Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 76309 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76309 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
“Fair point.” He sighs. “Then I’ll have to get to know him.”
I snort, trying to imagine Grandpop and Lanzo having a conversation, and totally failing. Grandpop’s always been the conservative, hard-working type. Clean living, personal responsibility, all that crap. Whereas Lanzo is a tattooed bad-boy assassin/hacker/whatever with shaky morals and a chaotic personality.
“We’ll figure it out,” I say, nuzzling him. “Maybe we can buy two places. One for Grandpop, one for us. Maybe rowhomes that share a wall or something, so I can go back and forth. Stay with him half the time, stay with you the other half.”
“We’ll find a way to make it work,” he says, and his willingness to include Grandpop into our future plans makes my heart swell.
“What about you though?” I ask, kissing his chest and shoulder. “Isn’t there anyone you want me to know?”
“Orphan. Adopted. No real family.”
“Not even your adopted parents?”
“They were less parents, more guardians. I was never close with them.” He tilts his head. “You met my Atlas brothers. You met their wives. They’re the closest thing to family I have.”
“Then I’ll get to know them even better.” I smile to myself dizzy with happiness. “They’re going to be happy, you know.”
He lets out a long sigh. “They’re going to be insufferable. Especially the girls. Actually, no, the guys will be worse.”
“They’re just excited to have you back.”
“I know.” He smiles slightly. “I’m excited too. I’ve missed a lot over the years. Marriages, children. I feel like I barely know my best friends and I want to meet them all over again.”
“That’s really sweet. Oh my god, are you a big softie?”
“Don’t make me regret telling you things.”
“Ah, come on, you big softie.” I pat his muscular chest. “You’re practically blubbering over here.”
He groans then rolls me off him and pins me to the floor. I laugh, struggling to escape, but it’s no use. I’m exhausted from the sex, and he’s way stronger than me.
“I am a lot of things, but I am never blubbering,” he says, biting me hard above my right breast.
“Oww,” I complain. “Too hard.”
“Go ahead and pout. I’ll do it again.”
“You’re just mad you’ve revealed your ultimate secret to me.”
“I’m just mad you think you can get away with talking to me like that. It’s like I haven’t taught you anything.”
I wiggle my hips, grinning. “You’re going to punish me again?”
“It’s not a real punishment if you’re excited for it.”
“Oh, please spank me, Lanzo,” I plead, grinning huge. “Spank me nice and hard.”
“How about I tie your hands behind your back and fuck your mouth instead?”
“Ooh,” I say, blinking rapidly. “I could enjoy that.”
“You dirty girl,” he growls, licking my nipples. “You want to get a rise out of me just so I’ll hurt you, don’t you?”
“Yes,” I admit quietly, smiling as run my fingers through his hair. “Is it working?”
“Absolutely.” He kisses me, then drags me back to the bedroom for more punishments.
Chapter 40
Renata
I’m exhausted. Delirious, exhausted, filled with coffee and a breakfast sandwich, and happy.
Happier than I’ve ever been in my life.
It’s a little past seven in the morning. We idle in Lanzo’s truck outside of Grandpop’s house. I haven’t told him I was coming home yet. Nearby, two big, hard-looking guys lean against the back of a black SUV and smoke cigarettes. They salute when Lanzo gives them a wave.
“This is it then,” I say, reaching over to take his hand. “I don’t want to go.”
“It’ll be okay. Burian doesn’t know what’s coming.”
“Are you sure?” Suddenly, the plan seems absurd. “He’s supposedly the smartest, deadliest man in the world. You really think he doesn’t know?”
“I think Burian’s blinded by his assumptions.” Lanzo hesitates before turns to face me. “Before I met you, I never would’ve gotten involved with the feds like this.”
I frown slightly. “I thought you worked for them before.”
“I have, but I never would’ve let them get involved with an operation against Burian. Not even a single rogue agent like Craig.”
I tilt my head side to side. “That’s the difference?”
“Burian has no clue we’re working with them. That’s the edge. It’s all the edge we need.”
I’m not convinced, but it’s too late now. I lean across the truck to kiss him. He returns the kiss with a deep fervor, and we hold it there. Worries plague me, and I wonder if everything we did last night, all the promises we made, all our confessions, if it was all for nothing.
“You have to come back,” I whisper, leaning my forehead against his.
“I will,” he says. “I promise.”
“I don’t want to go.”
“I don’t want you to either, but you’re safer here, and I have to leave. Burian can walk out of that apartment any minute.”
I nod, gathering my strength to pull away. I stare into his handsome face, into his eyes, feel his desire wash over me, before I shove open the truck door. If I hesitate any longer, if I stay in here for one more second, I won’t ever go.