Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 248926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1245(@200wpm)___ 996(@250wpm)___ 830(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 248926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1245(@200wpm)___ 996(@250wpm)___ 830(@300wpm)
Emily froze.
“Fuck that.” Maxwell looked terrified. “You don’t have to hug me if you don’t want to, Em.”
“No. . .Kaz is right.” She set her jaw in determination and clenched her fist. Next, Emily turned around, stormed over to Maxwell, grabbed his shirt in both hands, yanked him towards her, and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Not holding Emily back, Maxwell stared down at her in disbelief.
It was by far the most uncomfortable hug I had ever seen, but I would take anything at this point.
There we go.
A second later, she released him and stomped back our way.
David rushed with opening the door.
Saying nothing else, she slipped into the Benz.
Blue followed after her.
I locked eyes with Maxwell who was still frozen with his hands out by his sides. Fear laced his words. “Yo.”
“Yo?”
He slowly lowered his hands. “Don’t let Fela win today.”
“He will lose.”
“Keep Em safe.”
“On that, I guarantee.”
“While I’m gone, I want weekly updates on Em. If Lunita comes out while you both are in Moscow or anything, then I will be on the next plane.”
“I know you will be.”
“I’m serious.” He pointed my way. “I don’t trust you to do Em’s hair right.”
“I do not trust me either in that department.” I curved my lips into a sad smile. “Now go be with your future wife and that damned lemon tree.”
Maxwell glanced at the Benz for a few seconds, swallowed, looked back at me, did a dramatic salute, and headed away.
And a sadness washed over my body as I watched him leave. Somehow that damned idiot had seeped into my hardened exterior. Had he not been here in Italy each time Lunita came out, I might have made things worse and been even more lost in despair.
I owed a lot to him.
I turned to David. “I want extra men on Maxwell as he heads to Nigeria. And more people watching Rocco.”
David nodded. “Misha also is flying a small army down.”
I quirked my brows. “He is?”
“I updated him on what was going on.” David chuckled. “According to Misha, no one messes with his homey.”
“Fucking idiots.” I groaned in annoyance and climbed into the Benz.
Chapter 68
The Meet
Emily
The helicopter blades whirred as we soared higher, heading toward the meet up spot.
One of my fondest memories in a helicopter was when Kaz and I fucked over the carnage.
What memory will today bring?
The tremor of the engine reverberated inside the cabin while Kaz held me close to him. His arms were a cocoon of warmth.
His breath tickled my neck. “How do you feel?”
“Fine,” I replied, although my heart raced with anticipation and trepidation.
Could he sense my distress, my dread of what was to come?
He pressed his cheek against mine. “Now we are lying to each other?”
I sighed. “I'm nervous.”
“Mysh, would I be wrong if I changed it all and turned us around?” His voice wavered with emotion. “To protect you and keep Fela away?”
I melted into his embrace. “Not wrong, baby. Just. . .”
He moved from my neck and gazed at me. “Just what?”
“It is time to let me finish this.”
“What type of man would I be to let you?”
“You're not a man. You're a lion.”
He frowned. “And what are you to me?”
I clasped my hand around his and tightly interlocked our fingers. “I am your mouse.”
“And my most precious treasure. My life. My soul. My heart. My future wife. The mother of all of my children.”
“Children, Kaz?”
“Many of them.”
I leaned against him and closed my eyes. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Baba's future visions talked about good things.”
“It did, mysh but there was also darkness.”
I tilted away and opened my eyes. “I can walk into the darkness—”
“But, not alone. Not without my hand holding yours. Therefore, I have a few things up my sleeve—”
“Kaz.”
He scowled. “You carry my son in your womb and are walking into a dangerous situation with an intellectual psychopath. You do not think I would not have a few things up my sleeve?”
“What things?”
“If you knew you would be upset. Therefore I have another plan.”
I tensed. “What plan?”
“You give me a signal and I will come.”
“Okay.” I swallowed. “What would the signal be?”
“Touch your ear.”
“Kaz, what if I accidentally scratch my ear or something and you go nuclear for no reason?”
“Then, tug your ear hard twice.”
“Fine.” I shrugged. “But, I would only do it if I lost control. Right now. . .even though I am nervous, I believe we've finally got Fela.”
“I agree, yet I will not be overconfident when it comes to the possibility of losing the love of my life.”
I tightened my grip on his hand, attempting to offer reassurance to the both of us. “You won't lose me, baby.”
David's voice rose as he handed his phone over to Kaz. “You both should see this.”
Kaz grabbed the phone.
A video showed on the screen.
Kaz pressed play.
Fela's face greeted us as he began speaking in a language that I couldn't understand. Thankfully, subtitles ran at the bottom.