Total pages in book: 178
Estimated words: 170884 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 854(@200wpm)___ 684(@250wpm)___ 570(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 170884 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 854(@200wpm)___ 684(@250wpm)___ 570(@300wpm)
A.J. gasped. “Yes!”
Molly scoffed. “No way.”
“Why not?” I asked, feigning politeness. “They sound like absolute gentlemen.” Molly stared at me, not loving my teasing. “I can’t see why you would keep these guys to yourself. And besides—” I turned my smiling eyes to her. “—I want to meet this Tama of yours.”
“He’s not mine.” Molly’s face fell and she looked down at her feet. “Not anymore.”
She looked so sad that I quieted my voice. “And nothing can be done to fix that?”
Molly shook her head. “No. I messed up there.” She straightened suddenly. “I think I’m just going to go watch TV in my room.”
Before I could object, she was gone.
And I had to wonder what on earth that sweet girl had done to Tama that she felt she didn’t deserve forgiveness.
Turns out, I was better off not knowing.
Chapter Ten
Twitch
I could barely breathe. “If you’re fucking with me, Black....”
Ethan chuckled roughly. “Unfortunately for the Australian population, I am one hundred percent serious. I’m sending someone to you tomorrow with your documents. His name is Gabriel Blanco. Let him and, for the love of St. Peter, be nice.”
“Fuck me,” I breathed out, trying to calm the rapid beating of my heart.
Ethan’s laughter faded to nothing. When he spoke again, I felt that shit. I felt it hard.
“You’ve waited a long time, Twitch, and your patience has paid off.” He lowered his voice. “I’m proud of you, son.”
I didn’t do compliments well. Especially not from other men. “Yo, Ethan. You got wood for me, bro?” At his sudden flurry of curses, I let out a low chuckle. “I’m kidding, man. Chill. I’m...” This was hard for me to admit. It took me a while to get it out. “I’m grateful. For everything.”
He grunted. “Why do I feel like I’ve just released a lion into the unsuspecting community?”
At that, I grinned hard. “‘Cause you know me.”
As he let out another string of expletives, I laughed low, and for the first time in five years, I could breathe again.
I answered the door and looked down at the man in the suit cautiously. “Name?”
“Gabe Blanco,” the middle-aged man said in his Australian accent. “Ethan Black sent me.”
When I made no move to let him in, Gabe shrugged. “I can take this shit back if you don’t want it.”
And my cheek ticked. Without a word, I opened the door and stepped back, allowing him entrance, but I watched him carefully.
I had trust issues. So sue me. If you’d been shot at the amount of times I had, you’d have ‘em too.
Gabe Blanco walked inside, over to the counter, reaching into the big yellow envelope. He spoke as he pulled things out. “Here’s your I.D.” He tossed a small plastic card onto the bench. “Your passport.” He laid the little blue booklet down carefully. “Social security and tax file numbers.” A small, white piece of paper was placed down next to the passport. “Here’s your bank card, account details, and Medicare card.” The cards were in a plastic envelope of their own. “And finally, your Australian citizenship.” The fancy-looking certificate was off-white and had an emu and kangaroo holding a coat of arms. “That one’s false, by the way. Just for looks.”
I couldn’t help the way my lip twitched.
Thank you, Ethan Black.
I could have kissed him then.
“Is that all?” I asked the guy.
Gabe didn’t hesitate. “Not really. I’ve been asked to pass on a message.”
Why didn’t that sound good? “What message?”
“Watch yourself because we’ll be watching you,” uttered Gabe clinically. When my face darkened a notch, he held up his hands in a mollifying way. “Don’t shoot the messenger. Just passing that on.”
I didn’t like that. “From who?”
“Some head honchos at the A.F.P.”
Shit. The last thing I needed was to be watched constantly by the Australian Federal Police.
Great. Just great. “Noted. Now, if that’s all.”
“That’s it.” Gabe grinned. “Welcome back to the land of the living, Antonio Falco.”
When he held out his hand to me, I reluctantly took it, pumping it once before dropping it. I showed Gabe Blanco out and tucked all my documents back into the yellow envelope, and I did it with a slight smile.
Yeah.
I was back, bitches.
For where I was, I felt my anxiety should have been spiking, but it wasn’t.
I was tranquil, serene, and I waited patiently for her to find me.
***
Lexi
I laughed at the look of discomfort on Ana’s face. “I know it sounds awful, but really, they’re so comfortable and they look so cute. I bought three of them online from La Perla. Here.” I walked away from the table of women as the men sat outside on the porch, smoking cigars and drinking whiskey. “I’ll get them so you can see for yourself.”
Walking into my room without switching the light on, I went to the dresser opposite my bed and pulled out the three harness bras, lightly shutting the drawers before glancing into the mirror.