flinched at the pain in my lip.
“It was worth it,” I said, kissing the top of Lenora’s head.
Dominic rolled his eyes. Lorenzo, Gio, and Michael laughed. Rosie smiled. Dean exhaled heavily as he sat back in his seat. Lenora pulled back and looked up at me. When her gaze met mine, she smiled wide, her eyes sparkling with joy, and my chest squeezed again. I hadn’t prayed since my mom died, but at that moment, I silently prayed that I’d live to see this smile for years to come.
“How are you coping, Rosie?” Loren asked.
“I feel betrayed and so fucking sad. I can’t believe he has the nerve to call me his daughter. All the while knowing he killed my mother.” Her words caught. Dom shut his eyes like he was in pain. “I don’t think I’ll tell my dad or Santi.”
Dominic tightened his arms around her and set his jaw on her head.
“If they’ve made peace with her being gone, maybe it’s for the best,” Loren said. “I’m sorry.”
Rosie offered a small smile.
“What are we going to do about Giuseppe?” Gio asked, looking at me.
Everyone knew I’d hunted down the men who pulled the trigger, and I was just waiting to find whoever set it in motion so they could meet the same fate. I’d been at this for over ten years. My feelings for Lenora didn’t change this. Nothing could. Giuseppe would die by my hands. I just hoped I had a chance to torture him before I killed him.
“I’m going to kill him,” I said simply.
Lenora tensed in my lap. She pulled back to look at me, a horrified expression on her face. She turned to Dominic, who was already watching her, and shook her head. Dom looked sad as fuck but said nothing. I felt for them, I did, but their father needed to pay for this. Lenora got up and ran out of the room. I sighed heavily.
“Welcome to paradise, fucker,” Gio said.
“You’re an idiot,” I muttered, looking at the hallway Lenora had gone down.
I wanted to go upstairs and comfort her, but I couldn’t. We still needed to figure out how we were going to kill her father.
31
ROCCO
“I’m going to suggest something, and I need you to hear me out before you say anything,” Mikey said, pointing at Dominic and me.