Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Sonya still looked uncertain, but I thought she might believe me. She still glanced at Gloria with more than a little resentment in her eyes. “Look, I’m not saying I don’t believe you, but this is something I need to think about.”
“Of course. Just promise me you’ll let me see you tomorrow.”
“You’re going to be busy tomorrow, Colm.” Gloria buffed her fingernails on the collar of her halter. “Your little girlfriend will have to wait a few days.”
“Tomorrow,” I said again, never taking my gaze from Sonya. “And you know I do not break my promises.”
She nodded, then sighed. “Yeah. OK. You can call or text, I guess.” She sounded so defeated I wanted to throttle Gloria, then take Sonya back to the Oasis and make love to her for the rest of the week. Sure, it was a fast turnaround for me, but I was a believer in listening to my instincts. I knew beyond any doubt, Sonya was meant to be mine.
“I’ll call you tonight after Gloria leaves. If you’re still awake, I can come get you. Otherwise, I’ll call you first thing in the morning. I’ll call until you answer and tell me you’re ready, then I’ll come get you. Both instances will involve talking with your father, too.”
“Don’t get upset when he doesn’t show up, sweetie,” Gloria said, looking down her nose at Sonya. “Because he won’t.”
“That’s it.” I’d had enough. “Prospect!” I yelled at the two men manning the gate. Normally I’d call them by name, but I needed them to know I meant business and they better not give me any fucking lip. “Escort Gloria outside the compound. Do not let her back in, no matter what she or anyone else says.”
“Colm! No! I’m telling you, you need to listen to me.”
“I’ll listen to you when I get Sonya taken care of and not one second before. You don’t get to order me around.”
“You’re my husband. You have to do what I say!”
I finally understood why she’d targeted a drunk military man. Because no man who was sober would have spent more than ten minutes in her company, let alone married her skank ass, and a military man would mean he was away from her most of the time, which meant he might not insist on a divorce the second she opened her fucking mouth. That might have been a stretch, but I was betting it was close to the truth. And I still had no idea why she’d targeted me in the first fucking place.
“That’s not how it works, Gloria. I was never the easy-going man you met in Vegas. You met the face I put on in public. No one tells me what to do. For any reason.” Then I lifted my chin to indicate Sonya. “Except her. For Sonya, I’ll do anything. Kill anybody. So keep that in mind when you’re throwing around your little attitude. I’m not warning you again.”
“Fine, Colm.” I suspected Gloria kept calling me by my given name to remind Sonya she’d known me far longer. It was something the club girls did all the damned time once they found out our real names. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She hiked her thumb over her shoulder, giving me a little sneer. “I’ll just wait by my car.” The look she gave me as she rolled her eyes was one of supreme irritation.
When she was gone, I reached for Sonya again, but she retreated once more. “Not yet, Angel,” she whispered. “I need to have a clear head. To think without being reminded of what I’d be giving up.”
“Whatever is going on with Gloria, I’ll help if I can and make it go away. In return, she’ll agree to the divorce. I’ve done as much as she’d allow me to do, which was make sure she had money. Shotgun can get Wrath to write it up for a simple dissolvement of marriage. No one pays anyone anything. No one gets anything. But I will keep you involved every step of the way. I will always keep my promises to you, Sonya. I will be over either tonight or first thing in the morning.”
She searched my face for whatever she needed to find for a long time. When she finally nodded, I was able to breathe again. “OK. I can do that. But, Angel?”
“Yeah, baby.”
“Please don’t try to play me. I know you could. But my dad will see straight through you, and he will kill you. I’d rather you just tell me straight and let me decide what I’m comfortable with than to find out later you were stringing me along as your dirty little secret.”
“Never, baby. You have me. I’m yours. I have every intention of making it official both in the club and with the law.”