Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 78264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
I hit the jackpot with my family.
“How are things at St. Monarch’s?” Dad asks. “Whenever I call Carson, he’s busy with something.”
I let out a sigh as I shake my head. “With Sartori and D’Angelo sending their daughters for training, it’s stirred things up. The three bratva enforcers are constantly fighting with the yakuza trainees. I’m so fucking glad I never had children.”
Mom lets out a burst of laughter. “You’ll sing a different song once you’re holding your firstborn in your arms.”
She still has hope that I’ll marry and have kids. Avoiding the subject, I say, “Uncle Carson says he’ll find a replacement in the next two months. Then I’ll be able to focus on the business.”
We all take a seat at the dining table, and not long after, Grandpa comes into the dining room.
A wide smile curves his lips. “The lost son has returned.”
“Lost my ass,” I mutter playfully as I rise to my feet to hug the man who might not be blood-related but is like a grandfather to me.
Cillian and Dana practically raised my mother, and I grew up thinking of them as my grandparents.
Grandma brings the food to the table, and after we’ve all helped ourselves, Dad asks, “Have you spoken to the new dealer in Congo?”
“Yes.” I wipe the corners of my mouth. “There’s a meeting set for two months from now.”
Dad’s eyes narrow on me. “But?”
I shrug. “My gut tells me there’s something off about the deal. Tshimaga is too forthcoming for my liking.”
Dad nods before he says, “Then we’ll all go. If anything goes wrong, the rebels won’t know what hit them.”
“Yes,” Mom agrees as she gives Dad’s hand a squeeze. “They won’t stand a chance against all of us.”
We eat in silence for a moment before Dad asks, “Are you at least enjoying being an instructor at St. Monarch’s?”
Not hesitating, I shake my head. “I don’t have the patience for it. The attendees are driving me insane. The only reason I'm doing it is for Uncle Carson.”
“Oh no,” Mom coos. “It’s a shame.”
Dad frowns at me. “How are the attendees driving you insane?”
I cut through the steak on my plate. “Abigail and Aurora have zero fighting experience.” I glance at my parents. “They weren’t raised the same as Inna and me. It’s pathetic.”
“Oh.” Mom tilts her head, her eyes locking on my face. “Why does it bother you?”
I shrug. “I just hate training them. It’s tedious.” A smile curves my lips as I say, “Luckily, I’ll be done with them in two months, and they’ll be someone else's problem.”
After dinner, I enjoy a tumbler of whiskey with Dad, and as if Mom’s nagging isn’t enough, he asks, “Still no woman out there that’s caught your eye?”
Abigail’s face flashes through my mind, and frowning at the unwelcome thought, I shake my head. “I’m happy with my bachelor status.”
Dad nods, his eyes searching mine. “There’s something bothering you. Out with it.”
I shrug as I set the empty tumbler down on the side table. “I’m just worried about the deal with Tshimaga.”
“No, it’s something else,” Dad argues, his eyes sharpening even more on me.
Knowing he’ll keep pushing until I give in, I admit, “Abigail Sartori annoys the living fuck out of me. Half the time, I’m tempted to carry out the hit on her life myself.”
Dad’s eyebrows fly into his hairline. “Is that so?”
I immediately shake my head. “Hell to the fuck no.” A smile starts to curve his lips which has me muttering, “The woman is nothing more than a thorn in my side.”
Dad nods, but I can see he doesn’t believe me.
“She’s the enemy,” I remind him.
“So was your mother.” He waves a hand at the doorway. “And look where we are now.”
Like a fucking idiot, I blink at my father. “There’s no way. The girl is eighteen years younger than me. I don’t rob cradles.”
Dad lifts the tumbler to his lips and takes a sip before saying, “As long as both parties are consenting adults, age doesn’t matter.”
“Did you hear the part where I said she annoys the fuck out of me?” I ask, quickly growing impatient with the subject we’re discussing.
“I heard it.” Dad lets out a chuckle. “Loud and clear.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Still, you don’t believe me.”
Slowly he shakes his head. “You can’t bullshit a bullshitter. First, they crawl beneath your skin, and before you know it, your entire fucking world revolves around them.”
Taking my dad’s tumbler from him, I down the rest of his drink. “There’s no way on this godforsaken planet that my world will ever revolve around Abigail Sartori.”
Dad nods, and when he pours whiskey into the empty glass, I say, “I’m going to head to bed. Maxim is coming tomorrow.” As he takes a sip, I add, “Don’t tell Mom about any of this. I’ll never hear the end of it.”