Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 59004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
“It won’t be for long, just until we get this shit settled with Vitali.”
“You need to take your bodyguards with you,” I comment, mostly because I care about Henry’s well-being but also because my selfish side is already hoping to be completely alone with Liz.
I’m a walking contradiction.
I nearly laugh at myself and how I’m so back and forth about Liz. One minute, I’m telling myself I won’t go there, but in the end…
Yeah, I fucking know I will.
“What the hell is going on?” Liz demands, standing inside the immaculate, lush cabin in upstate New York. “It took you two hours to get here.”
“Wow, nice to see you, too,” I mutter, stepping to the side as Henry walks in from behind me.
“You know what the traffic is like,” Henry says, shrugging.
I take in the elegant living room of the cabin nestled back in the woods. It feels like we should be at a mountain retreat, and while I don’t mind the idea, these aren’t exactly the best circumstances.
“So, does anyone want to explain why my entire apartment was ransacked?” Liz asks, crossing her arms, her blue eyes bouncing between the four men in the room.
“That’s a question for them,” Gerard grunts, gesturing to Henry and me. “We’ve already told you that we have no idea what the fuck is going on.”
I study the two bodyguards for a moment before nodding toward the door. “Go take a smoke break.”
“Don’t have to ask me twice.” Philip jumps to his feet. “This is one pissed-off woman, and she’s your problem now.” He chuckles as his boots thud across the floor, his pack of cigarettes already in his hand.
Gerard follows him but says nothing, only side-eyes us as he exits the cabin. I look at Henry, waiting for him to say something.
“Well?” Liz’s sharp tone cuts the tension like a knife.
“You went from not wanting to speak to me at all to suddenly demanding answers,” Henry snaps, surprising me. “The least you can do is treat me with some respect.”
I feel like I’m in the middle of a bad reality TV show.
“Um, let’s not forget that you kept your dirty deeds hidden from me for nearly twenty-five years. I think that’s enough to warrant a response like mine, and for the record, I told them to let you know that I would meet you for dinner. It’s not my fault there was a change of plans.”
“I think,” I finally intervene, “we should just sit down and have a civilized conversation about all of this. All this family feud shit can wait for another day.”
Liz glares at me, but then her shoulders fall. “Fine. That’s fine. Just tell me what is going on. Why were men stalking me, and why were they going through my apartment?”
“I don’t know why they ransacked your apartment,” I say carefully, leaning against the window frame. “My best guess is that Vitali is trying to rattle us. He’s angry, and no matter how fucking petty it is, we need to take our precautions.”
“Who is this guy?” Liz’s expression is unmoving.
If the woman was scared at any point throughout this night, I would never be able to tell, and fuck, it was hot.
“His family was my mother’s family’s biggest rival,” I answer as Henry sits on the couch, crossing his legs. “However, it seemed like we might be able to forge a truce once the older generations were out of the picture. I thought we had similar interests. It looked like Frank Vitali was secretly running everything, much like I do, so we offered an investment into his arms business.”
“Wow, great,” Liz scoffs. “Illegal arms dealings. Wonderful.”
“Anyway,” Henry chuckles, “I wasn’t sure of the risks involved in dealing with the Vitalis. I’ve heard some horror stories, so I decided on a lower amount just to get the ball rolling.”
“I sent Nick, my assistant at the time, to make the offer and then hopefully negotiate upward. He pissed off Vitali.”
“As did the low offer, apparently,” Henry grumbles. “He and I have always been on good terms. But for some reason, he was insulted enough to start this.”
“Okay, so just offer him more,” Liz says, her brow furrowed. “I know you’ve bought people off before.”
Now, that’s interesting.
“I tried,” Henry lets out a defeated sigh. “He won’t even respond to the offers. I think Nick did something.”
My jaw tenses, reminding me of the other problem I still have to sort out. “We just need to get a plan to keep you safe. You should stay here for a few days while we figure this out.”
“Here? In the middle of fucking nowhere?” Liz challenges. “How in the world is that safe? No one would hear me scream.”
I like that idea.
“No one knows where this is,” Henry reasons, his voice strained. “This is the best place for you to be, Liz. I plan to leave Troy to stay with you. I need Philip to come back with me.”