Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 53428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Everyone left.
The door closed.
I scanned the room, making sure there were no more idiotic surprises.
The oddest part of the room was that the large windows were barred and blocked by intricately designed black metal shutters. They were locked over the windows and balcony openings, and resembled the commercial metal ones that business’ put over their doors and windows to prevent theft and vandalism.
But, I knew that the Killer Crows did that to keep the ghosts from coming inside. The shutters weren’t just metal. They had biblical scriptures and holy crosses carved on the outer side of them. This made sure the ghosts remained on the other side.
Sighing, I moved my view back to my fiancé.
Kashmere didn’t turn around. “I don’t want to argue, Santino.”
I took off my jacket, flung it to the floor, and walked over to her. “This won’t be an argument.”
Now so close, the heat of my longing for her was so powerful that I could hardly contain myself.
Damn it.
My heart raced as I ached to take her in my arms. Even my lips desperately wanted to ravage hers.
But I held back, steeling my resolve.
My hands clasped around her waist, and instead of tensing she leaned into me, as if needing my embrace as much as I yearned to give it.
Then, she spoke, “No arguing?”
“No arguing.”
Slowly, she turned my way. “Then, you understand?”
I leaned her way and brushed my lips against hers. “What I understand is that I must take my time to fiercely articulate my point so that there would never be any doubt between us again in the future.”
She looked up into my intense gaze. “Meaning?”
“You think I would let you marry someone else, after finally finding you?”
“Santino, I don’t plan to marry Gypsy. I’m not even considering it.” She pierced my heart with those beautiful brown eyes. “I only want you to be my husband. How could you ever doubt that?”
My heart warmed. “Then, why the delay?”
“It is to give me some more time to come up with a proper way to smartly deal with the Coffin Cheaters—”
“We kill them. Problem over.”
She let out a long breath.
I tilted my head to the side. “You doubt that we could take them on together?”
She looked away. “If Killer Crows were unified and I didn’t have more enemies within my own people, then I wouldn’t doubt it. I would load up my guns and race off in the night with you.”
“Hmmm.” I licked my lips, enjoying that thought.
“But, if we are to take on the Coffin Cheaters, we must do it properly and together. That includes all of Killer Crows unified.”
“Forget them and focus on us.” I took her chin and moved her view to me. “I will kill anybody for you. Have I not showed you that?”
“You have.”
“Your problems are my problems. That includes the Syndicate and the Coffin Cheaters.”
She shivered. “I just don’t want a shootout on my wedding day.”
“I agree.” The line of my jaw clenched. “Death to the man that disrupts our nuptials.”
“I second that.”
“Then, we continue forward with no fear. War or not, our wedding plans continue.”
Her bottom lip quivered. “Okay.”
“And. . .” I stiffened. “Tomasso told me that I should go deeper with you on my feelings about this.”
“Oh, really?” She smirked. “Well by all means . . . go deeper.”
I gazed at her. “When my parents died, I was passed around from household to household. It wasn’t that I was a troubled child. Believe me. I did my best to be accepted by any of them. I cleaned up after myself. I stayed quiet. I didn’t eat too much and always went to bed hungry. Still, they moved me from house to house. Now I know that it was just that no one really wanted to be bothered with the responsibilities of raising a kid.”
She frowned. “That’s horrible. I’m so sorry that happened to you.”
“All of this hardened me.” I moved my hand from her chin. “Because of that, I. . .placed this invisible armor around me. I decided to never love anyone too much, never hope to commit to anyone. Being alone would always be better. It would protect me.”
Sorrow filled her eyes.
“Nothing was to shatter this armor around me.” I frowned. “But then I came here and saw you.”
She bit her bottom lip.
“It wasn’t just that you were gorgeous. I saw how you were treated by your family and instantly yearned to protect you. That need surged fast within me.”
“And that’s what you did, Santino.” Her voice was a soft whisper. “You have protected me since coming into my life.”
“And that is what I will always do.”
“But Santino. . .can we really just kill everybody and that be the end?”
I grinned. “I’ve found that death solves many things.”
“Fuck.” She shook her head. “Then, that means that the Killer Crows will go back to war with the Coffin Cheaters.”