Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 114260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 571(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 571(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
“‘Course I do.” I pull the dog bones out of the glove compartment.
Cain exhales audibly. “Thanks, Henri. We’re not far out, so text me with any updates.”
Skylar taps her foot on the floor, her fingers flying over her phone. She mutters under her breath.
“Any luck?”
“Marialena just woke up, she isn’t going away with her family. She says it’s fortuitous for me to reach out to her, she read her cards last night and found she would be approached by an old friend.” Skylar smiles. “D’aw. Isn’t that sweet?”
Cain rolls his eyes. He has no use for anything outside of the physical realm, placing all things spiritual and otherwise in the same category as the Loch Ness Monster or the Boogeyman.
“Very sweet,” I say, placating Sky. “Can she get us in?”
Sky frowns. “Unfortunately, she’s finishing up her classes and won’t be home until later. She isn’t going with the family to Tuscany because she needs to finish a few finals.”
“Got it. So that leaves Loverboy?”
Cain makes a choking sound I dutifully ignore.
“On it,” Skylar says in a singsong voice, apparently very excited that she has been brought into this. She taps happily away on her cell phone, and at least I'm relieved that she isn't trying to interfere in our fight.
We drive in silence for long minutes, as Skylar waits to hear back, and Cain and I have nothing to say.
So this is it. We’ve come this far with one purpose in mind, and if everything goes well with the Rossis, we’ll close in on finding the people I’ve come for. The answers we need.
Skylar’s phone chimes. “Score!” she says with a grin, making Cain flinch. Apparently, he doesn’t like the idea of his sister scoring anything. If I wasn’t so fucking furious with him, I’d reassure him. Right now, I am more than happy to let him handle this on his own.
We’re over. We are through.
I want to sob and break things into little pieces. I want to run to the cliffs that overlook the ocean and scream until the wind carries my anger and hurt away.
And that’s it. There’s the rub. I’m more hurt than I am angry. I trust hardly anyone in my life. I can count those I do on one hand, and Cain was one of them.
But now… now after everything, I can’t trust him anymore. And what’s a relationship at all if it isn’t built on trust?
“He says come on over. Meet him at the back gate, and he’ll get us in.”
“Excellent.” I nod. We’re one step closer.
We pull up to an actual, bonafide castle, the biggest estate I’ve ever seen, bigger even than Descamps. This one strangely doesn’t have a security gate, though.
“Um, why did no one tell me this family lives in an actual castle?”
Skylar grins. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
I shake my head in disbelief. “And yet, no security gate? Or…moat?” I ask, curious about this one detail.
“They have dogs and snipers,” Cain explains. “And they trust their reputation. They’ve got a security team that rivals any on the East Coast.”
I whistle. “Damn.”
“Yeah.”
“So where’s your guy, Skylar?”
We drive slowly, our tires gliding over the black paved driveway with ease. She points to a large mansion up on a hill. “There.”
A tall, good-looking guy with short black hair stands, wearing nothing but a T-shirt and jeans against the bitter cold wind. He looks like he could be a throwback to the James Dean era, his dark hair falling over his forehead giving him a bad boy vibe. He scowls when he sees me and Cain, his eyes narrowing.
“You did tell him we were coming, right?”
“Welllll,” Sky says with an apologetic shrug. “I mean, I told him I was.”
“Sky,” I groan.
Cain parks the truck and exhales. “Violet, you stay here. I’ll go with Sky and tell you when to come.”
“Fuck. Off.” I slide over and get out of the truck behind Skylar. She giggles softly to herself, and Cain slams the truck door so hard I’m surprised the windshield doesn’t break. But I don’t work for him. I don’t take orders from him. I did for a time because we liked it that way. Because I told him I was his. But now… now he’s lost that privilege.
“Mario Rossi,” Sky says under her breath, “is loyal to the core. Keep that in mind. Say nice things about his family.”
I see the dark eyes of his dogs lurking behind him and pat my pocket reassuringly. These treats are going to come in handy.
“Skylar.” His voice hasn’t ripened with age, and I’d guess he’s probably a junior or so in college. Early twenties, though men in organized crime like this likely age a lot quicker than your run-of-the-mill boy. “You didn’t tell me you were bringing company.”
“Missed you, too, Mario,” she says with a charming grin. “This is my brother Cain and…” she pauses, unsure of what to call me. “His co-worker Violet.”