Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 136731 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 684(@200wpm)___ 547(@250wpm)___ 456(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 136731 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 684(@200wpm)___ 547(@250wpm)___ 456(@300wpm)
“So what if I did?” he returns, quick as lightning. “What the fuck does it have to do with you?”
“With me?” she squawks in disbelief. “What does it have to do with me?” The croak in her voice is absolutely heartbreaking. “You’re my only friend, you son of a bitch.” Her breath hitches painfully. “You’re all I got. You fucking matter to me.”
As much as I don’t like Ling, that statement tears me apart, and I feel myself soften toward her in a way that could be deadly to me.
“Ling Ling.” I see Julius falter, clearly not expecting that response. It doesn’t take a genius to see he cares about the poisonous viper in turn.
But Ling sets her anger on someone else. “Where were you?” she utters in deathly calm to Signor Falco. “His mother hated him. His stepfather beat them both. He was just a little boy.” She pulls her hands from his and snarls, “Where were you?”
“I was building an empire. Raising Antonio’s brother. And then I was blessed with a daughter.” Signor Falco sighs audibly. “If I had known…”
Ling stands, glowering down at him. “Well, you didn’t, because he clearly didn’t matter enough to you. You know, not being of the right fucking bloodline and all.”
It’s then that she spots me.
Coming around the sofa, she gets in my face, speaking in lethal serenity. “The fuck are you looking at, skank?”
I remind myself that she’s in pain, grieving for a man she loved all over again, and I can’t seem to get my fight on. Instead, I say quietly and genuinely, “I’m sorry for your loss.”
Her face crumbles and a tear escapes, trailing down her cheek, but Ling has more pride than to let me see her cry. As she passes me, she throws her shoulder into mine, slamming me into the doorframe.
Not surprising. It’s not like I didn’t expect it.
Signor Falco glances over his shoulder and smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. What Ling said is evidently playing on him. Julius motions me in, and I don’t hesitate. When I move to sit beside him, he places his arm around my waist, pulling me onto his lap. With his arms locking me into his tight grasp, I see Signor Falco’s lips twitch, and he utters teasingly, “If this Lexi is anything like Alejandra”—his eyes dance—“well, I suppose I can see why my son would willingly lose his mind for a woman like that.”
Julius nods. “She’s one of a kind.”
“Did…” Signor Falco asks hesitantly, “did he love her?”
“Took a bullet for her,” is all Julius says in response.
This, I interpret as “Of course he loved her.”
Signor Falco nods then smiles. “And I have a grandson?”
Julius’s arms tighten around me for a single moment before he loosens his hold, and his voice holds much affection when he speaks. “Yeah. He was named for his daddy and godfather. Antonio Julius Falco. We call him AJ. He’s four and smart as a whip.”
“Well, isn’t that something.” Signor Falco smiles, but it wobbles, and his eyes shine. “Antonio Falco the third.”
A thoughtful silence follows.
It doesn’t last too long, and Julius is the one to break it. “Give me some time. I can talk to Lexi. See how she feels about you meeting your grandson. I’m sure she’d love to meet you.”
“Oh no,” Signor Falco states with a shake of his head. “I couldn’t ask you to do that. You’d have to tell her how I gave my son up. She’d likely not want anything to do with me or her son.”
Julius rests his hand on my knee. “You don’t know Lexi. She’s good people. Let me talk to her.”
Avoiding the offer, Signor Falco looks to me. “I spoke to Manda last night.” My heart races in interest. “She’s glad you’re okay.” Looking from me to Julius, he says in way of question, “She would like to see Alejandra for herself, make sure she’s safe.”
My heart stutters in excitement as I snap my face down to look at Julius, hoping the answer will be the one I wish for.
He looks to me. “Do you want to see your friend?”
Oh my God.
Not even able to speak, my lips tremble as I mouth, “Yes.”
“I see no problem with that.” He looks to Falco with a nod. “Set it up.”
If this is some sort of sick joke, I will never forgive him. But I just can’t see Julius doing something so cruel.
My thanks comes in the form of me wrapping my arms around his neck and burying my face into his flesh, breathing him in, pressing myself into him. Julius accepts my regard with a gentle hand running up and down my back soothingly.
“Now,” Signor Falco utters. “What are we going to do about this situation of yours?”
Lifting me easily, Julius takes something out of his back pocket and hands it to the older man. I lift my head and sit quietly as Signor Falco reads from the paper.