Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“Luca Moretti, huh? I remember him from the party last night.” I give him a wry smile. “He liked me.”
“Luca’s a fucking prick. He’s the worst kind of cop.”
“Oh, you mean, a cop that works with organized crime?” I waggle my eyebrows at him. “Huh, I can’t even imagine.”
He nudges me gently. “Don’t start with that.”
“I’m just worried, that’s all. I know you have a plan but Santoro’s starting to flex a little bit, and if things go wrong—” I don’t want to imagine what it would feel like if I lost him. Whatever Orla’s going through grieving for her husband might be only a shadow of what would wash over me, losing Brody before we ever got to live a life together.
Strange how now I’m thinking of growing old with him like it’s all I want in the world.
“Trust me, baby. I’m going to thread this needle.” He seems so confident, and I wish I felt the same way.
“We don’t need to go down this road. There are probably a million other ways we can get the Waterfront job approved.”
“While also winning favor with the cops? That’s what your family needs right now, isn’t it?” He leans in closer and kisses me gently. I feel hungry for his touch and let him drag me into his lap until I’m straddling him and grinding down against him. “But none of that will matter if I manage to bring down Santoro.”
“I know that’s the plan. I just—I don’t want to lose you while trying to help my family.”
“You won’t.” He kisses me harder. “This is a good thing. He took the bait. He wants to talk. All I have to do is make it convincing.”
I lean my forehead against his. “You don’t know Santoro. He’s crafty. He’s been evading my family for years and making our lives a living hell.”
“But he doesn’t know me.” Brody smirks and his mouth devours mine, and I want to keep arguing. I know it’s stupid, but suddenly I wish he’d drop this whole mission. That would mean my brothers would keep on fighting, that one of them might get hurt, but I don’t care. I need Brody now in a way I never imagined I would, and I hate the thought of him getting dragged into a game he can’t win, one that might end up with him dead.
There’s a knock at the door. I pull back from Brody’s kiss as Seamus comes into the room, looking pissed. He’s about to say something, but when he spots me in his brother’s lap with Brody’s hands on my ass, he rubs his face and storms over to the drink cart.
“Could you two cut it out for one second?” he says, pouring himself a generous glass of scotch. “God, you’re like fucking teenagers.”
“What can I do for you, Seamus?”
I get off Brody’s lap, feeling a little embarrassed, but at least Brody doesn’t seem to mind. Seamus swirls his drink and glares.
“We should do something about Santoro,” he says, sounding like it’s a growl.
“Here I was thinking you didn’t approve of the war.”
“He could’ve killed you today. It’s bad enough you refuse guards—”
“You refuse guards?” I stare at Brody, feeling outraged.
He sighs and gives his brother a hard look. “Thanks for that. It’s all I’m going to hear about for the next week.”
“Goddamn right,” I say, getting to my feet. “Brody Quinn, how can you be so stupid?”
Seamus gestures at me. “The girl’s right. You are stupid. We need to hit Santoro back before he thinks he can do whatever the fuck he wants to us.”
“And you need to start bringing guards with you everywhere you go!” I’m ready to throw my damn shoe at my stubborn asshole of a husband.
“First of all,” Brody says, gesturing at me. “I’m a lawyer. A respectable lawyer. A fucking tax lawyer. I can’t show up at the office chauffeured by dangerous thugs.” Then he points at Seamus. “And you need to stop being so fucking bloodthirsty. It wasn’t an ambush earlier, it was a meeting.”
“That’s not how Mom described it.”
“Mom got it wrong.” He grimaces and gets to his feet. “Enough, both of you. I’m handling this.”
“Santoro could’ve killed you,” I say through my teeth. “And you’re too stubborn to have guards.”
“We should be out there showing Santoro that we can’t be fucked with!” Seamus says.
Brody slams his hand on his desk. “Enough.” He turns on his brother. “Drop it. I have a plan and I don’t need you fucking that up by going all cowboy on me. And you.” He turns to me and softens. “I’ll consider the guards.”
“He listens to reason,” I say, beaming.
But Seamus looks disgusted. “We’re not finished. I’ll see you in the office.” He storms out and slams the door.
Brody stares thoughtfully after his brother before gesturing me over. I go to him and let him pull me into his arms, even though I’m still annoyed.