Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 114820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
“Are you being serious?” she breathed.
And there.
Fuck.
He wished he could take a picture.
The happy, excited look on her face.
Yeah, he was so fucking quitting.
He got that look honestly, he gave her honesty in return.
“It’s beautiful out here and you’re beautiful and your daughter is beautiful, and I’m tired of seeing beautiful girls with their heads caved in lying on plastic. I decided it before I met you, but I can’t say that getting to know you better isn’t high on the priority list of things I’ll do once I move here. And just so there’s no mistake, it’s at the top of the list. Still, bottom line, I need something else in my life, and I like it out here. It feels right. It feels like I fit. And I haven’t fit anywhere since I was two.”
She stood, leaning into a hand, her other hand holding a glass with some pink wine in it out to the side.
She was wearing a gorgeous dress, looking gorgeous, holding his eyes, and she said, “I really, really, really, really, really wish I could make out with you right now.”
It was the most girlie thing she’d done.
And of course, his body responded as did his mouth, which he used to say, “Then get over here. We’ll go lightly in case Madden wakes up.”
She walked around the bar right into his arms.
She kept hold on her glass out to the side, her other hand resting on his chest, her head tipped back.
“I take Madden to the airport to go see her father on Friday afternoon. Can I ask for a sleepover Friday night?” she requested.
His answer was a growl. “Absolutely.”
She smiled.
And Rus kissed her.
THIRTY-ONE
Cunning Queen
Lucinda had given him a keycard.
Even so, late the next morning, Rus still knocked before he used it, stuck his head in and called, “It’s Rus!”
Madden came around the corner.
His heart shrank when he saw her in a cute black dress with tiny white polka dots and black velvet hearts on black netting that overlaid a shell. It had a pleated skirt, short sleeves and a satin bow tied at the throat.
“Hey, Mr. Lazarus,” she greeted.
“Hey, doll,” he returned, coming in. “How you doing?”
She scrunched her mouth to one side.
Yeah.
Indira came around the corner, also in black. Hers was a shiny material that looked like a buttoned-up coat and had sleeves that ended below her elbows.
She looked him head to toe in his suit and tie and gave him a small smile.
“Rus, come in. Do you want coffee?”
He shook his head.
Madden took off, calling, “Mom! Mr. Lazarus is here!”
He moved to Indira who held out both hands.
He took them, squeezed, let her go and asked quietly, “How’re your girls doing?”
“Cin, fine. Or at least, she hides it well. Madden, not as fine,” she answered.
He nodded.
It was the day they were saying goodbye to Brittanie.
Indira walked him in, stopping them at the pool table at the corner. “I hear you’re making progress.”
“Yes.”
“Good.” She looked up at him. “Thank you for getting her to move down here.”
“It’s temporary. Then they’ll be safe to go home.”
“I know.” She gazed off into the suite where the primary bedroom was, undoubtedly also to where Lucinda was still getting ready and to where Madden had disappeared, and said, “When Alice Pulaski was missing, I didn’t sleep for a solid three days. Although she was better at putting her makeup on to hide it, I don’t think Cin did either. Jaeger took time off, came up and slept on their couch for two weeks. By then we knew Alice was gone, and we were wishing she was back to missing. Even now, sometimes I hold on to a hug so long, Maddy squirms and thinks I’m weird.” Again, she looked up at him. “With this going on, I’m glad they’re close to you.”
He didn’t know what to say, so he simply nodded.
“Thank you for taking us to the funeral,” she said.
“My honor,” he replied.
She reached out and took his hand.
Rus thought that was sweet, his fingers closed around hers, and he squeezed.
The thing was, when he was done squeezing, she didn’t let go.
They were saying goodbye to a beautiful young woman who died too soon.
And he was going to kill the middle-aged skank who was sitting in the front row.
The burlesque was dark, and the club was closed, and neither would open until the next night.
Lucinda wanted Brittanie’s friends to have time to say goodbye, think of her and grieve.
The tables had been moved, and chairs that were covered in a light pink material were lined up to face an expansive array of huge bouquets made of cream, light pink and dark pink roses. These nestled around two poster-size pictures of a happy, alive Brittanie on easels, as well as a table filled with other photos and mementos of her.