Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 37273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 186(@200wpm)___ 149(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 186(@200wpm)___ 149(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
“No bad blood. She just wanted different things from me, and when I wouldn’t comply with what she wanted she left.” Niklo shrugged, reached for the joint, and took a long hit. Honestly, that had been years ago, but he still loved Saneyea, still thought of her and wished he would have made different choices. But, that was life, he couldn’t change it, and all he could focus on was the family.
Harboring things that he should have done would only hold him back, and he had shit that he needed to focus on now.
With that he got off the table, put a shirt on, and he and Alex headed out to get obliterated.
18
Marra grabbed another square of gauze, dipped it in the water and peroxide solution, and cleaned the cut on Joey’s throat.
“You are so lucky he missed your jugular,” she said, and although she knew he was aware of that, the feeling of standing on a ledge came back to her. Thinking that he could have died, and that the last year had been wasted because she had let her mind control her heart, made her feel slightly sick.
He hadn’t told her what had happened, or how he had gotten the blood on his clothes or the slice in his neck, but she could guess. And when he had said things were safe for her now, that she didn’t have to be worried about anything because he would always watch over her, she knew he had killed people tonight.
She knew she should have been horrified, disgusted, and run from him, but the thing was he had done these things to ensure she was safe, and that the ones he cared for were as well.
How could she hate a man that went to great lengths, even if they were morally wrong and illegal, to ensure the ones he loved were protected?
He held his hand on hers, stilling her, and looked into her eyes. The emotions that passed across his face were hard and cold, but there was also sadness and regret. “Angie is dead, my men are hurt, and the image and thought that kept passing through my mind was that I wanted to be here with you so nothing could touch you.”
She swallowed, feeling empathy for the woman that had lost her life today. Even though she hadn’t known Angie, and had only experienced her crazy, erratic screaming, that was still a life lost. Marra felt the water drip down her arm from the new square of wet gauze she held, and didn’t know what to say. All of this was new when it came to allowing herself to feel for Joey, but she wasn’t a fool into thinking there wouldn’t be bumps along the way.
“This life that I lead is gritty and hardcore, and I can’t expect you to be okay with it.” He cupped the side of her face. “But I want you, Marra, and I don’t think I can just let you walk away.” He leaned in and kissed her. “I can’t let you walk away.”
Maybe she was dumb or desperate, or maybe she just wanted him so badly that she was blind, but either way she knew she wouldn’t go anywhere, because being with him, in his arms, seemed so right, and nothing else in her damn life had ever felt like this.
19
Six months later
Marra closed up Vincenzo’s for the evening, went into the back bathroom, and looked at herself in the mirror. She had some flour on her cheek, coffee grounds on her apron, and her hair was a wild mess around her head.
Joey was supposed to meet her here in about twenty minutes, so that didn’t give her much time to get cleaned up.
In the last six months since after she had awoken in his apartment, and he had come back to her with blood on his clothes, things had changed with them. She had made it clear from the beginning, well, after everything had happened, that if he was serious about being with her, then she had some rules of her own. She was not to be an easy piece of ass.
If he wanted her, then it was only her. And then he had laughed at her, and when she had been about to bitch him out, he had cupped her face, leaned in close, and said there wasn’t anyone else for him, and hadn’t been for the last year.
Her heart had dropped, her belly had flipped, and she had gotten this stupid smile on her face. For all the rough and tough attitude and lifestyle that Joey was in, he was sweet and gentle with her, and showed her a totally different side.
She fixed her hair, cleaned her face, and took her apron off. And when she headed out of the bathroom she saw Joey standing by his car by the curb, his outfit looking sharp, his sunglasses on, and his black jacket moving around his knees. He looked so devilishly dangerous, and he was all hers.