Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Yeah, not good.
It seemed like three of the brothers jumped Venezio, while one went up to attack Halle.
Rage burned in my stomach as I tried to pull her out of the car, her whole body shaking like a fucking leaf. So bad that she couldn’t even stand.
I’d never picked up a woman like I scooped her up right then, holding her against my chest.
It didn’t escape me that she calmed in my arms almost immediately.
Yuri, as predicted, as he was paid to do, said nothing. He didn’t even look shocked about the whole ordeal.
We rode the elevator up, and into the hall that led to my penthouse.
I said nothing as I walked Halle through the apartment, dropping her into the guest room, then making my way back out to find Miko dropping Venezio onto a kitchen stool.
“Go handle the cars,” I said. “Then get up here. I’m probably going to need some help,” I said, gaze moving over Venezio, who was trying not to show how much pain he was in.
“Got it,” Miko agreed, taking the key fob from Venezio, then rushing to go re-park his car, and move his own.
“They came up from the alley behind me,” Venezio said, jaw tight. “Had me down before I could even reach for my gun.”
“We’ll have time for explanations later,” I said, turning to go into the hall closet to grab a medical kit.
This wasn’t a kit with a couple bandages and antiseptic that fit in a shoe box.
Nah.
I kept a fucking rolling plastic tote full of everything I might need to keep my ass out of the hospital. None of us wanted to end up in an emergency room with all their questions.
“Alright,” I said, rolling up my sleeves, and removing my watch, before washing my hands, then making my way over toward Venezio.
I helped him out of his jacket, placing it over the backs of one of my chairs then reaching for his shirt.
“Just cut it off,” he said, shaking his head.
His ribs were probably fucking screaming. No one wanted to raise their arms over their head with busted ribs.
I grabbed scissors and was slicing the shirt when Miko was at the door again.
I left the shirt split to let him in, then came back to peel it away.
“You were stabbed?” I said, brows raised, as I looked at the wounds in his midsection.
“It was a baby knife,” he said as Miko moved past me to go grab a bottle of vodka, and bringing it over to hand it to Venezio. He uncapped it, and took a long swig. “And he was shit with it. Barely went in each time,” he said.
“It went in enough,” I said, leaning down to get a look. “See if Salvatore can can get us some antibiotics,” I told Miko as I opened up the medical kit, and started to lay out packs of gauze, antiseptic, triple antibiotic, and bandages.
“On it,” Miko said.
“Your ribs,” I said, seeing the bruise starting to cover them. “Think broken or just bruised?”
“Dunno. But breathing is fine, so I’m not too worried about it,” he said.
“Okay,” I said. “Have another drink,” I suggested. “This is gonna be rough,” I added, grabbing the bottle of antiseptic, and uncapping it as he took a long swig.
Then, as soon as he lowered the bottle, I poured.
His eyes burned and his jaw tightened, but he said nothing.
“Christ, you’re a mess,” Miko said, moving to stand beside me, checking out Venezio’s wounds.
“Feels like it,” Venezio said. “Someone’s gotta check on the girl,” he said. “She was bleeding too.”
“I will,” I assured him. “But I don’t think she wants to see this right now.”
“See what?” a female voice asked, making all of us turn and look to find Halle standing in the opening of the hallway. “Oh, God,” she said, face falling as she looked at Venezio.
I’m not proud of where my thoughts went right then as I looked at her standing there in her sleep shorts and tank top. No bra. Not leaving much to the imagination. Not that I needed to imagine anymore.
I knew exactly what she looked like under those clothes.
The curve of her hips.
The swells of her breasts.
Even a little trio of birthmarks on the skin over her ribs.
Knowing that didn’t make a difference, though. I still wanted to walk over there, back her into the guest room, strip those clothes off, and see all of her again.
“I’m fine,” Venezio said.
“You’re not fine,” she shot back, taking a few tentative barefoot steps forward. “You need to be in the hospital. Why isn’t he in the hospital?” she asked, directing her question at Miko, not me.
There was no accounting for the surge of jealousy that moved through my system right then.
I never got fucking jealous.
Least of all about a woman.
It made sense that she felt more comfortable talking to Miko than me. She’d spent every day with him. And, sure, he was supposed to just be standing outside, but judging by the way she was looking to him, it was clear they’d interacted at least a few times.