Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 95013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
I sat there and listened to it, listened to my mother cry like she was at his funeral again.
“Edric got mixed up with Darius, the Skull King. Stupid shit happened and . . .” I didn’t finish the sentence because it didn’t need to be finished. “I became emperor of Rome because it was my life’s purpose to get revenge for Edric. But it was complicated, and it never came to pass. Darius outsmarted me, and that was how I lost my position to his regime. He destroyed Rome and the rest of the country, but I killed him.”
She continued to keep her hand clamped against her mouth as she processed this, her eyes elsewhere, her cries quiet.
“I shot him in the head, Ma. He’s gone.”
She was still, her breath still labored. “You got his body back . . . and laid him to rest.”
I hadn’t wanted her to know she’d visited an empty grave after all these years, but the truth had been unleashed. “Yes.”
Now both of her hands cupped her face, and she sobbed. “My boy . . .”
I moved around the table to her side, pulled up a chair and circled my arms around her as I held her close.
She sobbed her heart out. Sobbed as if she’d just gotten the news that he’d been crushed by a semi. Sobbed as if the funeral had just ended but her grief continued.
“I’m so sorry, Ma.”
I almost told Rocco not to come, but since it was so last-minute, I didn’t call it off.
My mom had gone to her room because she wanted to be alone for a while, and I kept the food warm in the oven until Rocco arrived. I greeted him at the door with a smile that I didn’t feel in my chest. “Wow, your face looks a lot better. How much makeup are you wearing?”
Rocco grinned at the insult and gave me a hard nudge in the stomach when he welcomed himself inside. “Congratulations, asshole.”
I shut the door, and we walked into the kitchen, where the small dining table was.
“Smells good in here,” he said as he took a seat and poured himself a glass of wine. “Where’s your ma?”
“She’ll be out in a bit. Hungry?”
“Why do you think I’m here?”
I chuckled as I pulled out the lasagna and made two plates before I brought it back to the table.
We ate together, not saying much at first, but Rocco seemed to pick up on my mood. Motherfucker knew me so well.
“You doing okay?” he finally asked.
I kept my eyes down on my plate, slicing my fork through the pasta, sauce, and cheese. “I told my mom the truth about Edric.”
He stilled when he understood why there were storm clouds in the house. “Why did you decide to tell her that the night before your wedding?”
“I didn’t. She noticed that the grave site had been altered, and she kinda put me on the spot. So I think on some level she always knew, you know?” I ate as much as I could with little to no appetite, so I set my fork down.
“So you told her it was Darius?”
I nodded.
“And you told her he’s dead?”
“Yeah. At least, I hope he is.”
“I checked all the hospitals and called all my contacts. If he’s miraculously alive, he’s not in the country. And he has no support or reinforcements to retaliate.”
“Yeah.” I hoped he was dead, among the bodies in front of the Pantheon, taken by the military and burned in the incinerator.
“And I’m sure she appreciates the fact that your brother’s remains are now where they belong.”
She was too broken to appreciate anything right now. “Thanks for coming.”
“Come on. Like I would miss it.”
“Well, I’ve decided not to sell you the house . . . but you’re welcome to live there.”
“Well, in that case.” He started to get up.
I laughed.
And then he laughed before he sat down again. “How’s Aurelia?”
“Fucking beautiful. Her pregnant belly . . . the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
He nodded like he understood, but there was no way he could possibly understand. “Where is she now?”
“Home with Medusa and my sister.”
“You think she’ll show up tomorrow?”
I smirked and grabbed my fork. “Careful, or I’ll stab you with this.”
“Come on,” he said with a laugh. “She’s crazy for you, and you know it.”
“Yeah,” I said with a grin. “She is, isn’t she?”
He rolled his eyes and continued to eat. “So, it’s the church first and then the party after?”
“Yeah. And you’re my best man, so be there early.”
“Whoa, what?” He was about to take another bite of his food, but he put the fork down instead.
“Yeah.”
“You’re telling me this now?”
“You wanted me to ask over the phone? Through text?” I asked incredulously. “I wanted to ask you in person.”
“Well, you didn’t ask. You just told me I’m your best man.”