Total pages in book: 227
Estimated words: 220940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1105(@200wpm)___ 884(@250wpm)___ 736(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 220940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1105(@200wpm)___ 884(@250wpm)___ 736(@300wpm)
Beau heads into the kitchen, and I look out of the window by the front door, seeing the workmen fitting new gates. How long before those ones are destroyed too? I sigh, backing up to take Maggie upstairs to change her diaper but stop at the first step, listening to the men in the office. They’ve been in and out of there all day. And then I hear the door open and quickly get my backside in gear, taking the stairs.
“Rose?” Danny calls, and I look back over my shoulder. “You putting her to bed?”
“Yeah, she’s tired. Needs some quiet.”
“Don’t we all,” he mutters, taking the stairs, coming up to us. He has that look about him. The calm before the storm look. The look that tells me I’ll hear the words I need you to be strong for me, Rose anytime soon. The look that tells me all hell will be breaking loose imminently. “Drinks on the terrace?”
“Drinks on the terrace?” I parrot. “Are you joking?”
His face remains straight, his eyes lasers on me. “Whenever have you known me to joke when I’m talking about devoting time to my wife?” He catches a potent waft of Maggie’s ass. “Christ alive.”
“I’m not feeling neglected, if that’s what you’re worried about.” He’s talking like he’s not planning a mass crime at any moment. “And haven’t you got things to do?” Like pay a ransom and get Nolan back? “I can’t sit down and have a few lovely drinks with my husband knowing what I know.”
“What do you know?” he asks, interested.
“Enough to know I don’t like this.”
“Which means not a lot.”
I huff, indignant. “Basically, yes, but that is something I’m used to, being married to you.”
“Said with such venom and emphasis on you,” he muses, taking my arm and walking us to the bedroom. “Let’s put our little girl down, then I’ll help you out with the information you’re clearly pissy about not having over a nice, cold drink.”
Oh? “You’re going to tell me everything?”
He shrugs. “Most of it. I’ll leave out the stuff that’ll turn your stomach.”
I flinch. He’s talking about Pearl. What she’s endured. Danny takes Maggie from my arms and lays her down in her crib. “She needs her diaper changed,” I say.
“No shit.”
“Yes shit,” I counter, grabbing her changing things off the cabinet. “Lots of it, actually.” I pass them to Danny and smile sweetly. “I’m going to take a quick shower.”
“How wonderful for you,” he mutters, pouting at our girl. I leave him to it, but I don’t turn on the shower when I get to the bathroom. I stop at the door and watch him. Listen to him. “I’ve killed many men, baby girl,” he says quietly, pulling the tabs of her diaper. “Many were quite disgusting deaths.” His head pulls back, the crook of his arm covering his nose. “But none of them turned my stomach like you do. Good God.” He turns his head and takes a breath before going in, his big hands working fast. “That’s quite an achievement.”
I smile, resting against the doorframe.
“But you’ll never know that man,” he goes on, wiping her butt and taking her ankles, lifting her and quickly slipping a clean diaper under her. “I hate that your brother does.” My smile falters. I hate that too. “This will all soon be done.” Danny inspects her peachy skin. “That looks sore.” Then grabs the cream. “I can fix that.” He dips his big finger in the pot and scoops out way too much, dabbing it across her bottom. “I can fix anything,” he says, fastening her diaper as she gurgles her agreement. “Yes.” Scooping her up, he holds her in front of him. “You could be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he whispers. “Don’t tell your mother.”
“I don’t mind,” I call softly from the door, making him turn.
He rolls his eyes and goes back to Maggie. “She says she won’t mind, but what your mother says and what she means are two different things. That’s what us men need to contend with.”
“You’re priceless, Danny Black.”
“Shut up. Go take a shower.”
I smirk and push my weight off the door, going to the shower and flipping it on. I strip, tie my hair back, and get in. It’s not long before he joins me. A prelude to our romantic drinks on the terrace. He walks in behind me, sliding his hands onto my stomach, and kisses my shoulder. “We have a lot of catching up to do, Mrs. Black.”
“Then you’d better come home alive.” I push my ass back into his hard-on, inhaling at the feel of the stiffness against my soft butt.
“I can’t die,” he whispers, his lips traveling across my wet back slowly. “Even Hell won’t have me.”
My head drops back as he slides his palm down to my pussy, inserting one, thick finger. He pushes high, then withdraws, adding another. “You’ll wear a vest,” I say. I’m not asking. I don’t know what’s happening, but I do know it’ll involve guns.