Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 62737 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 314(@200wpm)___ 251(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62737 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 314(@200wpm)___ 251(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
“No.”
I cocked an eyebrow.
“My business interests have changed. Witnessing this whole thing has given me a change of heart. You’re right, I don’t want to be that guy…”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Then what are you gonna do?”
“Be a pimp.”
I gave a slight smile, but I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. “A pimp?” I asked incredulously.
“Yeah, it’s perfect. It’s pretty much what I was doing already.”
“So, you’re gonna have a bunch of prostitutes work for you, and you’re gonna hand them out to clients?”
“Exactly. But in this case, the women are volunteers, and they make that moolah.”
“And what about all the girls you already have?”
Ash grabbed his glass again. “They’re free to go.”
“You do realize that they’ll turn you in?”
He shrugged. “Then what? You think the cops are gonna touch me? They’re my biggest clients.”
Being a pimp wasn’t the most respectable line of work, but it was a dramatic improvement over what he was doing before. “Well, I think it’s great.”
“And if you were single, you’d think it was really great.”
I gave a slight chuckle even though it hurt my ribs a bit. “I can’t believe you’re gonna be a pimp. It just sounds so ridiculous. Are you gonna get one of those bright purple suits?”
He couldn’t hide the grin that crept onto his lips. “Shut the fuck up, bitch. Now you’ll never see my best inventory.”
“I already have the best inventory.”
He winked. “Touché.”
“Does that mean you’ll be leaving, then?”
“Depends. If you need me, I’ll stay. Not a bad idea to have me outside your door every night.”
“I don’t need any help, Ash.”
He took a drink then set down the glass. “See, that’s the problem. If you needed help, you would never ask for it.”
No, I never would.
“So, I’ll ask your wife what she thinks.”
“I don’t need my woman making decisions for me.”
“When she’s taking care of you, I disagree.”
Sofia had been at my side day and night. Instead of going back to work and resuming her life, she chose to spend all of her time with me. She’d been a captive for an entire month, but now she was cooped up in a room all over again. When she’d brought my ring to the hospital, it touched me so deeply. Seeing the way she attended to me like a wife who loved her husband was exactly what I wanted. But it was still hard to let her see me in my weakest state.
“How much longer do you think you’ll need?”
“It’s gonna be at least a month.”
“Damien and I can always take care of it.”
I wanted Maddox dead, but I wanted to be the one to kill him. “No. I have to handle this myself.”
“At least, when you’re getting laid, she’s doing all the work. That must be nice.”
I hadn’t looked at my wife that way once. I felt too weak to be desirable, and I would never instigate anything after what she’d been through. I’d hardly touched her since I’d been home. When we slept together, I stuck to my side of the bed. She never talked about what she’d endured. And I never asked. I just assumed she wouldn’t be ready for something like that anytime soon. I could give her all the time she needed. “It’ll be a long time before Sofia and I have that sort of relationship again.”
He seemed to realize how insensitive he sounded. “Of course…” He cleared his throat and took a drink. “Like I said, if there’s anything you need, I’m here. My pimping duties can wait until you’re back to full strength.”
“Thanks.” I couldn’t believe my brother was sitting beside me, acting like a friend rather than a stranger. “I’m really glad you’re here…and not because I need help.”
It was the first time he turned his gaze away, like the statement affected him deep down inside. “Yeah…I’m glad I’m here too.”
Once I was back on my feet, I moved around the house more. I showered on a daily basis, got dressed on my own, and didn’t feel so weak. I started to feel like my old self, like a strong man in his prime.
Sofia stayed home with me even though I didn’t need so much help anymore.
It was deep winter now, and every morning, the frost pressed against the windows. I walked around in sweatpants, but I still ditched the shirt. It just wasn’t as comfortable to me. I was sitting outside on the patio because it was a sunny day. I handled work from the computer, and I only communicated with Damien through our assistants.
Sofia came outside and brought me a hot cup of coffee. “Ready for lunch?”
“Not hungry.”
“You’re never hungry.”
All I’d been doing was lying in bed. The last thing I wanted to do was get fat. Just because I was sedentary didn’t mean I could let my strength go. When I got out of this, I had to correct all my mistakes. I had to kill Maddox with my bare hands.