Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 73042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Before I can even knock, Savannah greets me at the door with a hug.
“How are you holding up, Vinnie?” she asks.
If only I could be honest with her. Gee, Sav, great. Our esteemed grandfather wants me to kill somebody. Some guy who lives in a giant house in the suburbs, has a young nanny, and who apparently is dealing with some drug cartel south of the border. He might also be the reason why we’re getting into human trafficking. Oh, and before that? He wanted me to off your sister-in-law. You know, the one who just recovered from cancer.
Nope, can’t say that.
“Good,” I say.
She looks at me, raises her eyebrows. “Good?”
“Yeah. I knew what I was getting into.”
I did indeed know. I knew seventeen years ago, which is why I left. But that was selfish. So now I’ll do anything for my sister. She’s the only sibling I have left. I only wish I could turn back time and save Mikey from his fate as well.
“Come on in.”
I follow her into Falcon’s house. She leads me down into a large family room, where Falcon himself is standing behind the black lacquer bar. His two brothers, Hawk and Eagle, are there. Eagle is looking… Well, I don’t know the guy, but he doesn’t look good.
But then I drop my jaw.
Sitting in a recliner with a can of Orange Crush is Falcon’s sister Raven.
She’s so beautiful. And to think… If my grandfather had his way, she’d be dead. Dead, as some kind of warped message to Falcon about interfering with our family.
Not if I have anything to say about it.
I’ll kill off all the assholes my grandfather wants me to if it means keeping this woman safe.
Her hair is black peach fuzz, but the lack of hair doesn’t make her any less gorgeous. She’s tall with dark eyes. No eyebrows or eyelashes, but on her none of that seems to matter.
Her cheeks are rosy, though. Falcon’s bone marrow has taken hold, and she’s recovering, according to Savannah.
No way would I ever take her life. Hell, I don’t want to take anyone’s life.
“Vinnie,” Falcon says from behind the bar. “What’s your poison?”
“Scotch. No. Make that bourbon.”
“I’ve got scotch. Some great Macallan twenty-five year.”
Fuck. Macallan is my grandfather’s favorite. Which means I won’t touch the fucking stuff, no matter how much like mother’s milk it is.
“Bourbon’s good.”
Falcon pours me two fingers and hands me a glass. I take a quick sip, letting the smoky liquid slide down my throat. Just the right amount of burn. This is good stuff.
“All right,” I say. “What’s going on here?”
“You know my brothers, Hawk and Eagle.”
Hawk, who looks a lot like Falcon except he’s taller and has blue eyes, stands, walks over to me, and shakes my hand. “Good to see you again, Vinnie.”
Eagle doesn’t rise.
“Eagle,” I say.
He raises his head out of his hands, his eyes bloodshot and sunken. “Hey,” is all he says.
“I’m sure you didn’t ask me here just for a drink.” I look at each of them in turn, ending with my sister. “Sav, what’s going on?”
Savannah swallows. “To tell the truth, Vinnie, I’m not even sure I know. Raven and I… We’re kind of innocent bystanders here.”
I turn to my brother-in-law. “What the fuck, Falcon? Are you in some kind of trouble? And you got my sister and yours involved?”
“Savannah will be my wife,” he says. “I don’t want to have any secrets from her. As for Ray? Well, she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
This time Raven stands, stalks toward her brother, and sets her can of pop on the bar. “Hey, it’s not my fault you guys were talking in our kitchen where anyone could’ve overheard you.”
“You didn’t have to threaten to go to Mom and Dad.”
Raven turns to face her brother, her dark eyes fiery. But then she softens and places a hand gently on his upper arm. “Look, I get that you saved my life. You know how grateful I am for that. But if you’re in trouble, Fal, let me help. You saved my life, and I want you to let me help you with yours.”
I can’t help staring. Such inner strength emanates from this woman.
“But Raven…” Falcon starts.
She cuts him off with a stern look that could put anyone in their place. “I’m not avoiding the fights anymore, Fal.” Her tall figure looms over her brother, even as he stands behind the bar. “I’ve been on the sidelines long enough. You’ve all tried to protect me because I was sick. Well, look at me now!”
I do just that.
Who could help but look at her?
The room seems to shrink around her, pulling us into her orbit. Her dark eyes gleam with an intensity that draws me in, makes me feel vulnerable in her presence.
“I almost died,” she says quietly after a moment. She returns to the recliner. “You saved me, Fal. But now it’s time for me to stand on my own two feet.”