Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 32946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 165(@200wpm)___ 132(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 165(@200wpm)___ 132(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
“Maria’s pregnant.”
“Shut up.”
“And she believes you’re going to send her away.”
“Antwone, go back inside now.” He pointed toward the door.
“You’re not him,” Antwone said.
Draven was fast losing his temper. He was tired of people telling him what kind of man he could be.
“This is none of your business.”
“This is my business. This is my family. You’re my family.”
Draven took a step toward him. “Be careful.”
“I don’t give a fuck, Draven. We can keep killing but we both know more people are going to come for us.”
“Our secret is going to stay dead, Antwone.”
“Then keep Maria. Become a father.”
He shook his head. “Fuck off, Antwone.” He took a step away from his brother, finding himself getting even more pissed off.
“You love her.”
Draven stopped.
“You love her and you’re willing to let her go. You’re willing to send her away just so you don’t have to be in the same room as your kid. Do you know what that makes you?” Antwone asked.
“Be careful.”
“It makes you a coward.”
Anger filled every fiber of his being. He wanted to lash out and hurt his brother, but he didn’t.
“Or are you exactly like our father?” Antwone asked.
This made Draven frown. “Are you kidding me right now?”
“What? You think sending her away, letting her have a kid and raise it on her own, is a good thing?”
“It beats running the risk of me hurting it, yeah.”
“Do you really think you’re like our dad?” Antwone asked.
“His blood runs through my veins, so I’d say yeah, there’s a big fucking chance.”
“Then I need to go in there and give up the throne. His blood runs through my veins and we both know what our father did to those people. How he hurt them. The power got too much for him. The drugs, the lifestyle. He was already a monster to start with, but when you add all that shit, it made him an abomination. His blood is inside me. I have no right to be where I am.”
“I helped you get there.” Draven knew it was both of them. Without them working together, they would have died on the streets. They were a team. “And you’re nothing like him.”
“Neither are you, because if you were, that day you’d have left me,” Antwone said. “You’d have left me there to die and you wouldn’t have cared. That is why I know you’re nothing like our father.” Antwone pointed off into the distance. “That woman is in love with you, Draven. She loves you and she is going to have your child. You’re going to get the chance at a family. Do you know how special that is? How amazing?”
“You want kids?” Draven asked.
“Yes, I want it all. A marriage, a family. I want to have what you and Maria have found. You can pretend all you want that you only married to protect her. We both know who you are. You love Maria. You’ve loved her from the first moment you laid eyes on her. She’s loyal, strong, and she protected me. She has ticked all your boxes, and she even knows who I am. You trusted her enough with that secret.”
“She already figured it out.”
“And she lived to tell the tale. You can try to hide and make your excuses but I never knew you were a coward, Draven. I always thought you were a fighter. You don’t run and hide. You stand and fight.”
Draven glared at his brother.
“There’s a woman out there who’s in love with you. She’s going to have your baby, and you’ve got the chance at something magical. Why ruin it? For what? For a stupid fear? That man is dead. He isn’t coming back. We took care of that. Yes, his blood runs through our veins, but look at who we are. Look at how we turned out. Yes, we can be cruel and mean, and downright fucking evil. We dance with the Devil and laugh, but when it comes to those we love and care about, we wouldn’t harm a hair on their heads.” Antwone held his hands out. “But what do I know?”
Draven watched his brother. Antwone looked left and right and then back toward the house. He really looked at him and realized his brother was lonely. Draven had helped him to find his rightful place and in doing so, he’d made him incredibly lonely. There was always that risk.
“Go and be with her, Draven. Tell her you love her, that you’re not going to send her away.”
“And if I become like him?”
“I’ll fucking kill you,” Antwone said.
This made Draven laugh.
“Go and get her.”
Chapter Ten
Maria didn’t want any company, so she’d gone straight to their bedroom. She removed the jewels, putting them straight back into the box, next the dress, and then she’d gone to have a nice, long, hot shower.
The tears hadn’t stopped. The moment that floodgate had opened, there was no closing it. Draven was going to send her away.