Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 36221 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36221 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
“Ahh, yeah.” I nod.
“Without Leone?”
“No.”
“Ahhh!” She throws her hands in the air.
“I know who Leone is, Xanny. That he lives in the gray area of life. Same as you,” I point out. She’s no angel, so I’m not sure why she’s being so judgmental. “I even think if I asked him if we could leave here and all of us go live on this beach, he’d do it. Because he loves me and all my weird quirks. You said it yourself. He’s handsome and rich. He could have anyone, but he wants me. He’s obsessed with me!” Now I throw my hands up in the air.
“I’m not going to win this one with you.”
I shake my head. She’s not.
“It’s you that needs to make some decisions here. Then we all go from there.”
She nods, but I swear I see her mind still working. “Xanny, one more thing.”
“What?”
“Don’t try to drug me or do something to knock me out.”
Her lips purse, and she doesn’t try to deny it.
“I could be pregnant.” I whisper so only she can hear it. Her mouth falls open.
“That was always my dream, Xanny. Those books I read showed me what love could be. I wanted to find my true love. A love so great he’d do anything and everything to have me and keep our family safe.”
“Unconditional love. Nothing like our parents,” Xanny whispers. I’m not sure if she’s talking to herself or both of us.
“And I’ll give my Leone unconditional love right back,” I vow before I head back into the house. Xanny needs to do some soul searching on her own and without having to worry about me.
When I enter, I find Leone pacing back and forth. He stops the second I come through the door.
“You’re staying?”
I run over to him and fling myself in his arms. He catches me. “I am, but don’t be acting like you’d let me leave even if I wanted to.”
“I want you to want to be here.”
“I do, too, more than anything.” I press my mouth to his. “Plus I still have a deal to complete,” I tease.
“She’ll come around.” Leone sees right through me trying to pretend I’m okay.
“I want her to stay.” Tears fill my eyes.
“She has to choose it.” He strokes the back of his hand down my cheek. “I’ve already chosen you; now she has to do the same.” He leans closer and brushes his lips against mine. “And she will, because you, little one, are irresistible.”
When he kisses me, my cares melt away, and I’m lost in Leone, in all of him–the dark and the light, the gray, the totality of him, of the man I love.
21
LEONE
Zoey paces, her hips swaying as she moves back and forth beside our bed. Bentley and I sit and watch her.
“She’ll come back,” I tell her again.
“She just left. I didn’t think she’d do that.” She shakes her head. “After we talked last night, I thought she’d realize she should stay. I mean, I told her we could all go to a beach or do whatever it is she wanted. I told her how much I love you. I thought she understood.”
“Maybe she needs time to process it.” I stand and walk to her, stopping her gently and pulling her into my arms, ignoring the ache from the bullet wound.
“I know, but she just ran off. It’s like the last time. She thinks she can do whatever she wants and leave me in a holding pattern. That I’ll be waiting for her when she comes back.”
“You weren’t last time.”
She looks up at me with watery eyes and a wry smile. “That’s because, according to her, you ‘kidnapped’ me.”
“I’d do it again in a heartbeat.” I scoop her into my arms and sit on the bed, cradling her in my lap.
“I’d run away with you. You wouldn’t even have to save my life or anything. I’m yours,” she breathes against my neck, her body still tense as her mind worries over what made Xanny take one of my cars and tear out of here last night.
I don’t know either. Lenny came banging on our bedroom door to say she’d gone, and I had to stop him from taking off after her. But that’s the thing about Xanny–she can take care of herself. For better or worse, she makes her own choices and follows through on them. I learned that when I realized she was the one who took Nick’s cash from Marvin’s safe.
“Maybe she’s gone to get the money and find her own beach.” I hug her tighter. “Do you think that’s it?”
“No way.” She shakes her head. “She wouldn’t leave me. Not when–Wait!” She wriggles from my hold, and I let her go.
“What is it, little one?”
“The box! I still have it.” She dashes to the closet.
I follow and watch as she pulls it from the back of her underwear drawer. “Here, see? I thought Xanny and I would open it together.”