Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 182(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 182(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
Mason pulled away and she watched him go. Pressing her fingers to her lips, she wasn’t quite sure what it was, but she didn’t waste any time. Drying her body, she quickly found a negligee, dried her hair, brushed it, and climbed into bed.
Her husband took his time.
She had a feeling he was hoping she would fall asleep. He clearly hadn’t realized that she didn’t need very much sleep. Also, she happened to prefer sleeping when Mason had his arms wrapped around her—the best kind of sleep.
These were the little parts she had grown to love about being with Mason and in his bed. Waking up next to him, falling asleep with his arms around her. She also loved watching him undress as much as she did him dressing. She loved being with him, being near him.
Mason suddenly appeared and she watched as he began to dry his hair. The rest of his body was already dry. He went back into the bathroom, then walked back into the bedroom, completely naked. She loved how confident he was, and even though he didn’t have an erection, he still looked impressive.
He climbed into bed beside her, and she turned toward him. The light behind her was still on, casting a warm glow that wasn’t too garish.
“I know you don’t want to talk to me and I don’t know if I’m going to be able to help you, but I’m here. You can use me to listen. I won’t tell anyone,” Tamsin said.
“My father has kidnapped an autistic girl.”
“What?” Tamsin said. Out of all the things he could have said, this was not what she expected.
“Candice Delcoties. I had a meeting with Albert today, and he has promised me that if anything happens to her, there will be an all-out war.”
“But, I thought your father wanted to do business with him and the family?”
Paul Savonas was always chasing power and he was a greedy man.
“Yes, he does, but Albert realized what kind of man my father is, and even though many of us don’t have many morals left, it would seem we all have lines we refuse to cross. My father’s desire for young underage girls crossed a line that Albert Delcoties refused to cross, and in doing so, broke down all negotiations. I believe my father is going to attempt to use Candice to open them back up.”
“But isn’t that dangerous?”
“Yes.”
Tamsin looked at Mason and she pressed a hand to his face. “You’ll be able to handle it.”
“There’s more,” Mason said. “The last time I talked to Albert, he told me of a loophole.”
“A loophole?” she asked.
Mason nodded. “When it comes to who murders my father.”
Tamsin couldn’t help but think of Landon. There had been no loophole in that agreement.
“What is it?”
Mason didn’t speak and she looked at him a little confused by his sudden silence. There was so much to take in. She wanted to try to help wherever she could, but she felt so useless. In that moment, she was even more annoyed with her parents for not getting her ready to be a good enough wife.
“You,” Mason said.
“Me?”
“Yes, Albert stated that neither he nor any of my … Paul’s enemies … can pull the trigger. However, if you were to act in self-defense and kill him, then there would be no price on your head.”
Tamsin frowned. “How would … I don’t get that. How can you not kill him but I can? Who would make that kind of loophole?”
“Unlike your father, who put a bounty on whoever killed him, my father decided to go a certain route. With any standard bounty your father used, an amateur could kill. My father wanted to make sure his death was handled by professionals. The deal he made had to have terms and conditions set. These are the kind of deals he made.”
“But, can’t he just renege on them? Remove the bounty and the deal, or whatever?”
“It doesn’t work like that. There are some organizations that deal with blood, and they do warn you that once you make that deal, there’s no going back. You cannot get anyone to remove the agreement, it’s cemented in law, and if he tries to have anyone killed or the contract terminated, he forfeits his life.”
“Wow,” Tamsin said. “I never knew that existed.”
“There is a lot of bad shit that exists in this world, Tamsin.”
“Why would someone make that agreement?”
“Paranoia. Building a lot of enemies.”
“But why would Paul make that kind of deal?” Tamsin asked. “Especially if there’s a loophole?”
“The only person who can kill him is someone not related to him, a woman, and who he has to attack first. If she kills him, it waives all rights to the deal.”
“And?” Tamsin asked.
“In case you didn’t notice, my father has no respect for women. The only woman who can kill him is you, and he doesn’t believe you are capable of doing that.”