Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78236 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78236 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
“I’ve known Crue for almost fifteen years now, and granted, I still don’t like him much.” She pops a fry in her mouth. “But he’s the uncle of my daughter. And he was becoming different with you around. Softer even.”
I want to laugh at the thought of Crue as anything less than cruel. But what right did I have? She’s known him longer than I have. And me? Well, I was nothing but a season. And I sure as hell made sure of that.
“If you’re trying to convince me to rekindle things with him, it’s not going to work. I won’t step back into that world.”
“Ironic, wouldn’t you say, considering you became a criminal lawyer? I don’t think you’ve stepped that far away from our world at all.”
“Ouch.” Angel sure as hell isn’t pulling any punches tonight. Not that I care—we never did with each other—but it jumbles my thoughts around the situation. Had I, at some point, been out of place? No. My nails have turned into a rapid drumming on the table now.
No.
He’s a killer.
A criminal.
An obsessed stalker.
Crue Monti is an absolute no-go zone. Hot as fuck or not.
“And besides, I don’t think you have to worry about him trying anything with you anymore. He’s already left for the airport. He’s going back home.”
My tapping on the table stops. “For real?” And instantly, there are mixed feelings in my stomach of sweet relief and something else I refuse to acknowledge. “Good. Finally.” I throw my hands up in celebration. “Now I can continue with my life like none of this ever happened.” I didn’t expect him to go running after I shot him. I supposed that was a good enough reason for a normal person to leave, but this is Crue we’re talking about. Somehow I have ended up looking like the crazy person in this situation?
Angel seems sad when she picks at her half-eaten burger. “We leave tomorrow,” she adds, her voice breaking a little as she sniffs.
I grimace. “I’ll come and visit.”
“You’ve been saying that for almost fifteen years now, bitch.”
An exhausted laugh escapes me. “Right back at you. But I know… I will try harder.”
“Especially now that you have a goddaughter to meet soon.” She looks down at her stomach. “One who has an appetite for America’s greatest burger chain, apparently.” She chuckles and sobers again.
“I’m sorry to ask, but do you know anything about the Torrisi mansion going up in flames?” I question.
She shakes her head. “Nope. Even Dominic’s staying quiet about that one. But I have no doubt of Crue’s involvement. Why? Does it look bad because you were defending one of them?”
I shrug. “Kind of. There’s another thing, though…” I glance around to ensure no one is paying us attention, and then I show her my bank balance. It’s not like I’m not used to money. But I always made a point—besides my father paying for my education—to earn everything my way while trying to become as independent as possible.
And this type of money…
… it is blood money.
It reeks of it.
Angel looks from my phone and back to me. I have forgotten she’s used to this amount of money, so I change the screen to the balance in there only one day ago.
“Oh, wow, that’s a big difference. You were living off that before?” she asks suspiciously.
I give her an unimpressed look.
“Sorry.” She winces.
By standard wages, I earn a fuck-ton more than most. But this is old money. Money, I’ve been advised, is a generous bonus. But to me, it smells a lot like Crue Monti. And I don’t want his charity. In fact, I don’t want anything else from him again.
“Couldn’t you open your own firm with money like that?” she asks around a mouthful of her burger.
That hadn’t crossed my mind. “Maybe.” I tuck my phone away. “So, when do you leave tomorrow?”
She rolls her eyes. “Early. Apparently, we have to go to the family home for some big announcement.”
“Sounds serious.”
“It usually is. But it could just be because Crue is returning.”
My nail tapping resumes at the mention of him returning to Italy.
She watches me cautiously. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I laugh. “No. This motherfucker is getting a bill for all my therapy.”
She laughs, holding her belly.
“At least I can leave knowing you’re okay,” she says.
“You know me, I always get back on my feet. There’s no way I’m letting any man get the best of me.”
She lifts her thick shake to my soda water in cheers. “To all the men who should go fuck themselves.”
I laugh. At least she was lucky. From what I’ve seen between her and Dominic, they are made for each other. Despite the name and his family, he treats her like a gift from God, and I have no doubt this little bundle of joy is going to be spoiled all the same.