Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 35602 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 178(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 119(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35602 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 178(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 119(@300wpm)
It's back in one piece now. But as I slowly unscrew it, I see where she kept the poison she used to put in my drink. I remember how obsessed she was with that necklace. She never wanted me to have it. And now I know why.
I can resist. I place the silver necklace around my throat and decide to wear it until she comes back to me. Even when she's back here, I'm going to torture her with this necklace, because it was almost the cause of my demise.
I meet Saul for a meeting later.
I know he's going to question me about Tallulah. It's becoming painfully obvious to everyone in the house, I can't get my mind off her. I'm even more distracted than usual. And if I have to admit it, I will say that business hasn't been what it used to be. Since Tallulah came into my life, and even before then, as soon as she was born, I knew my obsession was only going to grow and grow.
"Do you want a drink?" I ask my partner as I saunter to the bar to pour myself one. "The usual?"
"No, I could do without alcohol tonight," Saul says darkly.
"Something on your mind?" I ask, hiding the fact that I'm wincing because I already know he's going to bring her up.
"You know what's on my mind, padron," he growls. "Sooner or later, we're going to have to talk about it. Talk about her, and how soon we're going to call out this fruitless search."
"We are not calling off the search," I hiss. "There is no way I'm giving up, not before we find her or figure out what happened to her."
We stare at each other in a moment of uncomfortable silence. I want to scream at him. Tell him to put more willpower and more men on the case. I want to do all that now, and yet I can bring myself to go out there and look for her myself. Up until now, almost two months after she disappeared, I haven't gone out to look for my ward once.
I'm too worried about what I'll find, too scared that I'll encounter some proof of her tragic demise.
"Even if we do find her, Xavier," Saul speaks up. "What are you going to do with her? Are you just going to give her back to her parents? Pretend none of this ever happened? Do you really think Heath and Rain will stop going after you? They'll never give up. You've taken too much from them."
"I gave that boy what he needed," I say. "I gave him the experience he had to have to become a cartel owner, which he now is. He's the boss along with that bitch boy of his, Liberato. I made him the man who he is today."
"Regardless of that," Saul shakes his head. "It's not going to be that easy for them to forgive you, and we both know it. So what's the plan? You find Tallulah, and what happens after?"
"Everything that was supposed to happen all along," I growl back. "I'm going to make her my wife, even if I have to force that ring on her finger."
"Didn't you already give her a ring?" Saul asks me and I laugh.
"I did. I assume she sold it already, to get ready for her new life. The one she thinks she's going to lead without me. But she couldn't be more wrong, because I'm never going to give up on her."
I'll keep going until I find her. Until I bruise her tiny little throat between my fingers, and tell her she belonged to me all along.
"You're just as obsessed as you were eighteen years ago," Saul shakes his head with disappointment. "I thought by now, you'd be over her. That we would have some other women that would interest you, that you would spend time with or at least try to get to know."
"There is no one else who interests me besides Tallulah, and that should be clear by now," I hiss. "I have no intention of ever giving up on her or giving up on this chase."
"But to what end?" Saul demands. "Why are you doing this? What are you hoping to get out of this?"
"You know I need a baby," I say firmly. "You know I need to have a son, one who's going to take over this business when I retire."
"You're a bit old to only be thinking of that now," Saul reminds, me which gets another chuckle out of me.
"I have to say I'm liking the way you stand up to me lately," I say with a smile. "I suppose it is hard to stand up to me. But it's nice to see you got some balls on you, Saul. I've been starting to doubt you these past few years."