Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 140940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
The line of Kaz’s jaw twitched. “That territory is yours.”
“It is, but I don’t want you to have to divide parts of Moscow.” I took a last puff, put the joint out, and lay it next to the glass. “If anyone makes a deal with the Butcher, it should be me.”
“You took Kapotnya from nothing to a major player in Russia. There is good money there now. More than ever before. I will not have the stank of Jean-Pierre’s perfume all over that place.”
“Kaz—”
“We will discuss this later.”
I leaned my head to the side. “Will we?”
“Let us finish our war in New Orleans, and I will see if there are other parts of Moscow that could be given to the Butcher and his pansies.”
I could well imagine the sort of area Kaz would give—bloodied, dangerous, and as poor as possible. That being said, I was sure the Corsican would still take it and have the location up and running within a year.
A hazy cocoon wrapped around me. “Alright. . .we’ll see.”
“How are you right now?”
“I’m high. Tipsy. Numb.”
He curved his lips into a smile. “Tonight, you will sleep well. In the morning, we will talk to Maxwell.”
My heart raced. “Are you sure?”
“I am sure.”
Please. . .be right.
I swallowed hard.
Kaz finished his beer and set it down. That was when I realized that there had been another empty beer bottle next to him.
That’s his second beer. . .Yes. I’m losing time in here.
Tension gathered in my shoulders.
Is Lunita trying to get control? Has she been getting control for seconds at a time?
Sadness washed over my body. “I came here to heal. . .”
“You did.” Kaz nodded. “And you will.”
“Now we are in a war. . .”
“War happens a lot, in the world we live in.”
“Let’s just. . .”
“Yes.”
“Let’s just. . .” I sank down into the liquid comfort of the tub. The water came up to my chin. “Let’s just get married. . .”
He widened his eyes in shock. “What?”
“Let’s just. . .fucking get married in the next days. . .”
He parted his lips, but no words left them.
“We should, Kaz. Cause. . .when the fuck will there be peace for us? We are always in something. There’s no use trying to have a wedding when everything is all good because. . .” I shivered in the water. “I don’t think our life will ever have long months of peace. . .We have to just get things done, when we can. . .”
To my shock, Kaz’s entire face brightened. “Part of me knows that this could just be your being intoxicated.”
“It is and it isn’t.”
“The other part of me wants to just pull you out of this tub and take you right to a church tonight.”
I gave him a sad smile. “I’m sure everything is closed right now.”
“I will wake everyone up.”
“I bet you would.” I sniffled and gazed at the steam rising from the water. “But. . .everyone will be here soon. David, Blue. . .Misha and Ava. . .More of your cousins and friends. . .”
“All will arrive within two days at least.”
“Since everyone will all be in one place, are you fine with getting married in New Orleans?”
“Mysh, I do not care about the location. I just want my lions.”
I groaned in annoyance. “Kaz. . .I am being serious.”
“I am being serious too and, the lions must happen.”
“I’m fine with the lions, just not with them freely walking around.”
“Perhaps, I can compromise this time, since you are moving the date up.”
I quirked my brows. “Really? Does the Lion even know how to compromise?”
“Yes.”
“Alright.” I crossed my arms over my breasts. Water rippled around me. “How will you compromise? Can you finally be logical about the lions?”
“Big cages, mysh.”
“O-kay. . .”
“The lions must have space to walk around in the cage.”
“Listen. As long as the lions are in the cage, I’m cool. Make them as big as you want.”
“Good.” He grinned. “And there must be meat for the lions to eat.”
“Awesome. I will be walking down the aisle as lions rip bloodied meat apart.”
A dark chuckle left Kaz’s lips. “It is a celebration, mysh.”
“Fine. Like I said before, as long as the lions are in cages. . .”
Thinking of the wedding pulled me out of my grief for Max. “Does it matter if it is in a church?”
“I would rather it be on a roof with flowers.”
I eyed him. “Because?”
“You know why, mysh.”
“For Lunita?”
“Yes. It would be important to her.”
Usually, I would have gotten mad, but in this moment. . .the anger didn’t come. Was it because I knew that she was suffering over Max like me?
That we were twins in this grief.
“Okay.” I sighed. “A roof with flowers all over it—”
“And large cages of lions.”
“I feel sad for our wedding planner. I’ll get Blue to find someone who can deal with your craziness.”