Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 71179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
“Fuck them all,” I say.
“Sav, you know I agree with you, but for now, I have to play the willing grandson. As far as they know, I’m seeking their forgiveness for my betrayal, and I’m going to have to prove myself.”
My heart slams against my sternum. “By doing what?”
He draws in a breath, and before he speaks, I already know the answer.
“No, Vinnie. Don’t.”
He looks up to the ceiling and then darts his gaze around the room. He rises. “Let’s go outside.”
“Outside?”
“Like I said, I trust the security guys, but I don’t want to take the chance. Come on.”
We leave Dad’s office and go out the French doors leading to my parents’ large manicured lawn out back. Vinnie and I walk out into the middle of the yard, close to the pool house.
He nods to a camera mounted near the gate to the pool house. “They can see us out here, but they can’t hear us.”
“Won’t they wonder what we’re up to?”
“Yes, which is why I’m going to make this brief. As far as the camera knows, you’re showing me around the back lawn, the pool house, everything else.”
“Vinnie, it’s all the same since you left.”
“Yes, but I’ve been through a lot, and perhaps my memory has failed. That’s what I’ll tell them if they ask, but they probably won’t ask.” He takes my arm. “Come on.”
We walk around the yard, stopping every couple of steps to make it look good.
“I have no intention of taking anyone’s life,” Vinnie says. “But that is what they’ll expect of me.”
“Then how will you prove your loyalty?” I ask.
“I’ll fake it.”
I shake my head, my mouth dropped open.
He nods slowly, breathing evenly. “Yeah, I don’t have the details yet. But I’ll get some blanks, send whoever I’m supposed to take care of out of the country. I don’t know the specifics, Sav, but I promise you I won’t kill anyone.”
I want to believe my brother. With all my heart I do.
“Vinnie, please promise me one thing.”
“If I can.”
“If you can’t figure out how to fake it, then run like hell. Go back to Europe. Do whatever you have to do to—”
“Sav.” He grips my shoulders and stares into my eyes. “I will not abandon you again. Do you hear me? I will not. Don’t worry about me. I got this.”
“But Vinny—”
He releases his grip. “I’ve got a plan in motion to put them off for a few months. I’ll say I need to be educated in all the inner workings, and I’m out of practice with a firearm so I need to get up to speed.”
“I just saw you shoot a few days ago. You’re hardly out of practice.”
“They don’t know that, and I’ll use it to my advantage. Grandpa is so happy to have his blood back on board that I’ll be able to subtly manipulate him. I’m not an idiot eighteen-year-old anymore. I’ve gained a lot of wisdom in the last seventeen years, and Grandpa’s an old man. It won’t be easy, Sav, but trust me. I can do this.”
I nod.
I have to trust my brother.
I have no other choice.
“What can I do to help?”
“Nothing. This is on me, Sav.” He grabs both of my hands. “You go. You live your life. Be with the man you love. Tell Falcon how sorry I am that he got brutalized so terribly, and that I’m happy he’s on the road to recovery. This is your chance. Take it. Please.”
39
FALCON
When I awake the next morning, I’m surprised to see Raven instead of Savannah in the room with me.
“Ray?” I say.
“Hey, you.” She squeezes my hand. “How are you feeling today?”
“A little better. My breathing seems to feel normal, and it doesn’t hurt quite so much to talk.” I shrug. “How do I look?”
“Like you’ve been hit by a truck,” she says, “but you look wonderful to me.”
A doctor walks in briskly. “Good morning, Mr. Bellamy.”
“Hey, Doc,” I say.
“I have some excellent news for you.” He looks down at a clipboard. “Your imaging results from yesterday afternoon look great. Your minor pneumothorax is healing nicely, and you should be able to go home later today. You’ll need to take it easy, though. Full healing will take up to two weeks, which is why I’m going to want to see you back for imaging then. Your ribs are another story. The hairline fractures will heal on their own, and there’s not much we can do except wait for them to heal. They will be painful for the next week or two.”
“Great,” I groan.
“It could have been a lot worse, Falcon,” Raven says.
Yeah. I could be dead at the hand of that fucker Miles McAllister. But I can’t say this to Raven. She doesn’t even know the full story of what happened to me. I told her it had to do with Savannah’s family, but that’s it. So far she hasn’t pressed it, but now that I’m feeling better, I know I’m in for it today.