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)
“I didn’t even know which one it was,” I admitted, reaching out to pull her closer. “We’re under strict ‘no kill’ orders about this,” I told her. “I don’t understand how this happened,” I admitted.
We were still watching the news when there was another knock at the door, prompting Miko to go answer.
Then in walked Silvano, someone who’d only been to my place, I don’t know, once in all the time that I’d been living here.
He walked casually in, like he belonged, grabbing himself a mug of coffee, then moving over into the living room, standing a few feet from Halle.
“Crazy shit, huh?” he asked, taking a sip of his coffee.
My gaze shot to Miko, wanting to know if his mind was going in the same direction as mine. I found his brows raised, his gaze moving from Silvano to me.
Sil had done it.
Sil had killed the three brothers.
And framed the fourth.
Because if there was one person who knew how to get away with murder, it was the man the Family hired to clean up crime scenes for the rest of us.
The thing was, Silvano wasn’t a killer.
He was just the cleaning crew.
But he’d done it.
For Halle, sure.
But also for me.
“Lorenzo thought anything happening to the brothers would put the heat back on the Family,” I said, choosing my words carefully.
“Oh, yeah? Well, good thing it was the other brother to whack them all,” he said, shrugging.
“Sil…” I said, shaking my head at him.
“Seems like there’s self-defense wounds and under nail scrapings and shit. Sounds pretty open-and-shut to me. No deadlocked juries with this one.”
Honestly, if there was a single person in the world who could get away with this, it was Silvano.
He’d never see the inside of a courtroom.
But justice was finally served.
Lily would be able to regain more of her life.
Halle would have her freedom back.
It was over.
And I didn’t have to do a goddamn thing.
“Sounds like me and you gotta take a trip to see the Boss today,” I said, looking at Silvano’s profile.
“I can handle it,” Silvano said, shrugging. Though, technically, he’d never been in trouble with Lorenzo before. Unlike the rest of us, Silvano didn’t run a crew. He just worked when someone had a clean-up job for him. There was nothing to ever be in trouble for.
“I know you can, but you don’t have to,” I said, wondering if this was it. If this was finally the end of a lifelong battle between the two of us.
Suddenly, I wanted that to be the case.
I found myself craving things I’d never wanted before.
Stability.
Harmony.
Family.
It didn’t take someone really in touch with their feelings to know that it was all because of Halle.
“So, does this mean… I’m free to move around as I please?” Halle asked as the news went to the weather forecast.
“With a guard,” I qualified. “Maybe two,” I added, getting an eye roll out of her. “Just for the time being. Why? Where did you want to go?”
“Buy some bras,” she said, getting a snort out of Miko.
“In that case, no, you’re on lockdown still.”
“Hey, I’ve already proven that I can outsmart your guards,” she reminded me.
“Maybe. But not Miko,” I said, smirking when she shot me small eyes at that, knowing he was no fool.
“Damn you,” she grumbled. “Fine. I just want to go to the shop today then,” she said.
“Think that will work,” I said. “Miko and one more guard, just out of an abundance of caution,” I told her.
“Okay. That’s totally fine,” she said, sounding excited to get back to work.
As much as some part of me really liked the idea of her just in the penthouse all day, waiting for me, I knew that was not something I could ask or expect of her. She had a life. Besides, she would likely be a lot more understanding of my taxing work schedule if she had her own life going for her. Her own interests and passions.
“Dinner later,” I said.
“Yes,” she agreed. Then, in a voice that only I could hear. “Then an early bedtime,” she said.
“Abso-fucking-lutely,” I agreed. “Alright. You and Miko can have the breakfast I ordered. Silvano and I are gonna get going after I throw some clothes on.”
By the time I came down, Miko and Sil were on the other side of the island from Halle, picking at the food, talking easily.
I liked that.
How easily she got on with my people.
These men that I hoped she would start to see as her people.
“Ready?” Silvano asked as I came down.
“Yep,” I agreed, but stopping to haul Halle against me, pressing my lips to hers, hard but shorter than either of us would have liked, given how she melted into me. “Dinner,” I repeated.
“I’ll be here,” she agreed, giving me a smile.
Yeah, she would.
And, what’s more, I was really fucking looking forward to it.