Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 80303 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 402(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80303 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 402(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
I glanced back at the stucco mansion. It wasn’t as nice as my home, not remotely close, but it was still better than anything the average working man could ever hope to possess. Tony, his wife, and their two sons had lived in this nice big house making good use of all the perks our lifestyle afforded for nearly a decade.
The dumb fuck just had to piss it all away. All he’d been good for in the end were the shipping routes that now belonged to us.
“Burn it down.”
We walked out to a chorus of crickets in the shrubbery. Our vehicles were parked in the driveway and maneuvered into a triangular formation facing the opposite direction of the house. Any nearby neighbors were either none the wiser or wisely minding their business.
My phone buzzed just as I reached the driver’s side door of my Land Rover.
Like clockwork, my daily update was delivered at half-past nine on the dot. I didn’t look at the report until I was seated and had removed my bloody glove. The pair would be burned as soon as I was home.
Gavin climbed in on the passenger side and patiently remained silent as he waited for me to finish checking it over. I took my time and diligently read every single word, eager to learn of any changes.
There were hardly ever any. She lived a boring as fuck life for the most part. I dropped my cell back into the inside pocket of my suit and hit the push-to-start button on the dash. I wouldn’t pull off until Bri and Owen were in their respective car.
Once they were out Theo would then begin the process of burning this place down. Two others would arrive shortly after to stoke the flames and ensure they devoured every wall stud and piece of grout until there was nothing left.
“Same old, same old huh?” Gavin asked rhetorically, referencing the update.
“I think it’s time.”
He nodded approvingly. “I’ve been waiting to hear that for the past two weeks.”
Of course, as the man who knew me second best after my famiglia, this decision was no news to him. I had been following a path similar to the one that brought my madre home to make sure I did things the right way. Or should I say, I did things in the way I felt was right.
It took me longer than I would’ve liked but this wasn’t the kind of process you rushed. You didn’t procure something priceless unless you had the means to ensure it never depreciated. What were a few years when you’d eventually have forever? Just as they say violence is never the answer. Patience is relatively key.
The only thing left to do was tidy up some loose ends and remind my wayward little bird that she was still mine.
In fact, I had never let her go.
I gave her an illusion of space and let her try to spread the wings she was so desperate to hold onto. She hadn’t. I knew she never would because I’d clipped them so that she couldn’t fly too far. At best she would make herself believe she had found a way to soar.
I was ready to bring her home now.
My principessa needed to see—to understand--this world is where she’d always belonged. She would learn everything she needed to in the place reserved solely for her, right by my side.
CHAPTER TWO
For a while, once the body had been buried and time went on as if that day never happened, I was happy. There were times I thought back to the night I came across something I shouldn’t have, but they weren’t enough to derail my life.
That came later, after the party that brought me face to face with Judas again. Although, I couldn’t deny that I’d been happier than before despite how it ended with me knocked to the ground like I’d gone round after round for a heavyweight title.
Years later and I still found myself unable to process how everything went so tragically wrong.
I did my best to avoid these thoughts, avoiding them like one would the plague. Nothing good ever came from reminiscing about a past that no longer existed. It’s what led me to more often than not take the lengthier route home after a long shift.
It didn’t matter how bad my feet were killing me from being on them the past eight hours to twelve hours, or how desperately my body craved food, sleep, and a hot shower.
There was something about a late-night drive that helped me deal with all the noise inside my head. I could never go too far away from home, though. Audrey and I shared our locations with one another and if she thought anything was the slightest bit amiss, she’d lose her proverbial shit. I found that out the hard way a few weeks ago.