Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 97951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
“No, Silva. Whatever you are going to say, the answer is no. I don’t care how much you beg. He doesn’t care who he has to take down to get his way. He just wants to destroy me, make me suffer, and he wants me to live to endure it. Death would be too easy and forgiving in his mind. I’m the guardian, not you. I’ve always protected you, even when you hated my guts. Nothin’ is gonna change.”
“It’s too late to protect me from this!” Her tone was piercing. “He’s already hurt me! The lies on top of lies, on top of lies! I know you thought I was stickin’ to him like glue because of all the money he gave me and Tony over the years, and the strings he pulled for our careers, but that’s not true at all. You didn’t say it, but I know how you think.” He couldn’t deny that initially, it definitely crossed his mind. “He’s tryna ruin my brother’s life and destroy my mother’s legacy by bringing up her past, which we know in her community back in Lebanon is a reputation destroyer.”
“He still might do it. Problem is, he now knows that won’t deter me.”
“Shit! We know how Mama’s culture is in the old town. The entire family over there will be shunned.”
“And somehow the old man knows that.”
“What a sickening thing to do. She’s dead, for God’s sake! I felt sorry for myself when it first hit me that you were tellin’ the truth, Len, and then, I felt nothin’ but rage. That’s my mama, too! I’ll do what you asked for now, but not forever. I’m in this whether you like it or not!”
Lennox took a deep breath. “Don’t tell Tony about this. We’ll discuss it further later.”
“Sooner rather than later. This ain’t right, and I need somethin’ done about it. NOW. I owe it to you. I owe it to Mom. I owe it to Dad. I owe it to myself.” The call ended before he had the opportunity to respond.
He sat with their conversation for a few moments, replaying it in his mind. Soon, he pulled into a lot full of construction vehicles. Richmond Premier Rentals was the name of the place. He took note of the black and white sign, the letters faded. The gate was open so he drove through, parking next to a dump truck that appeared to be receiving mechanical services, seeing as how the hood was up and one of the tires was missing.
The sounds of big machinery could be heard moving all around the dirt pathways. He slipped his gun into his back pocket, then grabbed his duffle bag and phone. He opened his photo library, selecting a recent video he’d been sent. He watched it again, and again, and again…
His life of being a blue-collar worker who’d worked all sorts of jobs proved to be invaluable after all. It had taught him about people, about life skills and human frailty. He’d never been afraid of a hard day’s work. He kept replaying the special video on his phone, memorizing the sounds, the light, the darkness…
His thoughts drifted in and out of sanity… He lamented over the scene in the video, tag teaming with thoughts over the careers he’d had in his lifetime that helped make him who he was today. His thoughts drifted back to working the land. He’d done a lot of odd jobs, even getting his trucker’s license at one point, and was employed in warehouses using forklifts, too. For over a year, he’d worked a construction job. He didn’t believe any labor was beneath or above him. He sat there and pondered why his woman would leave the club, on her last day of work of all days, and behave in such a manner. No call. No text. Short replies and conversation. Stiffness in a hug. Want and need in her eyes. Her body bent toward him. Cried out. Nadia was a creature of habit but only those who knew her well understood this.
To an outsider, she appeared to be a fly by the seat of her pants type of person, when in actuality, everything she did was calculated, planned, and well thought out.
This isn’t like her. Something messed up happened. When we fucked, I could feel it… I’m right. I just know it. Who did this? It had to be that bastard who followed her home and damaged her car. Maybe it was the ex-boyfriend who’d threatened to come into town and hurt her over that money? Nah. There’s no way it could be him. It’s got to be the club dude.
He was going to keep digging around in the ground until he got to the root of it all and uncovered the truth, and then he was going to yank it up by the stem. Expose it. The evening before he’d arrived at Nadia’s apartment, he’d followed up on a prior inquiry. It was time to find out if the information he’d been seeking was now available. He’d been waiting a while. Before quitting time at the club the night prior, he followed up on his lead. He got into his truck and dialed the right number. Spoke to the right person. He needed more information before he made his move, but he needed it fast. Time to pull the trigger. Nothing would stand in his way.