Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 108988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
He was staring at me hard as he said all of this.
I could feel Levi growing restless, getting angry, and knew it was a matter of seconds before he did something that I’d rather he didn’t. Breaking eye contact with West, which I was even more fascinated to realize that I was reluctant to do, I shook my head at Levi. Briskly and minutely.
Outrage flared over his face, but he kept his mouth shut, only letting out a small growl.
Tristian West observed this interaction between us, frowning before he continued, “Having said all of that, I have people I love. A family. So does Ashton. I did want to come to a resolution so the ones we love are not included in this war between us. I can see, now, you don’t want to come to an understanding. I watched you tonight and I watched how you enjoyed playing with my best friend. Baiting him. Seeing him react. He cared for Jake Worthing, and you used that against him. Me, though. I don’t give a fuck about Worthing, but I do give a fuck about my best friend. Ashton threatened someone you care about. I know you’re not going to let that lie, but keep this in mind when you make your move: We’re also aware of your weakness. Whatever you do against us, we’ll answer it threefold. Do you understand me, Lane?”
My smile widened. “Perfectly, Tristian West.”
He began to leave but faltered at my words, glancing at me again. Studying me. After a moment, his gaze shuttered and he trailed behind his best friend.
One of my men came over to check the booth in case they left anything behind. A listening device. A bomb. Either was possible. When we got the all-clear, Levi asked, “Why don’t you just kill them?”
I continued to watch the front entrance, but I was notified both slipped out through a side exit. A second alert came through, notifying me that their men left with them. They’d already collected the other men from the dumpster.
“Because sometimes in battle, you can’t move too fast. They’re too strong right now. If they hit back, when they hit back, I need to have my defenses built stronger so I can withstand the hit.”
“But you are going to do something. They keep fucking threatening Blake. That was three times in this meeting and I’m not including their involvement before we even fucking got here.”
No Mafia family would sit back and welcome an invasion by a rival. Their anger was expected. I was aware of this, aware there would be repercussions. I was taking from them. Taking their streets. Taking their business. Taking their money. But Blake wasn’t to be touched. Ever.
“Of course I’m going to do something.”
“Good. What are you going to do?”
My phone buzzed. I opened it to see the images I’d requested of Blake.
She was walking up a stoop to a brownstone.
Going inside.
The rest were through a window as she was shaking hands with another girl.
I smoothed my thumb over the last image.
Blake was smiling as she was looking at a room.
That smile.
I imagined the smile on West’s and Walden’s women’s faces and answered.
“I’m going to take their smiles away.”
Chapter Four
Blake
Third grade
The other kids were playing in front of the school.
I paused on the sidewalk, my insides turning inside out.
“What’s up, Little Blake?”
My head snapped up, then a big smile stretched over my face. A group of boys were coming down the sidewalk behind me, Creighton with them.
“Eight!” I waved, shuffling aside as his friends kept going. Creighton stayed behind, ignoring how his friends all looked back and moved farther away to wait for him. He stood beside me, facing the school with me, and cocked his head to the side.
“New school for you, huh?”
I sighed, looking down. My hands went back to the backpack Miss Marcie gave me. I was pretty sure it had belonged to one of the other foster kids in the house. My fingers tightened on its worn straps. I swallowed nervously. “Yeah.”
He glanced down, side-eyeing me. “Always the new kid too.”
Something about his tone, as if he understood. I tipped my head back so I could see him better. He was so tall. Then again, he went to high school. I didn’t know why he was here with me. His school was on a whole different block. “You too?”
He didn’t answer. His eyes flicked beyond me to where his friends probably were before coming back to my face. He studied me a second, all serious. “You’ve known me for a bit now, haven’t you?”
My forehead wrinkled. “I guess.” I’d been at the house for a few days, but Creighton was cool. He was older. There was something different about him. The guys adhered to whatever he said. The girls his age were always around him. Even Miss Marcie, who was the best foster mom I’d ever had—and it was still early, but even now I knew she always would be—listened to him. When he walked into a room, she talked to him like he was her equal.