Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 72895 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72895 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Calvin glared at me hard. Hate turned his face and eyes red. “That’s why you had to do it yourself.” Realization dawned, and a small smile flashed. “The alleged pedophile was as big a piece of shit as…whatever.” He bit his tongue, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out where he was going.
Calvin thought I was a bigger piece of shit than Mueller. That was hard to take sober.
Someday. I told myself that his hesitation meant someday we could salvage a relationship.
“You’re right. I offered money, but Mueller wanted to fuck me instead, so I let him, but not so he would kill Bonnie. I let him because it got me the proof of what your precious fucking wife was up to.”
His eyes darted back and forth, trying to absorb the new information.
“Does that make it better or worse, Calvin?”
He sighed, shook his head, and stormed out with as much anger as he’d stormed in on.
Jasper sighed and dropped a hand on my shoulder. “We knew this would happen, Ma. We just need to power through this part.”
I stared at the glass in Jasper’s hand, glistening with condensation that turned the amber liquid a soothing gold color. A glass of Velvet Fire would help me power through.
“I just didn’t think his reaction, his anger, would bother me as much as it does.”
Jasper nodded. “Turns out, you’re human after all.”
A huff of laughter escaped at his words. “Unfortunately, it has always been my greatest weakness.”
“As long as Cal is still committed to protecting the family, we’re good. The rest will come in time. I hope.”
Sometimes Jasper was so much like Colm that I hated it. He had more focus in one day than Colm had in his entire life, but they were both cold and ruthless, which made Jasper more terrifying and more feared than his father ever was.
The only saving grace was that my son was more capable. He didn’t let his vices consume him. He drank when he wanted and fucked when and whoever he wanted, but it never, ever interfered with the business.
Jasper grew into the man I thought Colm was when I first met him.
I nodded at Jasper’s words and sighed. “He seems to be committed, for now anyway.” Anger had a way of changing one’s priorities. I knew that better than most.
“We need to find him a new woman. Fast.” Jasper shook his head angrily. “Too bad Maddie had to go and get knocked up by Ellison.”
“They’re friends. Nothing more.”
Only Jasper would think you could replace love with a warm body. “We should all be grateful for Maddie. We might have lost Calvin a lot sooner if not for her.”
“Yeah, maybe,” he growled, unwilling to admit anyone could do anything to earn his gratitude. “So, you fucked Mueller?” He grinned.
I smiled and shook my head. “I thought who I fucked was nobody’s business.”
“For the purposes of mocking, it’s everyone’s business.” His smile came a little easier this time around. “The fact that he got it up for you means he wasn’t a kiddie diddler.”
“Nope. That should have been my first clue he wasn’t who he said.”
“Lesson learned,” he growled and looked at his watch. “Shit. I gotta go, Ma. You good?”
Was I good? It wasn’t a question anyone but Thomas ever asked, and I gave it some serious thought. The Black Jacks were no longer a worry. They couldn’t rebuild, Polina’s murder was avenged, and we could all rest easier at night. The Green Zone plans were falling into place. All that was left was what remained of The Crusaders. I smiled.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” At least, I would be.
Real soon.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Thomas
“Thomas, I need you.”
Those four words from Sadie’s mouth could mean another layer of trouble or a night of bliss. I never knew which, could never tell by her tone.
I sighed and glanced at the muted television and the soccer game playing on one of the dozens of sports channels.
“Whatever you need, Sadie.” Those words didn’t need to be spoken. We both knew it was true, but I said them anyway.
A long pause fell between us before Sadie got to the reason for her call. “I need a change of clothes.”
She was at it again. “Sadie.”
“It’s not what you think, Thomas. Okay, it’s exactly what the fuck you think, but I don’t want to hear a lecture about it. Just bring me a change of clothes, whatever you want, and come to the penthouse suite at Emerald Isle.”
She ended the call before I could ask any more questions. I just knew she’d gotten herself into trouble and needed clean threads. Or, more likely, she’d caused trouble!
I turned off the soccer game without checking the score because I spent most of my time waiting for Sadie to need me for something. For anything. It was pathetic to love a woman who would never love me back. I knew that, but still, I couldn’t help myself.