Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 79462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
“Go away,” I repeat. “Actually, no, fuck off.”
There’s a soft chuckle, as if he knows what he can do to me with only his fingers and his mouth, but his voice is gone.
Chapter 11
Fallon
I stroll with Rian down the boardwalk. It’s a lovely day, a little on the cold side, but not so bad. We don’t talk much. I look out at the ocean, and he gazes at the building, both of us lost in thought.
The night before was strange, sleeping in that guest room. Jayson didn’t break down the door, which was good, but I got maybe a few hours of sleep at most. He was gone when I woke up, no note, nothing to indicate he was ever there at all. I ordered room service then arranged to spend a little time with my brother.
“My flight’s in a few hours.” He doesn’t sound stressed about it, only resigned.
“And I’ll be staying here.”
“I’m sorry, Fallie.”
“Sure you are, Chim. What else did you get from the Costas, by the way?”
“Business relationships mostly. Lots of complicated little deals, but I think they’ll work out for everyone in the end.”
“A stronger clan. That’s good then.”
“Was he kind to you? Last night, I mean.” He grimaces, looking away.
I burst out laughing. “Chim! Are you asking if my husband took my maidenhood?”
“No,” he says sharply, eyes panicking. “That’s disgusting.”
“Oh, now I’m disgusting?”
“Stop it, don’t be like this right now. I just meant, was he a bastard to you?”
I grin at him but my smile soon fades. “Do you really want to know?”
He doesn’t answer right away. Then he shakes his head. “I guess not, unless he crosses the line.”
“Where’s the line then, Chim?”
“Don’t do this.”
“Really, I mean it, where’s the line? Can he control how I dress, where I go, what I do? If he doesn’t hit me and doesn’t insult me, can he turn me into a prisoner?”
Rian stops walking. His intense expression returns. “You get to decide where that line is. Do you hear me? That’s your decision, and if he ever crosses it, you tell me and I’ll make sure you come home.”
I cock my head to the side, studying him. I think he really believes this, that somehow he can pluck me away from the Costas if things get bad.
“Alright, Chim.”
“Alright.” He starts walking again and I fall into line. Another long silence, but this time, I’m the one who breaks it.
“I need to tell you something you’re not going to like.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
“I have a plan for how to deal with Jayson Costa.”
He looks at me, eyes sharp. “You can’t kill him. You can’t even hurt him. That’ll end everything.”
I smile and shake my head. I suppose I just found out where the real line is. “No, I know I can’t. Even if I tried, it wouldn’t work.”
“What are you thinking then?”
“He’s like us. His family’s structured like ours with legitimate businesses up front hiding the less than legitimate income streams. The direct Costa members will be mostly insulated from the very bad stuff, but like our family, there will be places where he’s exposed. I’m going to find those places. I’m going to dig them up with my fingernails, bit by bit, and use what I can find to ruin him.”
He shakes his head. “Fallie, come on.”
“I mean it. I’m going to do it.” I grab his arm and stop walking because he needs to understand. “This man killed Papa. You hear me? He killed Papa. I don’t care what kind of deal you made with him, I don’t care about the war or anything else. Papa’s dead. I have to do something.”
The guilt’s still there. Crushing, infecting me. I let that monster Jayson get me off last night and I liked it so much it makes me sick. I can’t let it happen again, but I’m afraid it might, and I don’t know what I’ll do when things escalate. And they will escalate.
Which means I have to do this thing, this ugly thing. I have to destroy my husband if I want any chance at freedom.
“I don’t want you to,” he says at least.
“I know you don’t.”
“It’s dangerous. I want you to just have a good, comfortable life. That’s what I want.”
“I can’t, not while I’m here. It doesn’t matter what you say, I’m only telling you because I might need your help at some point. Either way, it’s happening.”
He nods slowly, looking resigned. “I hate this.”
“Yeah, welcome to the club, Chim.” I turn and start walking. He falls into step.
This is the end for me. I don’t tell him that, but there isn’t anything else after what I have to do. Maybe he understands that on some level, or maybe he doesn’t, but when I find the nasty bits that Jayson wants to keep hidden and expose them to the people that can do him serious harm, whether that’s law enforcement or a rival family, my life is forfeit. The others will know it’s me, and it won’t matter how much Isabel and Casey and Hellie like me.