Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 64640 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 323(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64640 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 323(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
“I have four other houses, two apartments, and one hotel chain,” I inform her, and her head swivels around to face me. “In fact, you stayed in one of my hotels. Why do you think the doorman didn’t call the police on me? It’s because I pay his wage.”
“Holy shit!” She breathes out as her dress drops to the floor. I turn the shower on, and she steps in. I pick up her dress and my bloody shirt and strip off my pants. Then I carry them out and place them in a plastic bag. They will need to be burned, but that’s a tomorrow job.
When I go back into the bathroom, she’s already done cleaning up. So I step into the shower and wash myself as she ties her hair up for the night. She takes one last look at me before she walks out. I turn the water off, step onto the bath mat, and dry myself off. By the time I enter the bedroom, she’s already half asleep. I take a few moments to gaze at her perfection before turning to head to the couch. But before I get through the door, she calls my name.
“I might have nightmares tonight,” she whispers.
And she doesn’t have to ask me twice.
I round the bed and climb in, pulling her to me.
I wrap my arm tight around her, and before long, she’s asleep.
With no nightmares.
“Pops is mad,” Kyson says, kicking a can. He came over to meet me for my morning run.
“That’s none of my business. He can either fuck off and leave me alone or deal with it.”
He turns to face me. “You have never turned against him before. He’s confused.”
“There has never been a her before.”
“So you love her?” he asks, surprised. “She isn’t a phase?”
“She is not. I would take your life if you hurt her.”
He scrunches his forehead in thought and looks away.
We start running again until we near her apartment. She was sound asleep when I left and probably will be when I return.
“I have news,” he announces.
I stop and face him.
“Lilly’s getting married and sent me an invite.” He pulls out the crumpled paper from his pocket.
I’m surprised my brother is bringing her up but I don’t let my expression show that. “You said you didn’t love her,” I remind him. “So what does it matter?”
“I said I didn’t know if I did.” I take the invitation from him and check the date.
“The wedding is in a week.”
“I’ve had the invitation for months,” he confesses. “I think I’m going to go,” he adds.
“That would be a mistake,” I state. “You should not go to her wedding. You let her go. And now she is marrying someone else.”
His hand lifts, and he scratches the back of his head.
“What if I want her back?”
I inhale a deep breath.
Lilly loved Kyson more than he could ever love her. If he ever did, that is.
“Is this why you wanted out?” I ask.
“No. Yes. Maybe.” He sighs. “I just thought… I want what you have right now. I know most men like us don’t. But this life is lonely, and I want to share it with someone. It’s hard to do that in this life though.” He isn’t wrong. It takes someone extremely special or fucked-up to agree to this lifestyle.
We are all fucked-up in more ways than one.
“Do you still want to leave? If you do, you know I will support you.”
He smiles, lifts his hand, and smacks my arm.
“Look…she’s making you soft already.” He laughs.
“No, she isn’t. But you are in this life because of me. I am a lifer and there is no way I will ever leave. It’s what I know. And it may be what you know, but you can leave, Kyson.”
He seems to process what I’m saying.
“I’ll sort it out.”
“Have you told Kenzo?” I ask.
“No, Kenzo is like you… A lifer.”
He is. Kenzo and I are different from Kyson. Kyson shows more…feelings, I guess I would say. Kenzo and I prefer to be silent. It’s safer that way.
Not that Kyson isn’t as deadly as Kenzo.
They are different—no matter that they are twins.
“I still don’t think you should go to her wedding,” I say again.
“Whose wedding?” Alaska asks from the door. “I love weddings.” She grins.
“Be my plus one,” Kyson says.
I told her Kyson was warming up to her.
“Ha, that’s a no. You will take her to make Lilly jealous, and that would mean you are touching Alaska. That is not going to happen,” I add, walking inside.
Kyson follows, not even caring that it’s not my house. “Come on, let me take her,” he begs.
“Nope,” I reply, parking myself at the stove to start cooking breakfast. Kyson sits at the breakfast bar next to Alaska.
“Shouldn’t this be my choice?” Alaska asks.
“Nope,” he and I say in unison.