Total pages in book: 52
Estimated words: 47819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 239(@200wpm)___ 191(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 239(@200wpm)___ 191(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
“What’s up Dane?”
“Dude you taking bets on my love life?”
“Yep, so which is it?”
“The kid’s right but don’t tell him, make him sweat a little. Listen, about the senator, go ahead and put Greg on that I think he’s the best fit. Is my pigeon still in the pen?”
“Yeah he’s not going anywhere no time soon, I think they’re talking bonus on this one. So when are we expecting you back here?”
“Not for another few weeks at least.” He whistled long and hard on the other end. “Congrats friend she must be something.”
“There’re two of them.”
“The what, the fuck are you Saudi or some fuck?”
“No you ass my girl has a kid, a daughter.”
“You don’t say, so what you’re done, this is it for the Great Dane Nightingale?”
“Looks like.”
“I’m happy for you, damn.” There was a long pause before we finished up and said our goodbyes. If anyone would understand the enormity of the situation it would be Cole.
The two of us had been through it all together since we joined up as two knuckleheads all those years ago. He alone would know that it wasn’t easy for me to let anyone that close to me, or for me to even contemplate taking this step with not just a woman, but her child as well.
My life wasn’t built that way, for a family. I had enemies from some of the worse corners of the earth, men that would give anything to bring me down low, men that would kill anything to get to me.
I’d long since decided that I would go it alone, that I would never ask another human being to put themselves in the line of fire. As far as I was concerned, the nieces and nephews that I saw sparingly lest I put them in danger, was as close to having kids as I was gonna get. That was until I saw her in that supermarket that day.
It was more than seeing her that did it though. A man in my profession, who’d seen and done the things I had, was very attuned to feelings and senses. She’d ignited every one of mine. The only time I’d ever felt that complete in the past was when I was on the job doing what I loved.
Feeling that shit off the field was as surprising as it was alarming, but I knew I couldn’t walk away from it, or her. My body, my soul had recognized mine, fuck if I was gonna leave that shit behind.
I had a lot to do in the next few days and weeks but I had already decided to take things slow. As much as I wanted to do a snatch and run, that wasn’t gonna work.
My enemies have never been able to find me, for the simple reason that they had no idea who I really was. Very few men knew me as the Sleeper, but though they had no idea what I looked like, there were always ways and means of getting certain information.
The men in high places who had sent me to do the jobs that had gained me the bounty on my head might not know my face either, but they knew enough. I could always kill them the fuck off and be at peace, but unless they gave me a reason that would be straight up murder and that wasn’t my thing.
For all I know I could be in the clear, no one knew where to look for me, I’ve always covered my tracks well, but I’d learned over the years to be cautious and always prepared.
That’s why I never wanted a wife and permanency. I took my fucks where I found them, sometimes going for months without any form of physical contact, and letting that be enough. I never let the sight of other men who moved on to have a life bring me down. I had my mind made up and knew that it wasn’t for me.
Until Ilene! I’d never even allowed myself to dream about what my woman would look like. There was no preconceived picture in my head of my ideal. Now I know I couldn’t have ever imagined anything as perfect as her in my wildest imaginings. She was it, my other half; the one being that could make me give up my way of life.
Chapter 7
DANE
That phone call kind of put me back in the hot seat. I had given her an extra week before making my move and that had cut into my playtime. I could afford to be away for a little while longer since there wasn’t anything pressing on the agenda right now. But my team and I were in high demand now with all the shit popping off all over the globe.
There were a few other teams out there doing what we do, but the jury was still out on whose team was top dog. Let’s just say I always find myself at the head of the list when some shit needed handling. Shit that the big boys didn’t necessarily want the rest of the world to get wind of.