Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 108623 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108623 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
Read Online Books/Novels: | First Love Only Love (The Life #2) |
|---|---|
Author/Writer of Book/Novel: | Jordan Silver |
| Language: | English |
| Book Information: | |
Gabriel Russo had been born under a dark cloud. He knew his history like the back of his hand; his mother made sure of that. He knew what blood ran through his veins and what it meant. He also knew that there were some with that same blood who would kill him if they could. Born the product of a horrible act inflicted upon his mother by one of the Ricci brothers, now the adopted son of another very powerful family, he’s the heir to two of the most powerful Familias in the West. No one knows what this young man whose life was marked even before birth would do to survive. And when they finally do, it’s usually too late. There’s only one woman who can tame this volatile young man, and when he sends her away after high school for her safety, he loses what little humanity he had left. | |
| Books in Series: | The Life Series by Jordan Silver |
| Books by Author: | Jordan Silver |
GABRIEL
I waited for her to go inside before making my way around to the other side of the house. “You two don’t need to follow me.” I saw Lance and Pop lurking in the shadows out the side of my eye like the worriers they are. Lance took a step forward, but Pop stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back.
“We’re right here, son; you go ahead.”
The gate slid open, and I stepped out to see the car parked there. I’ll give him this; he looked genuinely worried. I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, wanted to believe that everything that had happened to her had gone over his head and that he wasn’t a willing participant, but I can’t overlook the fact that that shit did happen on his watch.
Whitewashing his part in her unjust treatment at the hands of the woman he himself had brought into her life would just be another slap in her face. I’d just be one more person who didn’t take her feelings and wellbeing into consideration, and that’s not about to happen.
I’d seen firsthand what a little bit of love and attention could do for the girl, and it certainly wasn’t too much to ask from the father who was supposed to cherish and protect her. I have a real hard time understanding how anyone, including a grown-ass man who should know better, her blood no less, could be too dense to see what was right beneath his nose.
Gianna, for all her shyness, blossoms with just the slightest of encouragements, something that was sorely lacking in her home but something that all growing things need. By the time I took two steps towards him, I was no longer in a giving mood. The only person who needed any show of my kindness was her. He can go fu… better yet, he could go off himself for all I care.
With my mind made up, I approached the car as he got out and came towards me. “Where’s my daughter? Where are you hiding her?”
“Keep your voice down.” I waited for him to calm down before answering him. “Before I answer that, let me ask you a question. Did your kid call you all weekend? Did you call her? Did you even have a way of getting in touch with her?”
My questions seemed to stump him, which only pissed me off even further. These are basic questions any decent man with a teenage daughter would have the answers to right off the bat, the fact that he didn’t make me both sad and furious. “Do you know how appalling you are?”
“I knew she went to New York with your family; of course, I know where she was.”
“It’s not the same. Your daughter went out of state with relative strangers and didn’t call you once to check in. She didn’t mention you even once in the time she was gone, and when she landed back here, instead of joy at seeing her only remaining parent, she looked forlorn, like she was dreading what awaited her here.” I’m sure she has no idea that I can read her so well that I’d seen and felt the change in her.
It was that sadness that had made my decision that much easier. “Look, I don’t know what you think you know about my family, but you’re wrong. Either way, this has nothing to do with you. Now bring my daughter out here, she has school tomorrow, and it’s getting late.”
“I guess I didn’t make myself clear the first time. Until I know what part you played in the shit that’s been happening to her, you won’t be allowed around her. Push me on this, and it will be a long time before you see her again. Even now, you’re not thinking about her but about what you want. Is she even human to you?”
I’m trying for her sake to give this guy a chance. I know as pissed off as I am, he’s still her dad, and with her being who she is, she’d want that. But he’s either very obtuse or just downright stupid, neither of which are any use to her right now, not with those two he has living in his house.
“I’ll tell you what, go home, kick your wife and her rejected placenta out of your house, and I’ll think about letting Gianna come home.” He blustered and recoiled like my words were too harsh. “No? Okay, then there’s your answer; she’s not coming back any time soon. In about a week, I’ll ask her if she wants to see you and if the answer’s yes, you may come here. But if I find out that you knew about what those two were doing to her, you’re fucked.”
I didn’t have anything else to say, so I turned and walked back through the gates, hearing them close behind me as he stood there. Crap, he’d made me miss her meeting the ankle-biter for the first time. The phone and perfume wouldn’t be here until tomorrow sometime, and I still had the jewelry I’d bought her to give, so there was that.