Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 80602 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80602 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
She sighs heavily but doesn’t push away from me when I grab her by the waist.
Rai stares at me. In the beginning, I hated her eyes. I thought they were too cold, callous, and impenetrable, but now they’re anything but closed off. She’s soft, peaceful, and I might be too addicted to that side of her.
“Do you realize just how much you’ve screwed up my schedule?”
“And is that a bad thing?”
“Of course it is. I have work to do, and it’s not only about the brotherhood. I’m an executive manager in V Corp, where many people’s livelihoods depend on me. I have the directors to answer to and the employees to look after. I also have to keep an eye on Ana’s internship so she stops being too sheltered, but I forget all about that when I’m with you. Would you stop distracting me?”
“Why would I when it’s the best distraction you will ever have?”
“Kyle…” she pleads. “Let’s just go, and when we return, I will let you do whatever you want.”
My interest is piqued at that. “Whatever I want?”
“Whatever. You. Want,” she says emphatically. “But now promise you’ll be good.”
I narrow my eyes. “Good to who?”
“To Kai.”
“Why would I when he threatened to kill you on our wedding day?”
“Because we want an alliance with the Japanese. We have to practice diplomacy sometimes.”
“You’re the contact, not me. I don’t see why both of us should play nice.”
“What is your problem with Kai exactly?”
The way he looks at you. But I don’t say that because it’ll make me a pathetic fool, and I’m anything but. If anything, I’m the villain of this tale. I’m the reason her beloved brotherhood will be wiped away.
When I don’t say anything, Rai considers the subject closed and places my leather shoes by my feet. “Do you want me to help?”
“I can at least do that myself. Go before me. I will follow.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to help? It’ll be quick.”
“You’re becoming a wife way too fast, Rai.”
But I feel like it’s only because she feels guilty that I took a bullet for her great-uncle.
That’s the reason why she wouldn’t leave my side all this time. It’s gratitude. I hate that fucking word. I don’t want her to feel gratitude toward me. I want her to be with me because she needs my presence as much as I can’t breathe without hers.
But there will be a different time and place for that. One day, she will snuggle into my arms, not because she feels grateful for my ‘heroic’ acts, but because she can’t stay away from me.
After making a face, she leaves.
I make sure the door closes behind her before I put my shoes on, grab my phone, and go to the balcony. It’s rarely open due to the fear of snipers. The late boss, Nikolai, was overly cautious, and Rai takes after him in more ways than one.
I dial the number on my phone and wait a few minutes before Flame picks up.
“How are things from your side?”
“First of all, fuck you—I didn’t sign up to be within the Irish. Feigning their accent is a nightmare.”
“Stop moaning. Did Damien’s attack work?”
“Magically. They’re anxious and kind of know they’re doomed because of the Russians and the Italians joining forces to crush them.”
“As they should,” I mutter under my breath.
“I believe Rolan will either reach out to Sergei or Lazlo or both.”
My fist tightens at the sound of that name. Rolan Fitzpatrick. There’s no way in hell I would ever forget it.
“And what does he intend to do exactly?” I ask Flame.
“Ask for a truce? Or a whore? How the fuck would I know?”
“Doesn’t matter, anyway. Both Lazlo and Sergei think the Irish sniped at my wedding and came to Sergei’s special supper.”
“To give them credit, the Russians did try to catch us that night, especially that bearded guy and the one with the glasses, but we escaped in time.”
I stare down at the guards stationed near every entrance. “No matter how much the Russians think they’re strong, they don’t compare to professionally trained killing machines.”
“Speaking of those killing machines, they’re waiting for their second half of the deposit.”
“I’ll send it over as soon as they finish the entire job.”
“Just give me a name.”
There’s a pause—from my side, not his. Why the fuck am I hesitating? After all, this was the reason why I returned to the States in the first place. This is why I’ve been staying alive.
“Kyle?”
“I don’t care who you have to kill from the Russians as long as it’s an elite and not Adrian or Sergei.”
“Why not Sergei? He would’ve been my first choice.”
Adrian is off the list because he knows some of the story. My secret kills for him in the past are the reason why I got in the brotherhood in the first place. Nikolai didn’t question my background when Adrian gave him a fake one because he—and Sergei—trust him that much. Adrian wants me close because he likes having one of the best professional killers in his arsenal, and for that, we have a mutual understanding. Of course he doesn’t know that I intend to ruin the entire brotherhood, though.