Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
I frowned at him, shifting uncomfortably. Everything he said was true, but it was still difficult to hear.
“Skylar brought something out in you. She was the first thing you fought for. The one thing that seemed to take priority over the revenge you’d sought for so many years. She also seemed to bring you focus in your life, like nothing else could. I realized keeping her close kept you calmer. So, I might not have agreed with it, but I know it’s what has gotten you through this.”
“It has.”
“She’s done something else.”
“What?”
He leaned forward, his voice low. “Did you not think I noticed, Cian? Noticed what you were doing? Your plans?”
I couldn’t meet his eyes.
“Every time you spoke of the future, everything you did—making sure Harper was looked after, that Julia and I were taken care of—you never included yourself. Did you think I wouldn’t notice? You fucking took yourself out of the picture. Every. Single. Time. You didn’t plan on coming out of this alive. You didn’t care.”
“It wasn’t like that—”
He held up his hand. “It was exactly like that. You made sure we were going to be okay. But your future…you didn’t plan it. Until Skylar entered your life. You suddenly began thinking of a future with her. A life with her. She did that. And that’s why I let you keep her close. Because she is your reason.”
He stood. “So you can go to her this one last time.” He drew in a deep breath. “On one condition,” he added.
“What’s the catch?”
“She disappears tomorrow.”
I clenched my hands, but I knew it was time.
“You’ll send Julia to get her?”
He shook his head. “Julia is too far away now. Frank will get her.”
“Frank knows?” I hissed. I hadn’t breathed a word about Skylar to Frank.
“Yes. You aren’t thinking clearly. I told him. He’ll go get her tomorrow and take her to Julia. She’ll be safe until this is over. You get your head back in the game one hundred percent. You’re Tony. I don’t want to see Cian until that fucker is in handcuffs or dead. You understand?”
He was right. I should have let her go before now, but I had been selfish. If she was with Julia, she’d be looked after and safe and I’d relax. I’d see her as soon as I finished what I started. I was still rather pissed over him telling Frank, though.
I nodded curtly. “Done.”
I pushed Carlo hard, shoving him into the wall. “I told you to shut your fucking mouth!”
“Can’t handle the truth, Tony?”
“If I want your opinion, I’ll tell you what it is.”
He arched his eyebrow, his silent signal for me to step it up. “Fuck you,” he drawled.
I drew back my fist and slammed it into his stomach. His gasp of pain was real, even though I hadn’t put as much force behind it as I normally would have. We had an audience and I knew it had to look real, and I was still smarting over the Frank thing, so I did give it to him a little harder than I actually had to. He slid down the wall, gasping for air. Leaning down, I grabbed his hair, lifting his head roughly. “You’re lucky I don’t kill you right now, old man.”
He snarled up at me. “You don’t have the balls.”
My gun was pressed to his head fast. “You want to find out?”
Orson stepped forward, his tone placating. “Now, Anthony, think before you pull that trigger. I’m sure Carlo didn’t mean to insult you.”
I stood, breathing heavily, making sure I looked every bit as pissed off as I could. We had started our “argument” outside, making sure it got louder as we moved farther into the house. We started shoving each other around, cursing in Italian and English over Carlo’s supposed lack of respect and an imaginary infraction. It was loud and angry enough to draw Orson and Rex into the hall, which was exactly what we wanted.
I kicked at him, making sure my foot glanced off his thigh, more moving his leg than actually hurting him. “I’m sick of your face.”
“Then fucking leave,” he hissed. “I’m not so happy with yours either.”
I cocked the gun again. “I think I’ve had enough of this shit.”
Rex stepped in front of me, his voice like sandpaper as he spoke. “You need to cool off.”
I glared at him. “Did I fucking ask you?”
“We’re all tense. Maybe Carlo is right.”
“You telling me to leave, Rex?” I asked, keeping my voice angry, even though it was exactly what I wanted to hear.
He drew back his shoulders, his already large body becoming gigantic. His voice held a warning. “I’m suggesting you step back.”
I tapped the gun to Rex’s massive chest. “I’m suggesting you move the fuck out of my way unless you want to taste the bullet first. I really don’t give a fuck.”