Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 46899 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 188(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46899 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 188(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
My hands worked quickly while my brain still screamed thong, naked, skin over and over again until the words were burned in the back of my skull. “Done.”
"Phew!” She pulled up her pants and buttoned them. “Thanks, and you said married life was a dream like it wasn’t, look how helpful we can be!”
I gritted my teeth. “Yes, so very helpful. You’d do well to remember that next time you take off your pants—how helpful I can be.” I slapped her on the ass lightly. “So fucking helpful, you’d be walking funny for a week.”
She stumbled toward me with a wink and then pasted a bored smile on her face. "Imagine if it were my underwear.”
"Stop flirting, it’s weird when you try too hard, Tempest. Also, you have lipstick splashed across your chin.”
“Wha—“
I flicked her in the nose. “Kidding, I just wanted to see you panic, looks good on you, super innocent, kind of strange if I’m being honest.”
"We’re going to be late. You’re driving.”
I yawned like I was bored when really I was still thinking about her naked, but her knowing that meant she’d think she had the upper hand again. Not gonna happen. “I expected as much.”
She started walking away from me. “No, not just today, forever, I hate driving when I don’t have to. One of your main jobs is driving, only driving, all the time driving. Oh, and getting gas.”
“Mm-kay princess. Whatever you say.”
"I prefer Queen.” She met my gaze over her shoulder.
“Whatever you say, your highness,” I grumbled and opened the door to the garage then grinned and went in search of the car keys. I clicked the unlock button twice. “Your carriage awaits.”
"Bugatti.” She nodded. “Not street legal, at least not really.”
“But fast.” I added. “And since I’m driving—“
“Have at it, just don’t talk to me while we drive. I’m using it as time to mentally prepare for my family and for family dinner and all the questions.”
I barely kept in my snort and slid into the smooth red leather seat. Slowly, I pulled out the vial and tossed back the contents. I read no instructions, I just assumed. “Ever thought that maybe they need time to prepare for you? Just saying, you aren’t exactly calm.” I put the vial back in my pocket and started the engine. To my utter satisfaction, it roared to life. “Ever.”
She clicked in her seatbelt. “Didn’t even ask what it was, crazy. And who would be calm given this family and the situation I’m in?”
“You mean marital bliss?” I put the car in drive and sped out of the garage and down the driveway. “It almost feels like freedom going this fast.”
"Speed always feels good until you remember that the earth’s round and you’ll just keep going in the same direction only to repeat it over and over again in a vicious cycle with no final destination.” She paused. “Just like insanity, doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.”
I turned on the blinker and pulled into traffic. “Well, that was uplifting.”
"How are you feeling?” She changed the subject swiftly. “Nauseated? Tired? Dizzy?” A pause. “Alive?”
I frowned and started to think about the steadiness of my own breathing and my own heart rate like a paranoid hypochondriac. “Well, I was feeling fine, now I’m wondering what the hell you gave me as a wedding present.”
“Like I’d kill you.” She snorted. “I need you to infiltrate, remember? All I know is these were the instructions sent to me and my new made man.”
“Made man,” I echoed. “And you don’t even know when my first kill was.”
“Young,” she snapped. “I imagine it was really young, like most in this industry, right?” She was correct. “I remember what happened when my cousins suddenly changed. It was impossible not to notice; it was like one day the innocence of being a child was just wiped clean from them, like they were baptized in someone else’s blood and knew they could never be clean no matter how many times they screamed or showered. I think it affected Ash, my oldest cousin, the most. He’s better now, but he’s a bit unhinged still.”
I shrugged. “No offense but every single one of the new bosses in the five families are unhinged.” When she said nothing, I prodded, “You know, the only boss who hasn’t been replaced by the new generation is your dad.”
She smiled down at her hands. “He’s younger by ten years then the older bosses, barely in his forties and looks like he’s still in his twenties. Of course he hasn’t been replaced yet. You don’t replace Tom Brady when he’s still throwing bangers, you know?”
I snorted out a laugh. “Did you just compare Dante Alfero to Tom Brady?”
“Hey, it’s a good comparison. Uncle Nixon and Uncle Chase are off living their lives after their sons took over, Uncle Pheonix will probably die with a gun in his hands.” Accurate. “Uncle Tex has King now as the Cappo, I mean look around, the new generation rose from the ashes of their parents, who built a greater, stronger five families.”