Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54817 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54817 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
“Why would I even care about pond scum like Martelli?”
“Because the Korslova Brothers have you in their sights. They want to take over your holdings here in the US and replace you. Everyone knows that. I’d be more than willing to help stop that. I just need to bring my woman home to me and her son.”
“Grace Sutton belongs to you?” he questions, letting me know straight out he knows the players in this game.
“She does. All that woman wants is to be left alone, and she still keeps getting screwed over. I aim to put an end to that.”
“Perhaps the reason she keeps getting fucked is because she makes deals with the wrong people,” he suggests.
“I can’t deny that. I wasn’t around when the deal was struck. If I had been, there wouldn’t have been a deal—just a long line of dead bodies.”
Ivan laughs. “Now you seem like a man who does, in fact, speak my language.”
“I think so. The question is, are you going to help me?”
“I believe I might. We’ve had the Korslova Brothers under surveillance for a while. They think their moves are going on undiscovered. They’re very wrong. Dominic Korslova is the one that brought Benny into the family. He’s also the one who helped the man torture your woman. He’s the oldest of the two brothers by a mere two minutes. His twin brother Dimitri has more brains, but sadly is overly ambitious. Let me review some footage and get back with you.”
“I don’t have much time. He has his hands on Grace and every minute that passes is pretty fucking precious. I can’t allow that bastard to hurt her more than he already has,” I respond, laying all my cards on the table.
“I’ll be in touch within the hour. Perhaps an hour and a half, since I will need time to find a pair of jeans with a back pocket to carry your marker on me.”
I roll my eyes. “I’ll be waiting for your call,” I mutter, clicking the phone off. I probably just sold my soul to the devil, but I didn’t have much hope I was ever going to find myself lounging on the sandy beaches of heaven, anyway. Hard to ask for forgiveness when you have the blood I have on my hands. Besides, I’m not a hypocrite. I’m going to enjoy killing these bastards. I may even play with them before I send them to hell to wait for me.
I jump out of the truck, slamming the door. I walk inside the front door, and the instant I do, I hear the rushing sound of quick steps against the tiled floor. I look over to find Asher running toward me at full speed. I barely have time to reach down and feel his arms going around me.
“Ford!” he cries, holding me close. His body is trembling. Shit! Did they already tell him his mother was kidnapped?
“I’m here buddy,” I say gently, holding him close. “I’m here,” I repeat, vowing silently to make them all pay for hurting my family.
Because that’s exactly who Asher and Grace are—mine.
20
GRACE
I feel like I’m lost in a fog. Nothing is clear. I stare up at Ford, but his face is kind of hazy. He’s holding me in his arms, but his body doesn’t feel warm at all. He’s smiling, laughing down at me, while he and Asher play some silly board game. It looks like maybe Chutes and Ladders. I love seeing them interact. Asher’s never had someone in his life that cared, and Ford really seems to. I wish I could get this roaring out of my ears so I could listen to what the two of them are talking about.
“Mommy?” Asher asks. I still can’t hear that well, but I do make it out.
“Asher,” I whisper. I feel like there’s something I need to tell my son, but I can’t figure out what it is.
“Do you think Ford will be my new daddy?”
Panic hits me. I feel my face heat. Will Ford think I put my son up to this? “Well, I don’t … I mean—”
I stop talking when Ford shifts me in his lap to sit on the sofa. Then he goes down on his knees, facing my son. “Of course I will, Asher. I love you and your mommy. You’re my home.
“Your home? Does that mean we’re all going to live here in North Carolina?”
“Sometimes, Asher, a home is a person or people you love. I love you both very much. That means, anywhere you are, is where I want to be. Although, I’m hoping you’ll agree to move to Virginia so you can get to know Lyla.”
“Who’s Lyla?”
“She’s my daughter. That means she’s going to be your big sister.”
“Girls are kind of icky.”
“Lyla’s not. You’ll like her, plus she loves to play video games.”