Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 86238 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86238 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
While returning my medication to the bag she makes me carry everywhere I go, Ana asks, “Have you had any water this morning?”
I return my tongue to my mouth instead of where it really wants to be—in any of Ana’s crevices—before jerking up my chin. “Sir Anal threatened to waterboard me if I didn’t drink the bottle Vera arrived with this morning.”
Ghost smirks but acts as if the paperwork in front of him is the only thing of interest to him. It is a believable act when you realize what he’s reading—the hospital report of Stace’s admission the night I rear-ended her pride and joy with my car.
No, I’m not a fuckwit who takes his anger out on pregnant women. It was my confrontation with Yev that steered my interest back to Stace. I don’t know how her pregnancy came up between me warning Yev I was about to beat his brains out and attempting to do exactly that, but it saw Yev more confused than Anastasia was when I told her about Lera’s existence.
How could that one vital piece of information be left out when it was invaluable to my case?
Although I still wanted to beat the living hell out of Yev for not getting all the facts on what happened that day, my focus shifted when he asked me why I believed Stace was pregnant.
I thought the bump in her midsection made it obvious, but Yev was adamant it was bloating.
“It had to have been. I saw her at the club a few days back. Her stomach was as flat as a tack,” he said, suspending my fist midair. “Don’t believe me, look.” He showed me pictures on his cell. Stace wasn’t the only face I recognized. Kirill was there along with his number two, Watermelon Head. I think his name is Walter, but I prefer Katie’s nickname for him.
I was updating Ghost on Yev’s discovery when Kliment called. He is head of surveillance and the first man to side with us when Ghost discovered he implanted the hidden camera in Katie’s room. Would he have jumped teams if Ghost wasn’t threatening to kill him? Probably not, but he’s been an invaluable asset ever since.
Every sense of Ghost’s essence was obliterated when he watched the footage of Kirill holding Katie’s head under the water of his overfilled bathtub. If it weren’t for Yev and me holding him back, Kirill would be buried in a shallow grave by now, and Ghost would have been the target of every mafia hitman this side of New Jersey.
I bet it was hard for Ghost to hold back when the makeshift ‘raid’ of the Lenkov’s assets forced Kirill into his trap, but one punch is better than letting him off scot-free.
It is the only reason Yev is still breathing.
If he had come to me and admitted what he saw, I could have told him he had it all wrong and assured Ana knew the same. But since I woke to a fucking shit show that doubled the pounding of my brain to my skull, everything was ripped out from beneath me.
I don’t doubt Stace is feeling the same way, but it serves her right. When you fake a pregnancy, the truth will always come out.
Let’s hope the same doesn’t occur for fake relationships.
I was pissed as fuck when Ana and Ghost told me about their confrontation with Kirill, but once I calmed down, it made sense. I’ve been saying to Ghost for months that Kirill’s interest in Katie has nothing to do with her sweltering curves and flawless face and everything to do with Ghost’s instant fascination with her.
Turns out I was right.
Kirill has been spending more time at the compound than the monastery Katie sleeps at every night, and although discreet, he keeps tabs on Anastasia and Ghost’s founding ‘relationship.’ He may even be forcing it to hasten.
Last week Ghost noticed the condoms that had been in his drawer for over a year were opened. The pin pricks in them were small but noticeable.
Kirill is playing games, and the only reason we haven’t stopped them is because the more attention he pays to Ghost, the less he focuses on Katie. I fucking loathe that Ana is tossed into the mix as well, but I wasn’t joking when I said last month that she can take care of herself. When her father couldn’t take care of her anymore, she was raised on the streets. They made her smart as fuck and ensured she’s an asset to Ghost’s team, which is slowly growing.
Regretfully, I can’t say the same for Sofia. She’s suspicious of Ana’s relationship with Ghost and announces it to anyone willing to listen, which has left us no choice but to up the ante.
Ghost is about to get down on one knee and ask the question I was planning to ask Ana before she left. I’d be pissed if I weren’t stoked Ana will suck the jealousy straight from my marrow later tonight. She loves when I act like a jealous fuckwit. I hate it. I know it is a ruse, but I’d be a damn liar if I said the little PDAs they do to authenticate their ruse don’t make me a spiteful dweeb.