Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70225 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70225 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
He continued to look at the fireplace. “Cane wants to save Adelina—and he asked me to help him.”
“He did?” My heart immediately picked up in excitement, in relief.
“At first, I said no. I told him I’m not interested in war anymore. I’ve got my own family to take care of.” His hand moved onto mine as it rested on his thigh. “But then he told me he was in love with her.”
My eyes fell shut with emotion. I knew there something more between them. Cane bent over backward to make that woman smile. He gave her the world on a silver platter. He wouldn’t do that for just anyone. “It’s the right thing to do, Crow. We have to get her out of there. She deserves to be free.”
“That’s not why I’m doing it. I’m only doing it because of the way he feels. If something happened to you, he would be there for me in a heartbeat. He would take a bullet in his neck if I asked him to.”
“You’re right, he would. I think it’s fair that we do what we can to save her. She’s a good person…she doesn’t deserve this.”
He released a quiet sigh, his shoulders tensing. “There’s no we, Button. Just me.”
“What does that mean?”
“You won’t be involved in this.” He turned his head toward me, prepared to see my appalled reaction. “it’s just Cane and me, along with our crew.”
“She’s my friend, Crow.”
“Doesn’t matter. You’re my wife first.”
“I can help you—”
“No.” He stared me down, colder than ever before.
“No?”
“No,” he repeated. “It’s way too dangerous.”
“Then what do you expect me to do? Stay home and read while all of this is going on?”
“Actually, I’ll be sending you somewhere safe. Lars will go with you.”
“What?” I shrieked. “You’re gonna send me off? Like a child to boarding school?”
“Just until everything is over. They’ll come after you. And if I die, I need to know you’ll be taken care of.”
“Let’s not even talk about that—”
“It could happen, Button. I’m strong, but I’m not invincible. One wrong move and it could all be over. I know how strong you are, but you’ve never been in a gunfight before. There’s too much going on and not enough time for me to train you.”
“Then I could do something else. I could be a driver or something.”
“No. I’m not going to change my mind about this.”
“Do you think I care if you change your mind or not?”
He clenched his jaw as he looked at me, his anger coming to the surface. He did his best to tuck it away, to keep it bottled up inside before he screamed at me. “You can either cooperate, or I’ll make you. I’ve already made arrangements for you and Lars. You’ll have a team of a dozen men with you at all times. You’ll be safe until I’m ready to get you…or…I don’t come back.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
“Too bad.”
“Crow, I’m serious.”
“And I’m more serious. I’ll still put a needle in your neck just like last time. Don’t underestimate me.”
My cheeks puffed with rage, and I struggled not to scream. I wanted to slap him so hard he saw stars. Instead of being treated like a partner, I was viewed as a child. I was livid, out of my mind.
“Button, listen to me.”
“No.” I stormed out of the room and took off, knowing he wouldn’t come after me. We’d already had this fight before, where he was pissed when I put myself in danger. We didn’t speak for weeks, but that memory wasn’t enough to stop me. He wanted to send me away somewhere else, somewhere far away with the possibility he wouldn’t come back. If he died, I wanted to die too.
Simple enough.
* * *
Cane answered the door with a furrowed brow. He looked sick, malnourished, and paler than cream. He stared at me with my walls surrounding me on all sides, prepared for an attack he hadn’t anticipated.
I welcomed myself inside. “Crow told me about your plans.”
Cane shut the door and trailed behind me until we were in the living room. He crossed his arms over his chest and stood behind the couch. “Then why are you here?”
“Because I’m pissed at him, and I had nowhere else to go.”
“So you decided to bother me instead?” Just like his brother, he grabbed a decanter of scotch and poured himself a drink.
“He told me he’s going to send me away. He said I can’t help you get Adelina back.”
He sat on the couch, his glass in his hand. “Yeah, I’m aware.”
I paced in his living room, my anger simmering. “How can he say that to me? I care about Adelina. I want to help her.”
“I know you do. I said the same thing. I reminded him that you’re a tough cookie.”
I threw my arms down. “Thank you.”