Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 74214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
The scary thing was, my heart ached for that to be a reality. For there to be some sort of life where I could wake up in his arms, have him cook for me, go to work together, come home to enjoy each other’s bodies and company, to be a part of his family, to build a life and future.
If Dante were any other man, I doubt I’d have had any reservations about pursuing that if it was what we were both looking for.
But he wasn’t.
He was Dante Grassi.
Mafia capo.
He existed in a world that operated outside of the law.
And, hey, I wasn’t all ra-ra about law and order or anything. But I wasn’t sure I was someone who could hang her future on a man who might not be around.
Big Ed was dead.
Domenico had lost years to prison.
How could I take those chances?
Not just for myself, but for future children.
I shook my head, forcing those thoughts out of my mind.
No one was talking rings and gowns and binding contracts.
I was simply enjoying the attention of an interested man. Was that so bad?
I glanced down to where his big hand was holding my thigh as he drove.
No.
No, it wasn’t bad at all.
It was pitch black out when we reached DG Greens, but the lights were once again strung and working, giving the place a glow that could be either warm or eerie, depending on how you were looking at it.
Dante barely had my door open before I heard the first scream ripping through the night air.
We shared a look, knowing this was what people paid for, what they’d wanted us to create for them. It felt good to get things right.
“You alright?” Dante asked, his hand going to the small of my back as my gaze scanned the sights before us.
Maybe to him, I looked wide-eyed and uncertain. Like I was having flashbacks. In reality, I couldn’t help but see all the things that needed to be done. New stray bales needed to be cut open for the stuff your own scarecrows. Craft supplies had to be picked up from under the picnic tables. A bulb was out by the drink cart. A couple of teens looked like they were passing around something in a circle that I imagined they weren’t old enough to be drinking.
“Yeah. I just see a few quick things I’d like to deal with,” I said.
Dante shook his head at me, but followed along as I got things into the order I preferred, ignoring the looks from the employees who probably wanted to know the story of my scratched-up face.
If someone was bold enough to ask, I would just say I fell in the woods. It wasn’t exactly a lie.
As it was, things were too busy for anyone to say anything to me but relay work-related information.
“What is it?” I asked when I finally took a break to find Dante standing staring at the woods.
“Tell me a little about the employees.”
“Don’t you know them?”
“I hired a few. But it was mostly Dom’s job. Especially the seasonal workers like the performers.”
With that, we kind of took a casual walk around as I discreetly pointed out the employees, telling Dante their names, anything personal I knew about them, and what kind of employee I found them to be.
“What is it?” Dante asked when he caught me glancing around.
“I don’t see Ant.”
“Ant?”
“I hired him. He’s a great performer. And by that I mean he’s very attractive and all the girls who read that dark romance smutty stuff all go ga-ga over him and his face paint.”
“Caught my sister showing our cousin one of those edits once. Maybe he took the night off.”
“Maybe,” I agreed, but I’d once overheard him telling one of the others that he really needed the money. I doubted he would miss a night unless he was really hurt or sick.
“When did you hire Ant?”
“Um, right after you told me I could.”
“Huh. Do you have the employment contract for him?”
“Yeah. I have everyone’s forms in the office. Why?”
“I just want to check into everyone who might be suspicious. Especially new hires.”
“He’s just a kid.”
“I was doing some shady shit when I was a kid too,” Dante said. “Come on, let’s—”
“Hazel, can I borrow you for a second?” Brit called, glancing between me and Dante, an uncomfortable look in her eyes.
“Sure. Can I have one second with her?” I asked.
Dante glanced toward his men gathered around. “Yeah. Sure. Meet me in the office after, okay?”
I gave him a nod before walking over to Brit. “Is everything okay?” I asked, noticing the wide, panicked look in her eye.
“I, uh, have a… situation,” she said.
“Situation?”
“Okay. It’s super embarrassing, but I… I kind of, you know, bled through. And I need to go get changed.”
“Oh,” I said, suddenly understanding her panic. “Don’t be embarrassed. We’ve all been there. Okay. How about you,” I said, shrugging out of my jacket and handing it to her, “wrap this around your waist so you can get home.”