Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 120(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 120(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Drago got to his feet and Selma put down her burger and followed him, feeling her heart start to race. She had no idea why her father was here, but she also had another horrible feeling building inside her. George, her father, was not welcome.
“Selma, go back inside,” Drago said.
“Yeah, send my daughter off, so you can do your dirty work.”
There was a choice. If she went inside, she had this horrible feeling, in a strange kind of way, her father would win, but if she didn’t go back inside and instead stood side by side with her husband, then Drago would win.
Selma thought about all the people she had known over the years. The sweet and kind tutors. She also had a sudden memory of the days they were shaken—men and women alike—and she knew it was because it was their last day. They knew they were going to die and yet, they were kind to her.
This was not a hard choice. Stepping up to Drago’s side, she slid her hand into his. “Whatever dirty work my husband needs to do, he can do in front of me,” Selma said. “What are you doing here?”
She felt Drago’s brief clasp of her hand, and then he repeated the question, only changing a couple of words while he spoke to the guards.
Selma listened and she wasn’t even surprised to learn that her father had been stealing from Drago. Not only had he been taking from her husband, he was also in contact with pimps and other associates in his wish to overthrow Drago.
“You don’t care, do you?” Selma asked.
“Do you expect me to allow this filth to run my streets?” George Kent spat toward Drago.
“They’re not your streets, but your thirst for power could get me killed. You had enough people taken care of to make sure my presence stayed hidden, but not because you cared about me, did you? It was all about fear and power and greed.”
She had tried to love her father, but in this moment, she knew there was no hope for him. He had fallen way too far, she couldn’t do it anymore, so she turned to Drago and kissed his lips.
“You do what you have to do. I’m going to finish my dinner.”
And without another word, she stepped back into the diner. The moment the door closed behind her, Selma didn’t feel any pain or remorse.
George Kent was dead to her, and the truth was, he had been for a long time.
****
Drago allowed one of his men to take Selma home. He hadn’t wanted to, but he had no choice but to deal with George. They had done so for Selma’s sake, and for that, he was grateful. The crimes were a lot worse than what his men had described.
George had attempted to kill several of his men at the casino. He had stolen a great deal of money, and then attempted to attack more of his businesses and his people. One person was dead. Three people were injured. And now, George Kent and the men who thought they were helping their boss were now dead.
He couldn’t allow George to live, and then when he begged him to take Selma’s life, that he’d be able to find multiple women much better than his own daughter, Drago couldn’t do it. There was no way he would allow that insult to slide, and thrusting his knife deep into the man’s neck had been bittersweet.
Entering his home and thinking about how his guards had taken Selma back to his country estate while he dealt with the cleanup, he had to wonder what his wife would think of him now. Removing his jacket, he placed it on the hook, and then turned to see Selma coming out of the living room. Much to his surprise, she had this huge smile on her face.
“You’re home.”
To his shock, she rushed toward him, and before he could stop her, she threw her arms around him. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing his face against her neck, breathing her in. There was no getting away from it, he loved this woman so freaking much. He didn’t want to let her go.
“I love you,” Selma said.
This made him tense up and as he started to pull away, she cupped his face and smiled at him. “Don’t freak out, and I hope I haven’t said the wrong thing, but I love you.”
“Selma, I—”
She pressed her lips against his. “I know this makes me a bad person, but I don’t care. I don’t care. I don’t know if you believe me, I don’t even know if you want my love, or if you could love me back, but what I do know is that I love you. I love you so much, and I love being your wife.”