Total pages in book: 197
Estimated words: 199143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 996(@200wpm)___ 797(@250wpm)___ 664(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 199143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 996(@200wpm)___ 797(@250wpm)___ 664(@300wpm)
Evelina could only nod.
She didn’t know how to tell him no.
Theo wasted no time proving Eve entirely wrong.
*
“You want some food?” Evelina asked.
Theo’s head snapped up, and a smile bloomed over his handsome features at the sight of her standing in his office doorway. She regularly came to the strip club just to take five minutes away from the rest of the world and spend it with Theo.
But she liked the dancers, too.
“God, yes,” Theo muttered. “You’re a lifesaver, babe. I’m starving. Get in here and shut the fucking door.”
Evelina stepped in, slammed the door, and pulled a chair up to her husband’s desk. She handed him over the bag of Chinese food, and let him paw through it for what he wanted. He grabbed out his usual favorites, pulled off the wrapper for the chopsticks, and handed them to Evelina. Then, he got a pair out for himself.
Theo held the box Beef and Noodles out to Eve for the first bite. She took it with a wink.
“I thought you were going to chill with Lily tonight?” he asked.
Evelina grabbed another box of food off his desk. “I did, but it ended early. Cory broke his wrist, and the ER trip kind of blew that all to hell.”
Theo cringed. “Please tell me he didn’t break his wrist while on those rollerblades we bought him.”
“Okay, I won’t tell you that. But when Damian calls you to rage about the rollerblades we bought his kid, make sure you have something ready to say back.”
“Jesus.” Theo sighed, shaking his head. “That kid has no stealth or grace. He sure as shit didn’t take after his father, let me say.”
Evelina laughed. “Be nice.”
“I am. He reminds me of Lily when she was young. Broken bones, scraped knees, torn clothes from climbing fences.”
“She’s still clumsy,” Evelina noted.
“See, exactly my point. Poor kid is doomed to never be able to walk on two feet properly. It’s in his genes.”
Evelina’s laughter filled the office. “Don’t say that, Theo!”
“Didn’t say nothing that isn’t true,” he mumbled around a bite of noodles. “Besides, Joseph took after his father enough that Cory will never have to worry. His big brother will watch out for him, and that’s the most important thing.”
Theo quieted after he made the admission, and dug into his box of Beef and Noodles with the chopsticks, pushing food around but not taking another bite. Evelina could see by the dimness in her husband’s eyes that he was thinking of his own big brother, and how Dino had taken care of him.
Theo’s guilt had lessened over the years, but it still lingered sometimes. There wasn’t much she could do for Theo when he slipped back into memories except let him have them. After all, they were the only thing he had left of his brother.
Evelina let him eat in peace
After they were done, Evelina gathered all the boxes and garbage, put them in a bag, and gave her husband a kiss.
“I’ll go toss these in the garbage bin out back,” she said.
Theo nodded, hooked a finger into the collar of her dress, and pulled her closer until their noses touched. “Make it fast, woman.”
“And why should I do that?”
“I’m still hungry, and you didn’t bring dessert. I expect you to rectify that when your pretty ass is sitting on my desk, your legs are spread wide, and my face is buried between your thighs.”
Eve let out a shaky breathe. “You’re terrible.”
“You like it.”
She didn’t even bother to deny it.
*
Evelina lifted the top of the garbage can, and tossed the bag of Chinese food boxes inside. She turned on her heel, and promptly froze right where she stood.
She didn’t blink.
She didn’t even breathe.
All she could see was the shaking barrel of a gun pointed directly at her face.
A click resonated in the alleyway.
The hammer being pulled back.
Eve swallowed hard.
“Where’s your fuckin’ money?” she heard asked.
The tone of the person was gruff and low, but still somehow sounded young. She was still focused in on the barrel, and that flashing silver circle that could light up at any goddamn second. The hand holding the gun held it in a tight grip, but he was still trembling.
“I said, where’s your fuckin’—”
“Inside the club,” Evelina interrupted quickly, and quietly. “I don’t have any money on me.”
“Phones, jewelry, something,” the guy barked.
Evelina’s brow furrowed the longer she listened to him speak. It was almost like he was purposely trying to make himself sound older. Finally, she looked beyond the gun in the face, taking in the person who was trying to mug her.
He stood at her height, if not a couple of inches shorter. A black hoodie covered his head, shielding his face from her view thanks to the shadows in the alleyway. His free arm hung limp at his side, and the sleeve of his hoodie had been shoved up around his elbow.