Total pages in book: 52
Estimated words: 49989 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49989 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
Cleo didn’t even dare to open her eyes as Boss started talking with Priest.
A massive wave of relief washed over her knowing he was alive and well.
“She’s innocent, and the last time I checked, you didn’t go around killing civilians.”
“You’re right. I don’t. I make sure they’re well cared for. I do damage control. I make them disappear without others knowing how or when. It becomes like a ghost story, but this, the way you handled it, is a fucking shitshow. Do you think you helped Cleo here?”
Priest inhaled, and she imagined he went to say something, but Boss was pissed.
She had never known a man to talk so much. He seemed to rival her, and that was saying something.
Cleo tried to control her face, though. She needed to pretend to be completely knocked out or face the consequences.
“No, you fucking didn’t. Instead, you’ve put a bigger bounty on her head.”
“Is that why you’ve got Harb? Seriously, fucking Harb? That piece of shit? I thought Killer of Kings was above that.”
“And I thought I had men I could trust who wouldn’t put women in further danger, but guess what, I fucked up there as well because you’ve done exactly that. There is a big bounty on her head, Priest. Fucking huge. The cop you killed, he had connections within the mafia. Some bastard son of a boss or some bullshit. You see where I’m going with this?”
Fuck.
It meant that Cleo’s death now became an act of revenge and retaliation.
“I see that you can see that.” Boss cursed.
“Gustavo Bianchi didn’t have a son. And why send his own kid for a hit anyway?”
“Oh, what a tangled web we weave…” Boss said.
She chanced the risk of slowly opening one eye, just to see.
Priest, the big giant hulk of a man, was strapped down with thick chains. She could stand if she wanted. She wasn’t restrained like him.
“I see we have company,” Priest said, looking at her. God, the man was sexy.
Crap.
Rather than close her eye, she opened both of hers and stared right at him.
“Ah, Cleo, how was your rest?” Boss asked.
“Eventful.”
Boss had explained to her, in the basement of the brothel, exactly what was at stake. Her life, mostly, and Priest’s. He had infuriated the mafia, so they were after her for killing one of their own. A big, gigantic fuckup. Boss’s words, not hers.
Boss smiled.
His smile made him look deadlier, but rather than say that, she merely smiled right back at him as if she didn’t have a single care in the world. Inside, she was terrified.
“So, Priest, I have a new mission for you. Seeing as you like to get this little girl into trouble, it’s now up to you to keep her safe. Not only will you be taking care of her safety, but Harb will also be keeping you company.”
“You have got to be fucking kidding me. I don’t need him around.”
“You’ll spend the night here. Tomorrow, Harb will have all the details of the safe house. I need to work on damage control and figure this shit out.” Boss spoke over Priest as if he hadn’t tried to talk.
Cleo pressed her lips together to try to contain her smile.
Priest was so large and so scary. And ridiculously sexy. Over the past weeks, she’d learned to trust the big teddy bear. They talked, they laughed, and they grew closer to each other.
She found it hard to believe anyone could be the boss of this man, let alone a guy known as Boss. It was kind of funny.
“And the email?” Priest asked. “Was that all bullshit, too? I can’t even find info on the name.”
“No, that was real. You have the name you wanted. I’m not a monster.”
Boss left the basement. Cleo looked down to find two sets of keys. One for the chains that held Priest captive, the other with a door number.
“We’ve got a room,” she said.
“You do know where we’re staying, right?”
“Yes, but Boss already told me it was the perfect kind of cover, and seeing as he knows everything, I don’t see a reason to deny him.” She stepped toward Priest. “But should I unchain you?”
“You’re not going anywhere alone.”
“There’s this Harb.”
“You don’t even know what he looks like.”
She held her finger up. “Actually, I do. I met him. Boss had everything in place. I thought he was going to kill me, but instead, he’s going to make sure that I live. I mean, I can’t even afford to pay him, and here he is, going to extreme lengths, well, I assume they are extreme lengths, to keep me alive, and I am rambling right now, so how about I let you out, and then we can go up to our room?” That sounded rather intimate. For some reason, being in a brothel with Priest was making her have a severe case of dry mouth and word vomit.