Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 44852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Viko caught the key as Boss moved away, heading for the door.
“You knew I’d take the deal?” Viko asked.
Boss glanced back. “The drugs killed your kid. I didn’t doubt for a second that you wouldn’t take the deal. I’ve never known that kind of pain. I can only begin to imagine how this case has been for you.”
“I hope for your sake you never feel it,” Viko said.
“Well, I hope for you, when you’ve done with Renzo, you’ll find some kind of peace, any peace.” Boss turned and left. He didn’t look back. There was no need to. Bain was still waiting for him in the boat. The big fucker had lost a little too much weight during his illness and from what his informants said, he kept hitting the gym and eating like there was no tomorrow.
“Did you get what you needed to?” Bain asked.
“Yes, let’s head home.” Renzo was going to die. By his hand or Viko’s, it didn’t really matter. He found an opportunity to save his woman and he took it. When it came to Graciella, he would do everything for her. She owned his heart, and he intended to show her a world full of love, and a whole lot of killing.
****
One month later
It had been a long time since Graciella had worn white. She stared at her reflection and her nerves were completely shot. This wasn’t supposed to be her life, but here she was, living the dream.
Her wedding day.
How had it arrived so fast? There was no time to escape. No way for her to leave, not that she wanted to either. No, in the past month, Boss had shown her a place in his world, and it worked. She wanted to be with him every day. Killer of Kings was an empire with so many intricate details and went so deep into all parts of the world. She had underestimated the sheer size of it.
No wonder Boss controlled it with an iron fist. She never thought she’d be part of something so amazing, so powerful. It felt good to belong. They were all just cogs in a much bigger network, but without it, she hated to even think of what the world could be like.
There was a knock at the door and she called for them to come in. The other Killer of Kings women were so nice but Graciella didn’t exactly know her place with them. They were good girls and they had little in common. It was still a sore subject for her and a constant struggle to find her place among them. Time would help. One day, she’d become accustomed to not being alone in the world.
Twirling, she spun out the skirt.
“You look beautiful,” Xavier said, catching her off guard.
She’d been successfully avoiding her brother for a long time. Until now. She turned toward him. “You think so?”
“You do and you know it.”
“I don’t know. I’m not used to being the star of the show. I’ve been to many weddings. Some of them have ended in blood baths. That’s the way the world goes. Hopefully Boss and I will get to say the I do before then.” She rambled. Why was she so nervous? She pushed some of her hair out of her face.
“I know we’re never going to be where we were as kids. Too much shit has happened. We both have different lives now.” He stopped. “I’ll always be the brother who didn’t protect you and that will stay—”
“Right, stop.” She held up her hand. “I didn’t want to do this but I don’t blame you, Xavier. I really don’t. You’re my brother, sure, and the whole brothers protect their sisters, I get it. We were both kids. Both of us, not just me. You were a kid as well, and I will not allow you to carry this guilt. It’s not yours to carry. You didn’t sell me or hurt me. Our lives took unexpected turns and I dealt with it.”
She took a deep breath. “Just stop feeling guilty about what happened and move on. It’s all we can really do. I don’t want you to be here because you feel like you have some kind of debt to me. I’m in love with Boss and that’s scary enough. He’s a crazy guy and amazing, and I can’t believe how lucky I am that despite everything we’ve gone through, he’s going to marry me today. I’m happy, Xavier. Against all odds, I’m happy. I know you’re happy too. I’m going to be an aunt. You’ll be a daddy, a damn good one. What’s more, every time you see me, I don’t want you to be thinking about what you couldn’t do as kids. I don’t want to keep being reminded of what was taken from us, Xavier. Our childhoods were stolen from us. Stop trying to steal the chance that we have now as adults.”