Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 115186 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115186 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
At least that proved Sig wasn’t in on it. If he was, she’d never forgive him, either. “I wonder how Sig would feel knowing you pretended to be him?”
Romeo jerked his chin toward the cell phone in her hand. “That him?”
“Yes. Should I tell him you tricked me?”
“Only if you wanna make my life more of a fuckin’ shit show than it is right now.”
“Why should I care? You did it to me.”
He sighed, dropped his head, and squeezed his forehead. “Don’t gotta forgive me, Maddie. Just askin’ for you to hear me out.”
“You didn’t hear me. If you did, you would’ve left well enough alone.”
“Yeah,” he admitted softly.
“Is that an apology?” Not that an apology would fix what he broke, but it would at least show remorse.
His chest slowly rose and fell. “Fucked up and regret it.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Is that a sorry?”
“No. Ain’t sorry. Once you hear me out, you’ll know why.”
She flung out a hand. “So talk.”
He shook his head. “Not out here.”
“I don’t think anyone is going to overhear you, Rome. This place is a deserted dump.” When she glanced around to make her point, she noticed something she missed upon arriving.
And that could’ve been dangerous if it had been someone wanting to hurt her.
“Who’s in the car?” Whoever it was, was slumped down in the seat, making him hard to spot.
“Prospect.”
Of course. In the condition he was in, he couldn’t drive himself. Or ride his sled. But at least he didn’t have some sweet butt as his travel companion.
“You’re going to make him wait in the car?”
“He ain’t a dog or crotch fruit. He’ll fuckin’ live.”
She rolled her lips inward to fight her reaction for a second before quickly slapping the steel back around her heart. He’d need a torch to break through. “Why did you come up here if you’re not here to apologize?”
“Wanna explain.”
“You could’ve done that with a phone call.”
“You don’t fuckin’ answer your fuckin’ goddamn phone!” he yelled before visibly reining in his impatience.
“Then you could’ve written a letter.”
“Jesus fuckin’ Christ,” he muttered.
“And included a check for all the financial hardship I’m now going through. Apparently, you’re aware of that since you used it to lure me here.”
“For fuck’s sake, Maddie. You wanna go somewhere else, we can do that. It ain’t like I’m gonna hit on you. I’m pretty fuckin’ useless right now.” He swept his unbroken arm up and down his body.
She considered his injuries. At least the ones she could see. He was right. He would be harmless and unable to talk her into bed with him.
She glanced at the open motel room again. Maybe she wouldn’t be kidnapped but she reminded herself it was still a trap.
One she was about to fall into.
“Fine. I can’t wait to hear what you have to say.” She met his eyes and warned, “It better be worth it.”
When she headed into the room, she heard the thump of the crutch and some muffled grunts as he followed behind her.
As soon as he made his way over the threshold, he shut the door and leaned back against it. His expression was tense, and his lips pressed together.
Was he in pain?
Damn shame, that.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Maddie perched on the edge of the bed and closely watched him try to hide his pain.
Damn it.
She shouldn’t feel bad for him, but she did. Her career involved helping people, not wishing for them to suffer.
She closed her eyes and breathed until she let go some of her anger and frustration at him. Not all of it, of course, because she needed to use it as fuel to keep her heart whole, but enough to hear him out and take into consideration whatever he had to say.
With clenched jaws, he adjusted his crutch, pushed off the door and hobbled closer until he stood only a couple of feet in front of where she sat.
But the closer he got, the easier it was to pick up his familiar scent and the harder her heart thumped. That unwelcome reaction made her spew, “I’m giving you fifteen minutes. Not a minute more.” She glanced at the time on her cell phone. “That starts now, so you better start talking.”
Did what she just said annoy him? Good. Since she compromised by entering his motel room, he needed to follow her rule to keep her there and listen to whatever he had to say.
She reminded him, “Time’s ticking…”
He sure was leaning heavily on that crutch. Did he purposely remain standing so she’d drum up some sympathy for him?
“You were right when you said that asshole had connections. Just ain’t the connections you thought.”
Maddie shook her head in confusion. “What do you mean?” This was not the conversation she was expecting.
“Ol’ Roger’s connected to La Cosa Nostra.”
Her head twitched. “La what?”
“The goddamn Pittsburgh Mafia.”
That unexpected answer had her eyes bugging out. “There’s Mafia in Pittsburgh?” How did she not know this? Was this common knowledge and she missed it somehow?