Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 77126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
“There’s a reason why Diego was demoted,” Mario says. “It’s not something I can talk to you about over the phone.”
“Good. I need you to come to my parents’”—I clear my throat—“I mean my house. I’m sure you’ll want to meet my lovely bride.”
“McAllister’s not happy.”
“McAllister doesn’t need to worry. I’m working on getting Daniela legal status so she can stay here, and then we’ll be divorcing.”
“Are you sure? She’s a lovely little thing. Tight, I bet.”
God, he makes me want to puke. What a dirty old man. I have half a mind not to tell him about Serena. He might know anyway, if he’s spoken to Agudelo. Besides, I’m convinced Serena is the real reason he sent me. Mario couldn’t care less about Puzo’s deal.
“You’re disgusting. I haven’t slept with her. I don’t sleep with children. I don’t plan to. This marriage is one of convenience only.”
“You may as well take what’s yours, Vincent.”
“She’s not mine. She’s a person. She’s not an object.”
“Did she refuse to sleep with you? She doesn’t have that right.”
“To the contrary, Mario. She didn’t refuse. She offered herself to me up on a platter. I’m the one who said no.” I grit my teeth. “But for your information, she does in fact have the right to refuse to sleep with me. Or anyone else, old man.”
He scoffs. “God, your father ruined you.”
“Yes, he certainly did,” I grit out, hoping he understands what I mean.
“So what is it you need me to come over about?”
“I believe you already know,” I say. “And we have a lot to talk about.”
33
RAVEN
My mother and Robin arrive about an hour later. Robin comes in to the guestroom where I’m staying.
“Raven, last night couldn’t have gone any better. Have you heard how much money we made?”
Wow. I haven’t even thought about that with everything else that went on.
“I assume it was pretty good.”
She pulls out her phone and scrolls through it. “From the donations that we received and the silent auction receipts, we’re at about two and a half million dollars already. That doesn’t even count the three thousand dollars a plate the people paid to go to the gala.”
“But it doesn’t take into account our expenses,” I say dryly.
She raises an eyebrow. “Don’t get too enthused.”
She’s right. Our expenses were nothing compared to receipts so far, and there’s no price on the awareness we raised.
I regard my sister. Though we’re not identical twins, we look a lot alike. Her facial features are a bit harder than mine, and of course she has a beautiful head of hair. Our eyes are nearly indistinguishable, except her lashes are longer.
Mine will be again, I keep telling myself.
The nubs are growing. I did like how I looked with false eyelashes on last night.
“We made more than enough to rent office space and hire a skeleton staff to get things started,” she says. “Then the money you and I are putting in from our trust funds gets us a good start on helping to fund research and giving grants to people in need.”
“It’s all going to be fundraising, isn’t it?” I ask.
“That’s kind of what nonprofits are all about, Ray. Surely you thought this through when you went through all of it.”
“I did.” I rub my eyes. “Don’t mind me. I’m just exhausted.”
She pats my hand. “Of course you are. You’re still in recovery mode. That’s why Emily and I are doing all the footwork. Right?”
“Yeah, right.”
I hate lying to my sister.
I hate lying, period.
“So where did you go last night?” Robin asks. “You were gone for a while.”
I swallow. “I just…needed to get away from the crowds. You understand.”
“I do.” She nods. “We all think it’s amazing that you took this on. Right after coming out of recovery.”
“I’m fine. I’m cancer free, as they say.”
“You’re in remission, Ray.”
“Potato po-tah-to. Whatever.”
“I’ll let you get some rest.” Robin gives me a quick hug. “You planned a great gala.”
“You planned it.”
“All right. But it was your idea.” She grabs my hand, squeezes it. “This is your brain child, Ray. You need to take some credit for yourself. That gala was amazing. Your speech brought people to tears.”
“Thanks, Robbie.”
She leaves the room, closing the door behind her.
I grab my purse and pull out my cell phone along with the burner phone that the fake Uber driver gave me.
I read through all the texts.
The texts on my phone, threatening me.
And the texts on the burner phone, warning me.
Then I pull out the velvet box that contains the pendant I won in the silent auction.
I turn it over, rub my fingers over the engraving, reading the message once again.
Even the raven can’t fly forever. Sooner or later, it comes home to die.
I should be more frightened than I am.
But right now, all I want is to fall asleep again.
Even though I was plagued again by nightmares last night.