Empire of Pain (Torrio Empire #3) Read Online J.L. Beck

Categories Genre: Alpha Male, Billionaire, Crime, Dark, Mafia Tags Authors: Series: Torrio Empire Series by J.L. Beck
Advertisement

Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 131455 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 526(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
<<<<546472737475768494>145
Advertisement


“Do you think this is all a game? I've known all along I was going to marry you. You were meant to be my wife, and there's nothing I want more in this world than to spend the rest of my life loving you. All I need is a single word from you.”

Her gaze narrows as she eyes me wearily. “This isn't your way of getting me to stop being mad and hurt, is it?”

“No. Not even close. I have other ways of doing that.”

“I want you to know that this doesn't change anything. I'm still hurt, and we still have a lot of things to work out.”

“I have all the time in the world for you–and us.”

This time, the tears sparkling in her eyes seem to carry hope and happiness. “Callum, you know I love you. I want us to have a life together.”

“So… it's a yes?”

“It's a yes.”

Thank you Lord. I'm not sure what I would've done if she said no.

BIANCA

I can't pretend it isn't a huge relief to be back in Callum's bed. No, our bed. I need to stop thinking of it as my bed, my room, my home. We're supposed to be getting married, after all.

Married. It's been less than twenty-four hours since he proposed, so I'm nowhere near used to the idea yet. It will feel more real when I get a ring—not if, since I know Callum better than to think he wouldn't give me one. Once I have that, I'll feel like an engaged girl—a fiancée.

The rush of excitement that floods me when I think about it dries up reasonably quick when my brain keeps moving. It's not enough for me to lie here, basking in sunlight and love, feeling happy. Right away, Tatum's face flashes in my mind. How will she feel about it? And Dad. I don't need to wonder about him. It's going to take a while for him to come around.

I don't want to think about any of that right now. I want to be happy for a little while. To live in the moment instead of thinking two steps ahead all the time.

When I get out of my own head and back into bed with my fiancé—nope, still not used to it—there's a sense of everything being the way it's supposed to be again, even if I still feel guarded. I told him his proposal didn't change things, and I meant it.

Now that we're back together like this, I only want to forget everything and start again. It would be easiest that way, for both of us. I don't want to fight. I want to look forward to the future with hope.

That's not how you fix problems, though. It would be the same as telling him that what he did was okay. That in the end, all it will take is a few days of being apart for me to come around and go back on all of my principles. It's no way to build a relationship. If my time with Lucas taught me anything, it was that it was way too easy for me to forgive simply because it was easier not to fight. I didn't want to be that girl anymore. I wanted to be the one who stood up for what she believed in and had her thoughts and wishes respected.

The pleasant ache between my thighs is a reminder of the way we spent last night. The twisted sheets and pillows strewn over the bed are another reminder. By the time we finished making up, I was as frantic to make up for lost time as he was. Even a few days may as well have been a lifetime when you crave someone the way we do each other. We didn't get much sleep. However, I don't think either of us would complain much about that.

“I think I want to quit my job.”

Callum lifts his head from where it's been resting on my stomach for the past few minutes. He might even have started to doze, yet my sudden announcement seems to have woken him up. “Pardon?”

“I think it's the best thing to do.” I didn't know I was thinking about it, not seriously. Saying it out loud, though, crystalizes the idea and makes it real.

“How so?” I have to give him credit for not rubbing his hands together like the evil villain who's getting his way. He must be thrilled since he already wanted me to quit once, but now he's trying to do the right thing and be supportive.

“Well, for starters, there's the fact that I really should be getting up and getting ready to go into the office right now,” I explain while stroking his hair. “I can't help but lie here feeling guilty, because I have a job and a degree. If I'm being honest, I don't want to return to that job or even that field of work.”


Advertisement

<<<<546472737475768494>145

Advertisement