Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 88580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
I drum my fingers on my knee. “That’s going to be hard to live with.”
“If we were real,” he says.
“Right. If we were.” I drink my coffee. God, it’s really good. Fruity and floral. “How much does your mother know?”
“More than she should. Less than my brothers.”
“I want to be on that level.”
He laughs softly. “If we were real, I’d consider it.”
“If we were real, then I could live with that. But I want to know if you’re in danger too, not just me.”
“That’ll be hard, since I’m always in danger.”
“You know what I mean. Active, immediate threats, that sort of thing.”
“I don’t want to worry or scare you.”
“If we were real,” I say softly, looking into his eyes. “I’m willing to accept some fear in my life.”
He lets that sink in. “If we were real, I could promise that I won’t ever lie to you, and I will tell you as much as I can.”
I put my hand on his knee. “One more thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Children.”
“Ah,” he whispers. “This again.”
“It was a part of the contract.” My cheeks are burning red. “And I’m the kind of girl that fulfills her promises.”
He tenses. The expression on his face is that of a man trying very hard not to smile. “Are you?” he asks.
“If we were real, I assume you’d want baby. And I guess… I think that’d be fine with me.”
“How many?”
“Two.”
“I want five.”
“I’ll settle at three and a half.”
“We’ll round down to three then.” He leans forward and kisses me gently. “If we were real, I’d want to get started right away.”
“I think you just enjoy the process.”
“Very true.”
“I’d want to wait. A little while anyway. Might’ve already happened though.” I frown down at myself. “We haven’t been careful.”
“No, we haven’t been. I blame myself.”
“Good. I blame you too.”
He laughs and kisses me again. “If we were real, I’d want to tell you something every day. Can I say it now?”
I touch his cheek, looking into his eyes. My body shivers, but I nod. “If you want to.”
“I love you, Casey. I’ve loved you for a very long time.”
I pull in a breath. A lump fills my throat. Why am I reacting this way? It’s what I wanted to hear—what I’ve been dreaming about since the start of this fake relationship. From the beginning I’ve wanted it to morph into something more and now here we are, talking about the shape our future’s going to take.
Together.
“I love you too,” I manage.
He kisses me. I spill my coffee. He curses, strips the sheets, strips me, and shows me exactly how good a punishment can feel.
Chapter 41
Adler
The meeting takes place at a neutral hotel.
The place is loud. Lots of neon, lots of music-themed memorabilia. Slot machines beep and spin, a group of young men cheer around a craps table. I sit at a sports bar with an electronic gambling machine in front of me. Tony sits on my right.
Around us, our men are spread throughout the casino. Will’s sitting nearby, working hard to pretend like he’s not trying to eavesdrop. Tony’s second, Dustin, lurks in the shadows, and their soldiers are nearby too, waiting for an excuse to cause violence.
But everyone’s on their best behavior.
“I’m surprised you showed,” I admit once the bartender brings our drinks.
“You sent your brother-in-law. I felt it was a reasonably important gesture.” He glances at me, eyes narrowed. I know that look. After all these years, Tony hasn’t changed much, despite everything that’s happened. “Why aren’t you trying to kill me?”
I grunt at that and take a sip of the whiskey. It’s good stuff. Smoky and strong. I lean back in the chair, studying my old friend.
He’s older, gray hair, soft stomach, but the age has made him more distinguished. It softened his old Italian gangster face into something respectable. It’s the face of a man that would blend into Congress.
“My wife asked me not to.”
Tony laughs. He seems genuinely surprised. “Did she really?”
“She doesn’t think violence is the answer.”
“Seems like she married the wrong man then.”
“Maybe people change.” I tilt my head. “Maybe they don’t.”
“What do you want, Adler?”
“I want to make a deal with you, as distasteful as that feels.” I don’t look at him as I talk. If I keep studying my old friend, I’m going to lose my temper. This man tried to hurt my wife. He tried to kill her like she’s a problem that could be easily wiped off the map.
If this plan is going to work, I have to keep it together.
Even if I’m seething internally. I hate every second of this. Sitting here next to Tony, it’s demeaning, it’s beneath me, and yet it’s necessary. This one last time at least.
“The great Adler Costa wants to cut a deal.” Tony swirls his drink. “What made you come around, huh? Is it the new hotel? I know you’re threatened by it. Or maybe the fact that I’m getting into politics?”