Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 101887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Freddie’s letter and Phoebe’s final message come back to me. They were pieces of the whole. It all starts to fall into place and make sense. La Belle Mafia. The horsemen’s new regime.
“It looks like you have your general. I’m claiming my seat at the table,” Roni says.
“Good, I have someone you’re all meant to meet,” I reply.
Tasha
I was ready to hold my babies and go to bed after all that. However, the look in LaSalle’s eyes piqued my interest. He made a call and told me, Val, and Roni to climb into the waiting cars. Of course, John and Uri followed.
Now we’re pulling up to an old warehouse. It looks abandoned except for the glow coming from inside. We pull to a stop outside and climb out.
Everyone gathers together, looking confused. The doors roll back, and LaSalle leads us all in. He keeps his hand on the small of my back.
As we get inside, I understand the glow. There are hanging lanterns swinging above our heads. I look ahead through them and there’s a woman standing there, about six-two.
She’s dressed in a black one-piece catsuit with a black leather half jacket, and knee-high black leather slouch boots. Next to her, on her left, is a big-ass gray dog and over her right shoulder she’s holding a semi-auto rifle with air holes.
“Danika,” LaSalle says in greeting. “I want you to meet my wife and some friends.”
“LaSalle. I think you already know my husband.”
My mouth drops open as Ronan McGowan steps forward holding the chains of two more big-ass pony-looking dogs. These two are black.
“Wait a damn minute. Are those heads? Oh shit. I found my new bestie,” Val sings.
I squint and look forward through the swinging lanterns. On either side of this woman, Danika, are two heads with bullet holes in the foreheads, swinging along with the lanterns.
“I always bring gifts,” she says with a smile.
“Whose heads are those?” I whisper to LaSalle.
“Men who told me no.”
A grin comes to my lips. Now this I can work with. This is the type of shit my husband needs.
“I like her boots.” I shrug.
“Right?” Val says and nods.
EPILOGUE
Holiday Return
Dean
Ronan stands between my legs, still fully clothed, with his mouth open as he tries to catch his breath against my forehead. Fifty has nothing on him. This man is still showing out.
I still love my husband. We’ve just hit a huge bump in the road. I needed some time to think about all that’s happening.
“Are ya finally ready to talk to me?” he breathes.
“Maybe we should have done that first instead of fucking in the bathroom at your nephew’s wedding,” I taunt.
He grasps my neck and tilts my head back as he looks down at me. His gaze bounces over my face and then over my now red hair. It’s not my natural red but a bright crimson red.
“Ya show up glowing and looking like a sex goddess and expected me to talk first after I haven’t seen ya in nearly four months. Either ya lost yer mind or ya’ve been in the funny flower,” he says and pulls a frown. “Why’d ya leave me and where have ya been?”
“I spent some time in Ibiza to think.”
“To think about what?”
“Ro, I’m not about to have this conversation with you while you’re still pulsing inside me. I think you should pull out and let me fix my clothes so we can discuss what I have to say.”
His frown deepens, but he pulls out and fixes his clothes. I fix my dress and hop off the countertop. Before I can step away, he crowds my space and looks me in the eyes.
“Ro, baby. I promise I’m not pushing you away this time. I’m not going to run off.”
“Wait, I’m still doing this wrong. Ya were right. I have no right to be angry with ya for keeping secrets. I’ve been running ya away from me by holding on too tight.
“I know not answering yer question was the last straw. Yer the love of my life, Danika. I don’t want to lose ya,” he says as he cups my face.
“That’s not why I left. I mean, it had something to do with it, but that wasn’t the reason why.”
“Then tell me what it is.”
“Every time my mother mentions us having a baby, you get this look on your face. At first, I didn’t think anything of it. You’re getting older.
“We’ve had a lot of shit going on in the last four years. I know you wanted me to focus on healing my family and our relationship. But …”
“Aye, yer right. I have reacted before thinking, but it’s never been about ya. Thirty years ago, the woman I was in love with gave her life to save Wyatt and Noah.
“It all stemmed from the Alliance and Oland O’Brien’s hateful ass. He helped an entitled asshole family track down Cass and Joe to get back at them for my sister choosing Joe over the piece of shit they wanted her to marry.