Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 80121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
“Landon?” I moved to my feet and stared at my brother in shock. Everything seemed surreal. Cato arranged all of this, and that was the most surprising part of all. I didn’t have to mourn alone. I could mourn with the only family I had left. It was the greatest gift anyone had given me.
Landon was grief-stricken the way I was. He expressed fewer emotions than I did, or at least he hid them better. While his expression was hard, there were no tears in his eyes. It just seemed like he was having a bad day—a really bad day.
“Siena.” He wrapped his arms around me and held me next to the grave.
I clutched him hard and buried my face in his chest. The tears kicked up again, and I heaved with the sobs. It was a blessing having him there, but it also reminded me how alone we were. Now we were the last survivors of our family.
“I’m so glad you’re here…” His cologne was exactly the same as I remembered. It reminded me of all the holidays we spent together. When we met in the back of bars, we were hiding from the world. But now I could actually hold him—and treasure it.
“Cato tracked me down somehow.”
“You aren’t as smart as you think you are.”
He pulled away and gave me that amused smile. “You’re the one who got captured.”
“Looks like we’re both dumb.”
“Yeah.” He turned to the grave and looked down at Father’s coffin as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “At least they’re together now. They’ll never have to suffer again.”
“Yeah…”
We stood together in silence for a long time, staring into the grave with our bodies held close. Landon breathed quietly while he stared at our father’s coffin. Tears didn’t emerge, just a distinct look of regret. “You were right about Cato. You should have asked for his help.”
“I don’t know…he probably would have killed me.”
He turned to me, an incredulous look in his eyes. “He retrieved Father’s body and contacted me for this moment. He gave both of us closure, brought peace to our family. The last thing he wants to do is kill you.”
I looked past his profile and saw Cato standing near the car. He slowly paced back and forth as he spoke on the phone.
My eyes turned back to Landon’s. “I don’t know why he did this. But his intentions aren’t as good as you think they are.”
“Why do you say that? You’re still together after the shit hit the fan.”
“It’s not how it seems…” I focused on the casket in the ground. “He was going to execute me until I told him I was pregnant.”
His arm tightened around my shoulders. “What?” He lowered his arm and pivoted his body to face me. “You’re pregnant?” His eyes moved down to my stomach even though there were no visible signs of pregnancy.
“Yes…and that’s the only reason I’m alive.”
“Well, that’s damn lucky.”
I didn’t want to tell my brother the truth. It would only break his heart. But I didn’t want him to wonder what happened to me once I was gone. “He says he’ll kill me after the baby is born.”
Our father’s grave seemed unimportant now that the truth was on the table. “So he’ll keep the baby and get rid of you.”
“Yes.”
He glanced at Cato over his shoulder before he looked at me again. “If that were the case, why would he do this for you? Why would he bring me here so we can bury our father? For a man intent on killing you, he sure seems to care about you.”
“I…I don’t know.” I couldn’t explain his actions logically. “There’s still chemistry between us. I can feel this tension anytime we’re alone together. I know he still wants me, but he despises me for what I did.”
“Any man would understand you were just trying to survive.”
“He sees the world differently.”
“I still think he’s full of shit. He would never do this for you unless you meant something to him. He’s not gonna kill you.”
“I hope you’re right…but I’m gonna try to run anyway.”
He shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. If he catches you, then he might actually kill you.”
“I can’t let him raise my child. They’ll be born into the nightmare I’ve spent the last five years running from. They’ll be exposed to greed and corruption. Violence will seem normal to them. That’s not the kind of upbringing I want my child exposed to.”
“They’ll also inherit billions of dollars, Siena.”
“When will you learn that money ruins lives? Look at us right now. Look at our parents.”
He kept his eyes on me and didn’t look at the grave. “There are worse situations to be born into.”
“I disagree.” A simple life was the key to happiness. My family was always on the run, or someone else was on the run from us. It never stopped. It was one business venture after the next, a new deal that didn’t go down the way it should. There was never a calm before the storm. It was a constant storm.