Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 72790 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72790 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
I pulled her in for a hug and kissed her. Lucky stepped away to give us a moment of privacy. I smelled her hair. That sweet girl smell that was hers alone mixed with pine and fresh clean air.
“I’m okay, sweetheart.” I squeezed her again. “I promise.”
And I was more or less. I really thought that eventually, I would be okay. We all would.
When I thought of ‘us’ I was starting to include Lucky in that too.
* * *
Later when we were finishing up dinner, I noticed that Lucky wasn’t talking much. I was afraid he was regretting his decision to marry me. Maybe he wanted to back out.
“Why don’t you go brush your teeth, Jacey? I need to talk to your mom.”
My stomach dropped. Lucky’s voice was tight as he stared at something on the table by the kitchen window. He was upset but trying to hide it. I did the same, nodding to Jacey. It was good to brush right after eating. Plus, she was already drooping. The clean, fresh air here made her sleep like a log. Me too, truth be told.
Though I thought that had a lot to do with feeling safe with Lucky around.
“Maybe you should call it an early night, sweetheart. I’ll be up soon to set everything up.”
“Okay, Mom.” She ran over and gave me a quick hug. “Goodnight.” She ran over to Lucky and surprised him with a squeeze. “Goodnight, Lucky.”
His voice was gruff when he told her goodnight. I smiled at him, afraid to even imagine that we were becoming a family unit. It shouldn’t be this easy, I thought.
But it was.
“What’s this?”
I tilted my head, trying to figure out what he was talking about.
“The maps?”
He nodded.
“I was trying to map out a few escape routes. Places we could go.”
“I told you we didn’t have to run.”
“I know. I was looking before you told me. But also, I think it might be better to have a plan. What if they change their minds?”
“They won’t.”
“How do you know?”
He stared at me, the muscle in his jaw visibly ticking.
“Were you going to leave here without me, Angel?”
“What? No!”
“But you thought about it. Admit it.”
“I don’t even have a car!”
He came closer standing over me. For the first time, I felt a little bit intimidated by him. Not that I thought he would hurt me, but I’d never seen him like this. His face was so cold. So angry.
“But you did think about it.”
“Lucky…”
“Tell me the truth.”
“I don’t want to get you killed!” I practically shouted in his face. We stared at each other, toe to toe. I think he was surprised by the vehemence of my response. I know I was.
“You can’t leave me, Angel.”
“I don’t want to. I just… this is all so new.” I bit my lip and turned away. “I just wanted a contingency because I thought…”
“You thought what?”
“I thought you were going to leave me.”
I heard his ragged inhalation behind me. His voice was so soft I could barely hear it. So deep it felt like a growl.
“Why did you think that?”
I turned around again. Lucky’s face looked dangerously dark, but I paid him no mind. I was too emotional to calm down.
“Why? Are you kidding me?”
He stared at me as I launched into a tirade.
“Because I have a kid. Because I have a sick kid with needs. Because I will always put her first. Because I won’t have sex out of wedlock. Because I’m living on literal fumes. Because you had to pay off the mob for me. Because you had to dispose of a body! Because I may or may not be on a hit list somewhere! I can’t imagine a man alive who would sign up for all that!”
He grabbed my shoulders, hard.
“I am that man. I love you, Angel!”
And then he kissed me. It was a shocking, almost violent kiss. For the first time, I felt his true strength. All that power he usually held back when we touched. He was so much stronger than me. He had such brutal strength. At first I was frozen, playing catch up with my brain and my heart. When his words finally registered, I threw my arms around him and kissed him back.
Lucky loves me.
The kiss was passionate, possessive, deep. It seemed to go on forever. His hands molded my body to his and I curved myself to fit as close to him as possible. It was more intimate than sex. It was almost like we were baring our souls to each other.
When we lifted our heads, we were both out of breath.
“Angel…”
He brushed my hair out of my face.
“I guess you better put Jacey to bed.”
My mouth dropped open. I’d completely forgotten about my own child! She was waiting for me. Thankfully, Lucky hadn’t forgotten.
“Oh my God!”
“Just…” The look in his eyes was so hot it nearly burned. “Be quick.”