Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 83755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
“Explain this to me,” I said, feeling the tension in the air thicken by the minute. “Let’s say we believe you. I know the mob doesn’t like sensational stuff, like shooting in public and in broad daylight. Why did they change their tactics?”
“Sometimes, they don’t have a choice,” Rocco replied, shaking his head sideways. “If we all died in that bar, it would have saved them a whole lot of trouble. I guess they believed the reward was worth the risk.”
“Give us some time to think about this,” Cesare spoke in a firm tone, his gaze settled on Maggie. “We’ll call you with our decision.”
“Gentlemen…” She paused and pursed her lips. “This is the only way for you to get out of this alive. The only way for you to keep the people closest to you safe. Like your lady friend. Think long and hard before you turn down my offer.”
Lady friend…
She didn’t say her name, but she didn’t have to. I for one, knew who she was talking about. The girl with the gorgeous hair and curves for days. That was definitely Piper.
Cesare preferred silence over coming up with a rebuttal. Leonardo just looked away in derision, while I mumbled a “goodnight.” One by one, we strolled out of that warehouse. With our heads down low. Silent. Worried. Unsure how to proceed. We were at a crossroad. The direction we would take would shape our future. And, as Maggie mentioned, it would also define the future of a girl we had known for a while. I agreed with her, even though I didn’t like her so much. We had a decision to make; a big one. We couldn’t reach it in an hour or two. We needed to sit down with each other and study every aspect of that decision. Otherwise, the chances of us making another mistake were much too high.
28
PIPER
“I wish I didn’t have to leave.”
Leo’s words had been dwelling on my mind for days. The look in his eyes proved that he meant them. There was a certain sorrow in them, sprinkled with a bit of regret.
I forgave him that day. I understood he had another engagement.
I couldn’t forgive what he didn’t do the day after that. And the day after that.
Radio silence.
Complete disappearance.
It was like he had dropped off the face of the Earth.
I did try to contact him. I texted and called more than once.
Yet, texts went unanswered. Calls lasted about ten seconds each and ended with a promise on his part.
“I’m busy right now. I’ll call you back later.”
Well, guess what.
He didn’t.
Not once.
So, two, amazing lovers had sent me to orgasmic bliss. They had offered me so many incredible moments in bed that I wondered if our encounters were real, or just a figment of my imagination. However, both those men had vanished. Worse still, neither of them had had the decency to let me know why they weren’t interested in seeing me again.
Inevitably, I began wondering why history had repeated itself.
I started to think that, perhaps, I was doing something wrong. I was too nice to them. I had made this very easy for them. I shouldn’t have encouraged them so much. I should have played hard to get. But how was I supposed to do any of those things? It wasn’t like I met guys like Cesare and Leo every day.
Handsome.
Sinfully sexy.
In Cesare’s case? Dominant and tough.
In Leo’s? Loud, rough around the edges but with plenty of empathy and care.
If I could have gone back through time, I didn’t believe I would have changed much. I would still have gotten physical with them. I would have let them have their naughty way with me. That’s what I wanted, and that’s what they gave me.
The only thing I would have changed?
The “after” part.
I wouldn’t have been so casual about it. I would have demanded more. Some women spend their lives wondering if they could ever have mind-blowing sex. In that quest, they settle for mediocrity, hoping that it would get better along the way. They switch partners over and over again, but they don’t find that kind of connection with anyone. I had been lucky. I had found it twice in a few weeks, but then, I had been careless. I had let those two slip away, and I had no idea what to do to get even one of them back.
“Where are you, Piper? Because you sure aren’t here.”
Ava’s voice was a call back to reality. Her hand close to my face, I could make out the details of the silver ring around her middle finger.
“I’m sorry,” I said, taking my eyes off of her hand. “I’m a little distracted lately.”
“Please, pull yourself together, okay?” She requested, walking back to the door of the exam room. “Your first patient of the day is here.”