Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 59004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
“You mean the violent side,” she says flatly.
“Yeah, that,” I chuckle. “You know what I’m saying. I think it’s my job to keep that from ever coming to your door.”
She’s quiet for a moment. “Yet my father has left me no choice but to learn his business.”
“He has no choice,” I say gently, “but that doesn’t mean we can’t find another way. I want you to be able to practice law if that’s what you want. You can call the shots on the side.”
She meets my gaze dead-on. “I don’t want to call the shots. I know I could, but I have no interest in it. Couldn’t you handle his business if something happened to him?”
“Uh…” If we were married, maybe. “I don’t know.”
“Well, that’s what I would like.”
Then I’ll figure it out for you.
CHAPTER 13
Liz
“This is amazing,” I moan with delight as I take a bite of lobster. “I think this might be the best I’ve ever had.”
“Yeah?” Troy chuckles, shooting me a bright grin. “I’m glad I could be the one to share it with you.” His eyes twinkle beneath the dim lights of the chandelier hanging above our table, and I can’t lie. I’m not mad at him anymore.
“So…” his voice trails off as he sips his wine. “Tell me about your friend Beth. I don’t recall ever meeting her when you were a kid.”
I nod. “We didn’t meet until a few years ago. She was a transfer to NYU from California, which is crazy, I know,” I laugh, thinking back to the Cali girl coming to the Big Apple. “We met because our classes were across the hall, and one day, she just randomly complimented my shoes. From there, it was history.”
“Sounds romantic,” he smirks. “I might be a little jealous.”
“Oh, stop,” I wave him off, my smile fading as I think more about how we met. “She was going through a lot at the time. We were there for each other. Her stepfather was cruel and controlling, and that’s the reason she transferred. She was twenty-two years old, and he would give her an allowance to spend. If she went over, he would take her car. She wouldn’t be able to get to class.”
“That’s horrible,” Troy comments, his face falling. “I take it she was able to get away from him?”
“Yeah, it took cutting him off completely, though. She lost her savings and came to NYC with literally nothing. She was sleeping in one of the halls, sneaking in after the doors shut or going to the shelter, so I let her stay with me.”
“You’re a kind woman,” Troy says, reaching across the table and grabbing my hand.
I hesitate, my eyes dropping away from him. “Dad didn’t want her staying with me. He thought she was mooching off me. He’s like that, but you probably already know that.” My gaze flickers back up to him, catching his.
“He can be worrisome about being taken advantage of, that’s for sure,” Troy grunts as the waiter sets the tab down. He pulls out his card and puts it in the small black binder without glancing at the bill. “Thank you,” he adds as the waiter picks it back up and shuffles away.
“Do you… do you like being in the position you’re in?” I ask the question carefully, running my index finger along the side of his hand.
“Well, to be honest with you,” he says, a sigh slipping from his lips, “I’ve never really known anything else. When I was younger, I thought about leaving town and starting somewhere else, living a normal life. I didn’t want to be a criminal, but…”
“But then you got used to it?” I suggest, holding his gaze.
He smiles. “No, I wouldn’t say that a person ever gets used to it, but I just came to terms with the hand I was dealt. There was no point in fighting against them—not for me, anyway.”
I’m unsure how to take what he’s saying, his expression unreadable, so all I do is nod. The waiter returns with the receipt, and I watch as Troy lets go of my hand to fill out the rest. I don’t know the cost or how big the tip was that he left, but I have a good feeling he was extra generous.
“You ready?”
“Yes,” I say, my heart fluttering as I stand. I know that the night has been leading up to being truly alone with Troy, and honestly, every time I took more than a few seconds to think about what was coming, I got lightheaded. So, I do my best to push it away.
“Is there anywhere you’d like to go before we head to the house?” he asks me as he holds the door open.
“Not that I can think of,” I say, breathing in the misty air of the coast. There’s something to be said about fresh air, and the more time I spend in it and away from the city, the more I’m starting to see its benefits.