Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 92254 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92254 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
But she laughs and puts the beer back down. “It’s your family now,” she remarks, heading back to the door. “It took work, but nobody disputes your control.”
“I had some competent help.”
“Yes, well, that brother of yours has been a vicious little killer, hasn’t he?”
My smile fades as I look toward the windows. “Didn’t know Tigran had it in him.”
“Don’t look so concerned. This is a cause for celebration. We’re going to get rich and the Brotherhood’s going to get stronger. All your decisions and sacrifices have paid off. Tigran’s bloody work is done.”
“You’re right.” I nod at her, even if her comment about Tigran is still bothering me. That’s a problem I can deal with in the future. “By the way, did you stop in and see Lena?”
“You think I’d miss the chance to hold your baby? Cutest kid in the world.”
And your grandchild. But that’s still unspoken. I don’t know if we’ll ever acknowledge it. That’s a wound that’ll never fully heal. Though maybe it’ll scar just enough to keep going. My relationship with my biological mother has been getting better every day.
I’m optimistic. Sona’s right—the family finally fell in line behind me. There was some struggle, but something changed around the time Roman was born. It’s like a new baby breathed some life into this place.
For the first time in my life, I’m thinking tomorrow’s going to be better than today.
Sona heads out. I finish ripping up the last few floorboards, suck down my beer, and turn off the radio. The guards nod as I walk past. I miss the days when the place wasn’t swarming with muscle, but that’s the world we’re in, and I’m not taking any chances with my wife and my child.
Their safety is my everything now.
I find them in the nursery. Lena’s still rocking Roman in her arms. A Dr. Seuss board book is half open on the floor at her feet. The little guy’s fussing and resisting his nap. She brightens when I come into the room and take him away from her.
My little son. He’s got Lena’s nose and my mouth. One day he’ll be his own man, but not for a long, long while.
“Go take a break,” I whisper, kissing her cheek as she gets to her feet.
“Are you sure?”
“I can handle naptime.”
Once she’s gone, I bounce and rock Roman. He squirms and yawns. The big guy goes down easy for bedtime, but he never wants to take his naps. Just part of who he is and who he’ll become. So much possibility in this little bundle. Too much potential to even imagine right now.
“I get it, you want to explore,” I say very quietly as his eyes flutter closed. “Just like your mother. You’ll be running around this house soon enough getting into trouble. But for now, you’re mine and you’re small, and I love you more than I ever thought I could.”
After a few more minutes, once he’s very still and just about asleep, I transfer him into the crib and shut off the light. I sneak into the hall and find Lena already waiting for me with the monitor in her hand.
She’s grinning like a maniac.
I sweep her into my arms. “Were you watching?”
“I can’t help it. Something about a big man cradling a little baby gets me all turned on.”
I bury her mouth with mine. A hungry kiss. I hold it there, tasting her. How did I get this lucky? Even now, every time we’re together, I want her like an addict. Except drugs can’t possibly taste half as good as she does.
“If you want, I can go wake Roman up and hold him some more. If that’ll help get you off.”
“I think you can handle that on your own.”
I kiss her again and we stumble into the bedroom. The sex is sweaty, hot, and fast. All the while, the drone of Roman’s noise machine plays in the background.
I shove two fingers in Lena’s mouth as I fuck her from behind, and we come in a sweaty heap.
“I hear you made some serious progress this morning,” she says, snuggling up against me. I love it when she’s post-orgasm. She’s all loopy and cute, like a satisfied cat napping in a beam of sunlight.
“Gutting it is the easy part. Now we just need to figure out what the hell we’re going to turn it into.”
“I was thinking space for Roman. You know, a bedroom and a playroom.”
“You’re going to spoil that boy.”
“Probably, but so what?”
“Yeah, yeah, baby, I know. I love how you’re a big fucking softie.” I kiss her neck and breathe in her smell. “I was thinking about the passageways too. Maybe we should deal with them while we’re renovating?”
She sits up on an elbow. “Deal with them… how?”
“Seal them off. Fill them in. We could get more space—”