Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83772 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83772 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
“Octavio?”
“He’s my second.”
“Second?”
“In a duel, you name your second, the man who will fight when you’re dead. When I’m dead, he’s the new guy in charge. If I’m not around, you can trust him.”
The high I felt immediately evaporated at his words.
He must have seen the terror in my eyes because he said, “I mean if I’m not available, if I’m in a meeting or something. I trust him the way I trust Axel. He knows who you are, so if you need help, he’ll be there for you.”
Theo was the only man I wanted to be there. “So…do you have any leads—”
“I told you not to worry about it.” He’d been so gentle and approachable all morning, but the second I stepped into forbidden territory, he turned into the ruthless leader who operated in the shadows.
“Just curious to know if we’re close.”
“That depends on how much of a coward he is. And right now, I’m not sure I can quantify it. He’ll either use all of his resources with the Brotherhood to kill me, or he’ll run. If he’s smart, it’ll be the second.”
Bolton would never run. Too stubborn for that. “I’m not sure why he would still want me after the last thing I said to him.” That death was preferrable to his company.
Theo stared for a long time. “I’m not sure how much he ever wanted you. I think it’s always been about pride. He considers himself a man too good to be left. He can’t stand the humiliation that his wife walked away, especially when she walked into the arms of another man.”
Not just any other man—the Skull King.
He gave me another weighty stare before he drank his coffee again. “I have a long day. Call me if you need me.” He left the table and didn’t push in his chair. He left the room without giving me a kiss goodbye.
Once he was gone, his absence was suffocating…like I was in a burning house full of smoke.
I sold an expensive piece to a returning client, and now the wall was empty without the painting that had hung there for months. It was a large painting, at least seven feet by nine feet, a painting that would be the centerpiece of a grand room. Now, I’d have to find something to replace it or several smaller paintings to fill up the space.
The sensor from the front room beeped when someone entered the gallery. I left the empty wall and returned to where my desk sat, expecting to see a client I recognized or a customer who’d walked in from the street.
But it was Theo.
My heart performed a series of acrobatic feats at the sight of him. I could feel the jump in my bones, the excitement that made me both apprehensive and nervous.
He had a bag with him like he’d picked up a couple sandwiches. “I was in the area. Hungry?”
I wouldn’t be hungry for the rest of the day after that feast of a breakfast. “Sure.”
He carried the bag into the gallery, which had furniture set up everywhere to make it feel like home to the customers, to make it easier for them to visualize the artwork in their homes and the way it could add a touch of elegance.
Theo sat in an armchair and handed me a sandwich, which was basically nine inches long and five inches wide, an amount of food that could easily feed me for two and a half days. If I ate lunch, it was usually a salad, but sometimes I skipped lunch altogether. If I wanted to continue to fit into my pencil skirts and blouses, that meant I couldn’t eat big-ass sandwiches slathered in aioli like Theo could.
He was practically a bear.
He held his sandwich in a single hand and took a big bite.
I took a small bite and watched him eat, fascinated by the way he could eat and eat…and look so sexy doing it.
He noticed my stare and met my gaze.
I wished I could pull off that look he did, where I could just stare and stare without shying away from the contact. But I didn’t have his confidence or his presence. I flinched and looked away.
“Not hungry?”
“I can’t eat four thousand calories like you can, Theo.” I set aside the sandwich.
He took another bite.
“But I appreciate the sentiment. And I’m happy to watch you eat.” I just wished he were shirtless and in his sweatpants like he’d be at home. I meant his place…not home. Because his villa wasn’t my home.
He finished half of it before he wrapped it back up in the paper. His eyes were on the blank wall. “So, someone bought it.”
“Yeah, this morning.”
“What’s going to go there now?”
“I don’t know. I’ll need to move some paintings around.” It was a prime piece of gallery real estate, so I couldn’t put unpopular paintings there. I had to move top contenders to the space and then replace those spaces with other paintings. It took a ton of time rearranging and it was enticing to cut corners, but then the paintings wouldn’t sell and my boss would be ticked.