Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 98755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Those crystal-blue eyes pin me in place. “Did you not try to bribe me?”
“I…” Words fail to leave my mouth now, and all I can do is shake my head.
“If you want me to take this further, the next step will be a strip search.”
My jaw drops just as a loud knock comes on the door. We both turn as his partner enters the room. Braxton gets up and joins him. And after exchanging a few quiet words, both turn to look at me before his partner leaves and Braxton moves to stand next to my chair. He leans down, and I smell him, my nostrils flaring at his fucking intoxicating scent. I avert my gaze because I should not be attracted to a cop. That’s a disaster waiting to happen. I didn’t know he was a cop that night we spent together, and I wish I didn’t know now.
“I’ll be seeing you real soon, Shortcake.” He pulls away then and goes back to the door, holding it open. “Your father is waiting for you.”
My stomach drops.
“Oh fuck. Maybe you should arrest me,” I say, not getting up. It’s not that I’m scared of my father. It’s more that I hate to disappoint the man.
“You want me to arrest you?” Braxton raises a brow.
“If I hit you right now, would you arrest me?” I ask.
I notice the smirk he tries to hide as he leans against the doorjamb, expecting me to leave.
“Good night, Hope.” He nods to the door, and I manage to stand and force my feet to move in that direction. I contemplate hitting him. I really do. But I keep walking, and he follows right behind me. I pause as I reach the door that leads back into the main room of the precinct, and in a deadly serious tone, he says, “I’ll be seeing you real soon.”
I bite my lip. Shit. Did I just get in the bad graces of a detective? I think I did. His gaze flicks to my lips, and I remember how he bit them all those years ago.
Braxton is five years older than me, and he looks even better than when I last saw him.
I push through the door and find my father waiting with Rya Monti, one of the best criminal lawyers in Manhattan. They both turn to me, and my father nods toward the exit, not saying a word. Not that I expected him to. I don’t bother looking back as we leave, and when we reach the car, he thanks Rya.
I see her husband, Crue Monti, standing beside his car. I don’t even know what fucking time it is, but my father wasn’t messing around when he called the ex-head of the Italian mafia and his wife in.
“Thank you for your time. The money’s been transferred,” my father tells Rya.
She kicks up a smile, her silvery eyes twinkling as she turns to me. “Our children are growing up faster than we’re ready for, it would appear.”
My father’s jaw tics and I internally wince. He’s so disappointed. Most likely because I got caught. Crue and my father exchange a brief nod, and then my father turns on me.
“I didn’t mean to,” I start.
“It’s fine, Hope,” he says, and his Russian accent is thicker than usual, which means he’s angry.
When I sit in the passenger seat, he closes the door behind me, and I watch him prowl around to the driver’s seat. He looks like he’s considering whether to burn down the building or not.
I gather the courage to speak again ten minutes into the drive. His gloved hands grip the steering wheel tightly, and I know he’s thinking about contingency plans. Most parents would be disappointed at having to bail their child out of temporary lockup, and I hope he doesn’t force me to have some type of security after this.
“You’re angry,” I finally say.
He shakes his head, and when we stop at a red light, his green gaze meets mine for the first time since picking me up. I know he’s seeing eyes that remind him so much of my mother’s ocean blue ones and vibrant red hair similar to my Aunt Anya’s. I’ve been told I look a lot like she did when she was younger, just shorter and plumper with my mother’s figure.
“I’m mad that they would have left anyone else alone, except they knew who you were.”
Ohhhh. He’s mad that they picked on me for my name.
“If you want to go back and take your revenge, I’ll cover you. If you want me to kill any of them, let me know, and it’ll be done by dawn.” He pauses before he says, “Do you understand?”
I try to hide my smile. “Mom would hit you over the head if she heard you talking like that. But I understand, and it’s fine. I was drunk and got caught.”