Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 77205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Silvano fucked me through it before planting deep, his body jerking hard as he came.
We didn’t stay that way long.
We were too aware of Miko and Nero outside somewhere.
“Will you let me look at your arm?” I asked, feeling like I already knew the answer.
“No. Will you keep your ass in here while I talk to Miko and Neo?”
Seeing as I really didn’t want to see the bodies, I was totally alright with that.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” he said, making his way out the front door.
Alone, I made my way to the bathroom, then set about collecting up some things I wanted to take with me. Namely, Storm’s things. And the clothes I bought since it would be a waste to leave them here. Oh, and the extra blankets because Silvano kept his place cool.
In the end, I’d pretty much packed up everything I’d originally brought to the cabin with me by the time Silvano came back with Nero in tow.
Silvano’s gaze went to my gathered bags, a small smile tugging at his lips.
“Nero is gonna take you back to the hotel. Then, and fucking listen to me this time, you are going to stay there this time.”
“I’m okay with that,” I agreed, nodding.
“Nero is gonna come back here, though. We have… a lot of work to do. But after that, I’ll be back at the hotel.”
“Don’t you need another set of hands?” I asked, thinking of the graves.
“You know someone with a working set?” he asked, looking down at my cast.
“Good point,” I agreed, sighing. I couldn’t wait to get the stupid thing off.
“We got this. Then I’m gonna come back to the hotel, crash for two days straight, and we’ll head home.”
Home.
God, I loved the sound of that.
All three men helped me get the things back to the car, then Nero slid into the driver’s seat, waiting for me.
“Stay at the hotel,” Silvano demanded, snagging my chin and keeping unnerving eye contact. “Please,” he added, giving me a small smile.
“I will. I promise. Unless someone tries to kidnap me or something.”
“Don’t even fucking joke about that,” he grumbled, sealing his lips to mine for a second, then opening the door for me, waiting for me to climb in, then slamming it again.
He stood there in the road as Nero did a K-turn and drove us away, my head angled over the seat, watching him until he was nothing but a part of the night.
“How long do you think it’s going to be?” I asked Neo.
“Think the math is something like each grave takes five hours, give or take. So, I’m thinking you should be seeing Sil sometime after dinner. Maybe seven or eight.”
Just fifteen or so hours.
Then this was all over.
Forever.
And we could get back to our lives.
This time with no threat lingering, and no reason to keep our relationship secret.
I fell asleep with a warm, contented feeling in my chest at that.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Silvano - Half a day
I was exhausted down to my fucking marrow as I slid my keycard into the slot of the door, hearing the tap of Storm’s nails as he rushed to greet me, a giant stuffed duck in his mouth.
“Hey, Storm,” I said, rubbing him behind his ears. “Where’s Mills?” I asked.
Because despite being filthy—save for the quick wash in the frigid water the cabin had to offer—aching, and tired, my first thoughts were of her.
Storm, seeming to understand, turned, and walked to the bedroom, where Millie was curled up under the covers, her red hair fanned across the white pillow.
And, fuck, I wasn’t prepared for the surge of possessiveness and affection that moved through me.
Mine.
She was mine.
I wanted to get her back to the city to show her that, to make her feel less like a secret, to introduce her to my family, to let her see how serious I was about this thing between us.
I didn’t know dick about things like relationships. But I knew a thing or two about love.
Love was a dozen bodies buried in the woods because they dared to even think about touching her.
Love was the way I was suddenly thinking about shit like how my apartment didn’t have any extra bedrooms, and how I wouldn’t mind a couple of kids with her eyes or hair. But maybe with my sense of order.
I forced my gaze away from her and made my way to the bathroom.
I’d changed out of the outfit I’d done the killing and digging in. That evidence was tossed on my way back to the hotel.
As for Miko and Neo, well, they’d volunteered to take over getting all of Neeley’s and his men’s cars destroyed, since they’d taken turns getting some sleep on the ride up this way.
And with Miko’s attention to detail, I didn’t doubt they would get it done to my level of satisfaction.