Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 56742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
She breaks down again. This time is worse than the last. I do my best to hold her, trying to contain some of her heartache. It’s like she’s tearing apart from the inside. Finally, she manages to stop herself. “So?” she says. “Honesty, dear, please.”
I swallow a ball of nerves. Even if she made a mistake, I don’t want to start our relationship with judgment, but I don’t want to start it with lies, either.
“I don’t agree with cheating,” I tell her. “I think if you’ve committed yourself to one man, you should keep that commitment. If you can’t, you should leave him, but there’s no excuse for cheating in my book. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t you dare apologize for that,” she replies. “It’s exactly how I feel, which may surprise you. I was weak. Leo was working so much. I let this person fill my head with stories of romance and princes and princesses. I enjoyed the physical side, but I hated myself afterward. I scrubbed myself raw in the shower every time. I broke it off after a month.”
When I nod, she tilts her head at me. “You don’t think that’s a reasonable excuse.”
“With all due respect—”
“I don’t need respect. Just the truth.”
“Okay. There’s no excuse for cheating.”
“Yes, you’re right. Leo knew, by the way.”
I gasp. “He did?”
“I told him the day I ended it. I couldn’t live with this secret. He knew and getting back to where we started was a lot of work. I thought he’d never stop hating me, but finally, we recovered.”
We sit silently for a while, and then I touch her arm. “Why don’t I sing for Leo?”
“Would you?” she replies eagerly, as though she’s been waiting for me to ask this question. “Last time, I know he understood. He heard your voice. He hasn’t reacted like that to anything since the stroke.”
“Whenever you’re ready—whenever he’s ready—I am, too.”
“He’s awake now if you’re sure you don’t mind?”
“If I’m going to be your daughter-in-law one day, I should get used to singing, right?”
She grins, looking like a little girl for a moment. Wiping her cheeks, she nods and takes my hand. I know she’s made mistakes. I know it will be hard for her sons to forgive her. Yet despite the fact she did something I could never dream of, she’s a good person.
CHAPTER 26
Elio
I stand at the window of the suburban neighborhood, watching as two brothers wrestle in the front yard of the opposite house. I’ve got a few Family men posted at locations around the ’hood to make sure the Shanks don’t find us, not that there’s much chance of that happening.
It’s been a long day. It’s almost the evening. A long day of going from location to location, destroying hard drives, eliminating that filth. Then I was on the phone with our business manager, cutting the cords to this stadium deal before we get any deeper.
“Russel’s in the basement,” Luca says as he enters the living room and drops into a chair.
“Good,” I reply.
“Nothing to do now except to make sure he’s told us the location of every single one. I’ll let him stew for tonight.”
I nod. “In that case…” I reach for my pocket.
Luca chuckles. “You’ve been doing that all day.”
Sitting opposite him, I can’t help but smile. It must be how accustomed we are to this life, the fact I can still smile after everything. “I knew it would distract me if I started texting her.”
Checking my phone, I finally open my text thread with Scarlet. She sent me a text several hours ago. Good morning. I know you’re busy today. I just wanted to say good luck.
It has been busy, I reply. But I think we’ve deleted all the copies. I’m almost certain. Russel is adamant about it, but it’s not like I’m going to trust that worm. When he’s given us everything, I’ll be able to get revenge for what he did to you.
…
As the three dots appear, telling me she’s typing a reply, I can’t help but grin widely. It means my woman has been waiting for my message, maybe. I imagine her in bed, wearing some tight-fitting PJs, her lips pursed in that sassy, sexy way of hers.
I know you’ll do what you have to do, she replies.
It would be the same for any bastard who tried to hurt you, I tell her. You’re my woman now. Don’t forget that—my perfect, kind, beautiful girl. Nobody gets to hurt you. Ever. How has your day been? Or is that a stupid question?
It should’ve been terrible, right? she texts. Mom’s going through withdrawal hell. And there’s Dad, but honestly, after what we talked about last night, I’ve got this floaty feeling. You know?
I do know, I tell her. Very well. It’s
I stop writing the message for a second, knowing what I want to say. It’s love, but that message not being sent has prevented me from crossing that line. For now, anyway.