Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 140940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
Tisha and Valentina shot at the alligator, but still couldn’t get him. He kept getting closer and closer to me.
Shit!
The huge bastard leapt for me.
What?!
With the knife in front of me, I dove for the ground and twisted around. The beast soared over me. Somehow, I sank the knife into his flesh. The alligator shrieked over me, writhing and twisting.
Together, we crashed into the water.
The blade was jammed in its scaley belly. And even more, I couldn’t get the damned knife out to stab him some more. Water got in my eyes and mouth as I wrestled to get the knife away.
I had no idea if the alligator had been injured good or was just trying to get a better angle to get a bite of me.
More shots rang out.
I felt the impact of one bullet slamming into the creature.
Finally!
The alligator went limp against me.
I shoved it off and rose from the ground, dripping with murky water.
I hate this fucking city!
A cacophony of booms occurred next. It was hard for me to see. The only thing I was certain of was that gunfire was now coming from both sides of the pit.
What?
I wiped water from my eyes and turned toward the platform.
On the Don’s platform, tons of my men charged out of the back wall exit and shot at the pit. Others stood on the edge of the platform shooting alligator after alligator. Bullet-riddled creatures surrounded me. Their blood mixed with the murky water and the torn-apart corpses.
Good. It is over.
I let out an exasperated breath and trudged through the water.
Meanwhile, Rafael stood next to the jar with the Eye. Sweat trickled down his face. He held a bowl in his hand, dove a spoon into it, and began to feed himself a thick red liquid.
I spoke through clenched teeth. “Are you fucking serious?”
He widened his eyes. “What do you mean?”
“You are fucking eating!”
“The Don really does have the best gumbo on this side of the bayou—”
“I was fucking being torn apart by alligators while you were fixing a meal for yourself?!” I got to the edge of the platform as two of my men helped me up.
Rafael ate more of his soup.
I climbed onto the platform and narrowed my eyes at the pansy.
Realizing I was still watching him, Rafael swallowed down the soup and edged back. “Honestly, I did not think you would jump into the pit. I assumed you would wait on the other side, knowing that. . .clearly, I was going to take your men to the platform to get the jar.”
I bared my teeth. “Why would I think that?”
“Because I told you that I had your back.”
Idiot.
Chapter thirteen
The Unanswered Calls
Emily
Am I ready for this?
Soon the healing process would begin.
Whatever that meant.
For now, Delphine told us to wait while she prepared.
Once Kaz left, Max announced that he needed a smoke break.
I chose not to join him in a session, due to Delphine’s berries. Whatever that stuff was, it could still be in my system and have some crazy reaction with the marijuana.
However, I did go outside with Max.
We chose the back porch because the front one was currently packed with all of Delphine’s men.
The beauty of the setting sun was breathtaking, painting the sky with splashes of purples, oranges, and golds. A faint breeze whispered through the cypress trees, rustling the Spanish moss that hung on their branches.
Meanwhile, the swampy wilderness around me came to life with soothing sounds—the song of crickets and croaking frogs creating a peaceful symphony.
This was a world far removed from what I was used to, and my heart ached with intensity.
The thought of Kazimir—in some swamp, on a crazy mission, and without me by his side—ate at me. Every beat of my heart echoed his name, a sweet yet sorrowful refrain that I could not silence.
Of course, I had faith in him.
Still, I hoped that he was safe when he grabbed the Eye.
Stop worrying. This is New Orleans, not Moscow. He’ll be back without one scratch.
Then there were Emilio and Paolo—my two precious sons. The separation from them created a void in me, a hollow, gaping wound that only their presence could heal.
Baba is with them. Everything will be alright.
From my perch on Delphine’s back porch, I observed Max.
At least my brother is here.
He stood nonchalantly by an ancient oak several feet away. The glow of his lit blunt pierced the creeping twilight. He was a silhouette framed by the dimming sunlight.
A picture of silent contemplation.
Max’s phone must have rung because he pulled it out. The screen illuminated his face with a soft, blue light. I watched as his eyes scanned the display. A flicker of annoyance flashed across his face before it was replaced with a mask of impassivity.
I quirked my brows.
Who is that?
Loudly sighing, he quickly tucked the phone back into his pocket and took a long drag from his blunt.