Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 64885 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64885 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
I had to make Gareth believe that I didn't want him anymore.
I contemplated telling him the truth, but I knew that he’d never let me go. He'd never let me back into my father's house so I could get incriminating evidence to destroy it. He was all about giving me freedom to make my own choice, but his protective instincts ran deep.
I'd have to make it about my choice to live separately from him with the freedom he'd offered me. He’d already told me that if the day ever came that I decided I needed to be alone to figure out who I was that he'd let me go. And even though I had assured him every time that I was happy right where I was, I wasn't sure he ever fully believed me.
Always believing the worst about himself, that he’d drive me away eventually.
Just the thought of doing this to him was breaking my heart, but the idea of him losing everything he'd worked so hard for hurt worse. Especially because it would be all my fault.
Because I’d been the one to ask for a favor and had a father who was a cruel bastard.
I glanced at the clock, then hurried to the bathroom to splash cold water on my face. Gareth would be home soon, and I had no idea how I was going to tell him.
If this was going to be my last night with him, especially if things went wrong and my father caught on to my true intentions, I was certainly going to make it count.
I just hoped to hell I had the strength enough to do it all in the end, because it was my turn to protect him.
CHAPTER 17
Gareth
“It looks like you've got good news,” I said as I settled at the table across from my brother in one of the many restaurants he owned.
“That I do, little brother,” he said with a smug grin.
Hope bloomed in my chest. “Did you find him?” I asked
“Not yet,” he said. “But my sources suspect he's back in Boston.”
“Then what's the good news?”
“We found out that he didn't go into hiding just because you kicked him out of the game. Losing the Bangor Badgers to your friend Crossland McClaren didn’t help him either. He’s been stealing millions from the Irish for years. Losing the Badgers made them look at his books a little deeper. The entire Irish mafia is looking for him now.”
“Jesus fucking Christ,” I said, shaking my head. “I knew he was an idiot, but I didn't know he had a death wish.”
“The Irish will find him eventually. You know they always find what they're looking for. And then it'll be problem solved on your end.”
I nodded, but my brow was furrowed as I chewed over the thought.
Dante caught my gaze, tilting his head. “I thought you'd be happier about this news,” he said.
“It's complicated,” I said. “I don't think Serenity has any love in her heart for her father, but he's still her father. This news will hit her hard.”
Dante nodded understandably. “It's out of your control,” he said. “And the minute they get ahold of their betrayer king, they're going to crucify him. Even if we wanted to, you know we couldn't stop that from happening.”
“I know,” I said. “I wouldn't want to stop it. Not when it makes sure that Serenity is free of him. Especially since I know some of his predecessors are more progressive than he is and will be more open to official negotiations after the fact. I'm just saying it'll be hard.”
“Maybe he'll be really good at hiding. Run away to some country where he can't be extradited.”
I gave him an incredulous look. “You're telling me to feed Serenity a story of taking an old dog to the farm?”
Dante raised his hands innocently. “Tell her whatever you want, little brother. Or don't tell her. She seems happy with you and the life that you’re providing for her. Sometimes not telling someone something can be the biggest mercy you can give them.”
“I won't lie to my wife.”
“Lying and omitting are two very different things.” Dante glanced down at his watch, then slid out of the booth. “Back to business.”
I stood up and shook his hand, thanking him for the info.
“I'll call you if I hear anything else.”
I nodded and headed out of the restaurant, more than happy to climb into my car and head home. Serenity and I had only been back in Chicago a week, but we'd easily fallen into the same routine we'd adapted in Charleston. It seemed we could go anywhere, and nothing would disrupt what we worked hard to build these last months.
But I’d been in between meetings all day, and now this last final thing with Dante had kept me way past dinner. I was more than ready to see her, even if I didn't exactly know how to tell her about her father.