Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 75699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
She places two fingers over my lips. “I know what you said. If you can look me in the eye and tell me to go away, I will. But I won’t accept it through a phone call. You have to look me in the eye. Tell me you don’t want to be with me.”
“Whether or not I want to be with you is irrelevant,” I say, “and you know it, Raven. I can’t keep you safe, and that kills me.”
She widens her eyes. “I believe you can keep me safe. I believe I can keep you safe. Safe in the bubble of our love.”
I let out a breath of air. “If only it were that simple.”
“Maybe it can be. Maybe it can’t. But I can tell you one thing.” She wraps her arms around my waist and gives me a squeeze. “I didn’t go through hell and survive cancer just to have the greatest love of my life taken away from me right as our relationship is beginning to blossom. It’s not fair. To either of us.”
I grab her hand and lead her into the living room, where I gesture her to sit down on the couch. I sit next to her.
“Raven,” I say, “you don’t know anything about me.”
“I know how you make me feel.” She pounds a fist against her heart. “That’s all I need to know.”
Maybe I just need to tell her. Tell her that I’m responsible for not one but two deaths now. One that I took in Eastern Europe in self-defense and was lucky enough to get away with, and one that I took mere days ago. The night she and I were together. The night I left her.
If she knows I’m a killer, maybe she’ll leave.
But I can’t bring myself to tell her.
I can’t lose her love. Maybe we can’t be together, but at least I know in my heart that this amazing woman loves me.
I need that. I need that knowledge to get through what’s coming.
“So are you going to tell me then?” she asks.
I raise an eyebrow. “What? Tell you to your face that we can’t be together?”
She crosses her arms. “Yes. That’s what I need you to do.”
I open my mouth, but then my mother’s voice interrupts us.
“Are you going to invite your friend to join us for dinner?”
Raven pops up off the couch. “You must be Mrs. Gallo. I’m Raven, Falcon’s sister. I’d love to join you for dinner.”
My mother smiles at her warmly. “It’s lovely to finally meet you. Do you like chicken parmesan?”
“I love it.”
Raven follows my mother into the kitchen to the large table where we eat. We don’t use the formal dining room since it’s just the two of us.
My mom gestures Raven to sit on my other side. “Phyllis, could you please set another plate?”
“Right away, ma’am.”
Once Raven’s place is set, my mother herself takes the plate and dishes up a generous portion of chicken parmesan and spaghetti marinara. “I hope you’re hungry,” she says. “Phyllis always makes enough to feed an army.”
Raven eyes the food and grins. “Yes, I am hungry. Thank you.”
Why isn’t my mother asking Raven what she’s doing here? This is all so surreal.
Mother spears a piece of chicken with her fork. “How are your parents doing?”
Raven pauses mid-chew, eyeing me. She’s wondering if she should tell my mother about what happened to that lawyer at their house. I subtly shake my head.
She swallows. “They’re doing well.”
Mom nods. “And your brother?”
I can’t help noticing that she doesn’t ask about my sister. Her daughter.
“Falcon is great. He and Savannah are fixing up their house quite nicely.”
“That’s lovely.” Mom shifts her gaze to the top of Raven’s head. “And how about you, dear? How is your recovery going?”
Raven smiles. “Never better. My appetite came back something fierce after the bone marrow transplant. It’s been so great being able to enjoy the taste of food again. The taste of life again.”
God, she’s something. I remember when we were with Falcon and Savannah, how serene she looked as she was eating the ice cream and raspberries Savannah made. How much she savored every bite.
She’s doing the same with the chicken. I can see her taking in every texture. The gooey cheese, the crunchy breading, the moist chicken.
Good God, I’m fucked.
“I’m so glad to hear that,” Mom replies to Raven. “Our family has been praying for you.”
I nearly choke on my bite of chicken. Maybe Mom has been praying for Raven. There’d be no way of knowing. But it was only a few days ago I was convincing my own goddamned Grandfather not to take a hit out on this woman. I doubt she’s been in his prayers.
But Mom doesn’t know about any of that. And neither does Raven. So I’ll keep my mouth shut. My mother continues to pepper Raven with small talk as we finish our dinner. Raven answers each question candidly between bites of food, letting her gorgeous personality slip in every time she utters a word. Mom listens with bright eyes.