Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 97426 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97426 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
“But I bet you like getting that good dick better,” Ven says with a laugh.
“Oh my God. I wouldn’t have minded going at it once more before he left. He has sex like it’s a talent he’s showing off. It was… it was everything you dream of when he talks to you and more.”
I look at the dreamy look on her face. I get the feeling she’s not totally okay with not talking to Kelex again.
“I’ll talk to him for you if you want,” Ven offers.
“No, no, please. I don’t want him to feel obligated. I’m sure I’ll see him around.”
“Um.”
“Please, Ven.”
Ven holds her hands up in surrender. I think Shawn and I both know she’s going to meddle anyway. However, I keep my mouth shut.
I have enough problems of my own. Things are going well with Ant, but I still haven’t returned to Vander. That will be the true test.
Chapter 42
Secrets
Pit
The door to my back room opens and in walks my uncle. I stifle a groan. He’s not on my list of appointments for today or tonight, but here he is. Never a good look.
The moment Ox showed up, I should have known he would be here. I’m getting twitchy with all of this shit. I got Scarlett out of jail, but I still haven’t gotten a straight answer as to why she was arrested in the first place.
According to my sister, she dropped Shawna home and was pulled over not too far from Shawna’s place. From there, nothing about the arrest makes sense. I’m tired of sitting on my hands.
To be honest, I think the break-in at Ven’s Whips and Toys was only a distraction. Something to pull my attention away from the arrest. Nothing was taken or touched from what Skittles could tell.
The alarm was tripped and she was called, that could also be the reason nothing was stolen. I find it all odd.
I watch Uncle Blake as he takes a seat like he owns the place. Sitting back in my chair, I fold my arms across my chest. I get the feeling he’s here with the answers I’ve been waiting for. Not just about the arrest and the break-in.
“Where’s your brother?”
“Downstairs, taking care of some inventory. He should be on his way up soon.”
He nods but doesn’t say anything else as he looks down at his fingernails, then rubs his fingers together. My interest is piqued. He does this when his words have value to him.
“Good, I get to talk to you first,” he finally says.
“Oh, yeah, what about?”
“I’ve been thinking about what you’ve shared with me about you and your friends.” He waves his hand in the air before him, still looking down as if seeing his thoughts. “You know all the things that happened before Alexis came to our attention.”
“And?”
“I’m here to tell you what I know. What I think you should know.”
“I’m listening.”
“Do you remember me telling you, you reminded me too much of your father to make you like me?”
“Yeah, what about it?”
“I wanted to make you better than me. It’s always been our goal to make the three of you a better version of who we were.”
“Our? Who’s we?”
He finally looks up at me. “The original syndicate of Vander.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m hoping you’re going somewhere with this. Keep going,” I snort.
“Joshua Kylix is my godson. His mother was Maria Nikolaou. Willow’s sister.”
“Willow, as in Ox’s mother? Does he know this?”
He shrugs. “Yes, I’ve just been made aware that he does.” He says this part with a bit of annoyance. “I’ve never shared this with him. For that, I had my reasons. Others decided to overrule those.”
“And you decided to drop that shit in my lap. Kelex is Ox’s cousin. You’ve got to be kidding me. We’re back in this fucking soap opera again.”
“Listen to me first. Maria and I were close. A fact that made her husband, Ulysses Kylix, extremely jealous. He never saw that she was like a sister to me or that I was in love with her best friend.
“It was his Greek pride that made us bump heads. Then Maria was killed in a car accident along with Janice Smith and Sofia Georgiou.
“There is a powerful man in Greece who’s been waiting to settle a score with Vander and Bridge Lake behind this. Someone tried to embarrass him and his family by targeting their women. Ulysses Kylix and Basil Nikolaou are not the same.
“I believe that’s all about to come to a head. Make no mistake, it’s men like Basil Nikolaou and your great-grandfather who have run Vander and Bridge Lake from a distance. I, too, answer to others back home.
“It’s the way it’s been since my father and his father before him. We’re a part of the founding families, but Vander’s true power comes from oceans away.