Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 59004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
“Liz—”
“I need space,” she cuts him off, holding up a hand as she passes. “I don’t think anyone is going to kill me in the next few days or a week or however long it takes.”
I watch as she leaves, Henry shaking his head at her. “You need me to dispatch the bodyguards?”
“Doing that right now,” Henry grunts, pulling out his phone and typing a text. “I’ve already got one at her apartment, and the other is waiting outside. I’m going to keep my daughter safe.”
“What threats are there?” I ask, trying to sound less concerned than I really am. If someone lays a finger on her…
“Vitali just mentioned that it looks like I might have a target on my back soon.”
“Because of your involvement?”
“Yeah,” Henry says. “She can’t be in the fucking dark if something happens. I don’t mean me getting whacked, either. It’s just time for her to go to work where she belongs—with you. You can show her the ins and outs of our dealings. I can’t do that and work on fixing what happened with Mr. Vitali. He’s not happy with me, Troy.”
Oh shit.
“Are you sure you want to do that?” I counter, shifting on the couch. “She might not like working for my firm. Maybe we should send her away.”
“No, I don’t think so. Sending her away wouldn’t solve anything. Having her work with you would be an adequate solution,” Henry urges. “She gets to keep playing lawyer without fearing being marked as corrupted, and you can keep an eye on her. If anyone can convince her this isn’t the worst fate in the world, it’s you, Troy. She’s looked up to you ever since she was a kid. That will also buy me some time.”
I’m at a loss for words now, knowing that I should feel guilty for what happened only an hour ago, but honestly, there’s not an ounce of it present. All I can think about is what I wish I would’ve finished before she officially became off-limits.
“It’s the right thing for her,” Henry continues, though it sounds more like a question than a statement.
“You don’t have a lot of options,” I agree, though I’m still on the fence about hiring her. If I do that, I’ll have to see her a lot. I’m not sure that I can do that and stay away.
“I should’ve told her years ago,” says Henry, not paying any attention to me anymore, lost in his head. He’s always been like that, and now he will worry himself sick over Liz.
“You let her make her own decisions. I think she’s proven she has a good head on her shoulders. She’ll come around.”
“I hope so because she’s going to give my men a run for their money if she doesn’t want them around,” he grimaces.
I chuckle, liking the idea. “It’ll be good for them.”
“I suppose,” Henry muses and then meets my gaze. “Why was she here tonight? I was honestly worried that something had happened since you’re her emergency contact.”
Shit, shit, shit.
My brain is freaking the fuck out, but my demeanor stays calm and relaxed. “I ran into her today at Daisy’s. She was shopping for wedding dresses with one of her friends. I almost didn’t recognize her,” I add, keeping my tone careful. “Once I did, I thought catching up might be a good idea. I don’t want to be a stranger to her, and I knew this conversation would happen eventually. It’s better if she doesn’t hate me.”
But she probably does now.
Henry nods, accepting my answer. “I need her to cooperate, especially with whatever shit Nick is trying to pull over on Vitali. I set up a meeting for the morning, but if we don’t bump up the investment amount, we might end up on the wrong side of the man before we even figure out for sure that he’s the boss of his family now. I’ve rubbed him the wrong way by trying to play the middleman, and that’s never good.”
“Yeah, I know. I regret sending Nick to do the bidding, but it felt like he was ready. He’s been handling all my other affairs with ease. I figured Vitali would be nothing to him.”
“You never know what someone’s limits are until you test them,” Henry comments warily. I can’t tell if he’s talking about Nick fucking up the deal or if he’s still hung up on Liz.
I know that I for sure am.
“Should I give her space?”
I consider the question, taking a deep breath and gazing up at the clock on the wall. It’s getting late, but the day is just starting for most of my men. “I think you should give her the necessary time to process everything that just happened. She’ll have a lot of questions when she’s ready, and you’ll have to answer them honestly.”