Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 40446 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 202(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40446 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 202(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
The second the words were out of my mouth, my phone buzzed. I reached for it where it lay on the couch beside me and glanced at the screen. I turned it around so Venus could see the name.
“Giovanni.” She chuckled. “Wonder what he wants?”
“Probably wondering if we’ve left yet.”
“Well, I can answer that question for him.” She took the phone from me and answered it. “What?”
* * *
Venus
There was a short pause. “Venus? Why haven’t you guys left yet? Did Piston not explain what you needed to do?”
“He did. I chose to ignore you.”
“Venus, now’s not the time. Victor wants Katya back. He’s coming for you.”
“I’m aware. I also have plan and it does not involve going back to Palm Beach.”
“You can’t take him on yourself. He will kill you.” Giovanni sounded sure of himself, and I knew he wasn’t wrong. Victor was very dangerous man. What both men failed to understand was I was even more dangerous.
“I have no intention of taking him on alone.”
“Tell me what you’re going to do.”
“I’m going to invite Victor to dinner.”
As I knew it would, that got Giovanni to shut up. For a brief moment at least. “I… don’t understand.” He spoke slowly. I could practically the look of utter confusion on his face.
“Dinner? Evening meal? Ring a bell?”
“I know what dinner is,” he snapped.
“Good. Should alleviate confusion. I’m assuming you’re in Palm Beach now?”
“I am. At the Bane compound. You know. Where you’re supposed to be headed.”
“If you’d wanted me there so fast, perhaps you should have picked me up in chopper you flew down on?”
“I was in Miami, Venus. Christ!”
“Good. Stay put. Will call you with instructions.” Before he could respond with what I’m sure would be scathing commentary, I ended the call. “This should be fun.”
“Sounds like you have a plan.” Piston grinned up at me. He was still inside me and his cock was getting hard again. I had to smile. I never thought I’d enjoy sex with another person as much as I did with Piston. It all had to do with trust, too. I’d never trusted anyone enough to let my guard down and enjoy the moment. It wasn’t that way with Piston.
“Before we do anything else, I want to know something.”
“Anything, Shortcake. Name it.”
“What’s your real name?”
He barked out a laugh. “Yeah, I can see how that would be something you’d want to know. But honestly, Piston is my name. Only one I’ve ever had.”
I jerked back a little. “What?”
“Yeah. I was an orphan. Don’t remember my parents. Lived in a group home my whole life. Everyone there called me Piston. No idea why, and I really don’t care. It’s who I am. They gave me the last name Brown but I have no idea if that’s what it always was or not. I’m guessing not.”
I gave him a solemn look. “Piston it is, then.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“How’d you get the name Venus?”
“Was given to me by FSB handler. My code name. They stripped away our identities when we first entered academy. They trained us in combat and all other kinds of battle and spy skills, but academy was more about brainwashing than anything else. When I made it to US, I decided to keep name. Silly risk, I guess, but after Millie took off, it was all I had familiar to me.” It was hard to admit how weak I sounded, but I didn’t seem to have a filter where Piston was concerned.
I thought about what to tell him next but knew there was no way I could keep it from him. “There’s something else.”
“What is it, baby?” He leaned in to kiss my lips softly, lingering precious moments before pulling back and stroking my cheek with his thumb. “Whatever it is, I promise it’s not gonna be as bad as the look on your face thinks it will be.”
I had to give him a weak chuckle at that. Because, it was big deal to me. Had always been big deal. I took a breath. “I can’t have children.” He stared at me, still stroking my cheek but said nothing, like he was waiting for something. So I added, “Ever. At all.”
He frowned, a confused look on his face. “OK. Is that it?” He wasn’t making light of situation; instead, he looked confused.
“Isn’t that enough?” I snapped, my reply sharper than I intended. Closing my eyes I took a deep breath. “Was one of first things they did to me when I went to academy.”
“I see. Makes sense even if it is barbaric.” He leaned in again to kiss me, but I moved back.
“Why would you say it makes sense?”
“They had no intention of you leaving their service, did they?”
“Not in program I was in,” I muttered.
“No kids, no distractions. Nothing would be more important to you than the task at hand.”