Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 115186 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115186 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Romeo said that the people who jumped him had beaten him with a freaking tire iron. She couldn’t wrap her mind around how he wasn’t worse off. Or dead. “Jesus, Rome. How didn’t they not break any more bones than they did?”
“Pretty damn confident when I say Jesus didn’t help me. Guessin’ he thought I deserved that ass kickin’ as a warnin’. If it wasn’t for Wick steppin’ out back for a smoke, it woulda been worse.”
Thank goodness for Wick! “Do you plan on retaliating?”
Romeo would never simply let what happened to him go. He’d want revenge despite his statement that La Cosa Nostra had a bigger army than the MC alliance. And between the three clubs, that combined biker brotherhood was pretty damn large and powerful.
They also had Diesel’s Shadows at their backs. Even though those six former special ops guys were getting up in age, they still were more dangerous than more than a dozen bikers.
“Can’t do shit right now.”
He didn’t say he wouldn’t eventually do it, either. But… would he try to handle it on his own? She couldn’t imagine that Trip or Zak would want to go head-to-head with the Mafia and start a huge war. Right now, things were quiet and content in their worlds. Their expanding clubs and families were safe.
“Are you worried that they’ll come after you again? I don’t know much about the Mafia except for what I learned from movies and TV. I can’t imagine that’s an accurate portrayal.”
“Pretty damn close.”
If that was true, Romeo being a target of the Mafia was more than concerning. “They could’ve killed you, Rome.” What was that mysterious sting in her eyes?
She refused to cry over the man who blew up her future. No matter how injured he was. No matter if what happened to him was some kind of karma. Karma she did not order.
She would never want him badly injured or dead. Despite what he did and how she’d suffered since.
With his good arm, he reached out, snagged her chin, and tipped her face up to his. “Would you have missed me if they did?”
“That’s not even funny, Rome.” If he wasn’t injured, she would’ve pushed him away because of his attempt to play on her emotions. Instead, she tried not to let his touch chip any more away from the steel coating her heart.
“Yeah, no shit. Wasn’t fuckin’ laughin’ when I was ambushed, but laughin’ right now would really fuckin’ suck.” He paused before saying, “They weren’t out to kill me. They were givin’ me a warnin’, makin’ a statement. They wanted me dead, wouldn’t be here right now. Easily could’ve been picked off from a distance, shanked in a crowd or run over by one of their fuckin’ garbage trucks while ridin’ my sled.”
“Romeo,” she breathed, trying not to imagine any of that.
He dropped his head even lower, locking their gazes. “Yeah, you’d miss me.”
Being beaten badly certainly didn’t curtail any of his cockiness.
She stepped back and freed herself from his grip. “You misunderstood. I don’t want anyone hurt or killed like that. Not just you.” But especially you.
“Bullshit. You know what sucks the most about all this shit?”
“The pain?”
“No. The worst part is I can’t fuck you.”
Of course. Fucking was a higher priority than even breathing for this man.
“Your injuries aren’t what’s preventing that, Rome. It takes two to tango and this woman isn’t in the mood to dance with you. You said you were going to explain why you’re in Parsington and why you tricked me to get me here. I still haven’t heard an explanation, and your fifteen minutes are about up.” She needed to hear what he had to say, this way she could leave before her resolve completely crumbled and she fell for his charm.
Or lack of charm.
“Gonna tell you ‘bout my momma.”
Well damn, that was a complete change of subject. But with the way he said it, she had a feeling she wasn’t going to like this “explanation.” She once again settled on the edge of the bed.
“She’s the reason I got involved even when you told me not to.”
“You said she was gone.”
“She is. Still miss her every fuckin’ day, too.”
Her throat tightened from the painful loss in his tone and expression on his face.
More evidence that she wasn’t going to like this story. Not at all.
“Saw what happened to you happen to her.”
What? “With her boss?”
He shook his head. “Her last man.”
Her last man. She frowned. ”Like a boyfriend?”
“Yeah.” He sighed. “She knew how to fuckin’ pick ‘em. Even the bastard whose nuts I spawned from. Swear she was a magnet to every fuckin’ loser and user. But that last one…” He shook his head and pulled in a breath. “With him, I watched her lose herself little by little ’til nothin’ was left but a goddamn empty shell. That motherfucker had her fuckin’ brainwashed with all that gaslightin’. Made her think things were true when they were a complete fuckin’ lie. Nothin’ I said would change her mind and all of it was hard to watch. Begged her to leave him. Tried like fuck to convince her. But his influence was helluva lot stronger. He made her think she was useless. She was a nothin’ without him. Eventually she became a shadow of the mother that I remembered. It got to a point where she couldn’t take anymore…”