Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 151410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
“I pissed Luca off. Isn’t that a mission you can get behind?” I asked, grinning despite my lack of oxygen. Dad’s fingers flexed, but he released me, turned away, and started the car as if he needed to busy himself with traffic to make sure he didn’t choke me to death.
“We need peace for Greta’s sake, Nevio. Isn’t that something even your brain should be able to understand?” he gritted out, every word shaky with anger.
I leaned back. This was a topic I had no interest in discussing. If I were keen on war with the Famiglia, my week there would have looked different. Luca hardly gave a fuck about that dead Outsider, and he definitely wouldn’t start a war over him.
“Just give me one reason for this major fuckup. One sane reason that maybe makes me want to send you away a little less.”
“I wanted to show Aurora that I wouldn’t give her up just because she ran away.”
Dad glanced at me, his lack of understanding as plain as day on his face. “What do you want from her? And if your answer is anything less than marry her, then don’t say anything, and for fuck’s sake, let that girl be. She’s Fabiano’s daughter. If you want to mess with a girl’s life, pick another. This is my last warning, Nevio. I won’t risk losing Fabiano because you got it in your head to give chase simply because she started running.”
I kept my mouth shut because fuck if I knew what I wanted with Aurora. I couldn’t let her go. I knew that, and the consequences? Fuck, they would hopefully be worth it.
After six weeks in New York, I returned to Camorra territory with trepidation. My short encounter with Nevio in New York hadn’t been conducive to forgetting him and what had happened between us.
If Nevio’s intention had been to unsettle me, he’d succeeded. Maybe this had turned into a sick game for him. I wouldn’t be played. Still, Marcos’s death weighed heavily on my conscience. Of course, I couldn’t be sure it had been Nevio. Nothing pointed toward him. I wasn’t familiar with his killing style. All my life, I’d done my best not to dwell on what he did not only for the Camorra but also for fun at night. Marcos hadn’t been tortured. The police still thought it was a mugging gone wrong. But Luca’s suspicion had confirmed my own.
Mom, Dad, and Davide had picked me up in New York themselves, and we’d spent two days in the city as a family because I wasn’t returning to Las Vegas right away. I’d spend a few more weeks with the racing circus. I was excited about the chance to see Roman, Adamo, and Dinara again and really spend time with them, as their visits in Las Vegas were usually short.
Dinara hugged me when I got out of Adamo’s car. Roman flung himself into my arms, and I lifted him with a huff. “You’ve gotten heavy!”
It felt as if he’d grown several inches since I’d last seen him.
“We’re so happy that you’re going to join us for a while,” Dinara said with a smile.
“You’re happy to have me as a babysitter,” I joked.
Dinara tossed her red hair back, looking indignant. “You know we love having you. But Roman missed you, so he’ll definitely want to spend time with you.” She grinned, and I laughed.
“I missed him too.” I hugged him even tighter until he started squirming, and I had to set him down.
“We got you your own trailer this time, so you have privacy.” Adamo said led me toward a campervan that stood right beside their mobile home, which was huge compared to most trailers, campervans, and VW buses that many of the drivers used as their home during the races. Of course, most of them didn’t travel with a family.
“And you really want to help our doc and not join the races?” Dinara asked as we sat down in front of their motorhome a bit later for a dinner of grilled steak and delicious Russian potato salad.
I shook my head. “I don’t think racing’s really in my blood. I love the wind in my hair when I throw myself down the half-pipe, but barreling through the desert at 150 miles per hour doesn’t really seem appealing to me.”
“If you change your mind, I’ll give you a crash course, and I’m sure we can find a car really quickly for you,” she said.
“Dinara has been trying to recruit girls for the races for ages, and you’re one of her top choices. She’d love to have you around more often.”
I grinned. I really liked the freedom living with Adamo and Dinara gave me, but I’d miss my family and the crazy Falcone clan in the long run.
It was past midnight when Dinara glanced at her watch with a deep-belly sigh. “Tomorrow’s a qualification race. We should probably head to bed.”