Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 53428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
“That is nice.” I held out my hands to grab it.
“No. I’m keeping this one for Rose.” He put that one over his arm.
“What the fuck?”
“She should be wearing yellow, but she should have options—”
“Who the hell is Rose?”
“My soon-to-be fiancé. I plan to propose to her a week after your wedding.” He grabbed more gowns and put them over his arm. “She would look nice in red too.”
“Eh.” I held my hands to the side. “Dima, you can’t be hoarding bridal gowns for a woman who you don’t even know if you’re marrying—”
“I just told you I’m proposing. It’s not like I would let her say no.” Dima walked over to his men and gave the gowns to them. “Put these in the Phantom.”
“Dude, are you going to buy those?”
“Tell the store owner that they’re going with me.”
I frowned.
He pointed to the gowns on the chair. “Red would be good, but consider black also.”
I glanced at them. “Why?”
“It was custom in Roman Catholic traditions for a Spanish bride to wear a black gown paired with a veil, called a mantilla. The black gown symbolized the bride’s devotion to her husband until death, and ensured her loyalty.”
“Oh.” I looked back at him. “That’s deep.”
Dima leaned his head to the side. “Do you plan to be devoted to this Santino until death?”
“I do.”
“Then, forget about red and go for black.” He crossed those big arms over his chest.
I rubbed my head. Dima had my mind all over the place.
“Okay.” I lowered my hand. “First of all, who is Rose?”
“A woman that I am in love with. We have a cat named Barbara Whiskers. She lives with me.”
“The cat?”
“And the woman.”
I thought back to what he had said earlier. “Why do I need to impress Lei and Marcelo?”
“Because if I win the mayoral race, you will be in charge.”
I froze. “What?”
“Rubies.”
I blinked. “Rubies?”
“They would be perfect with the black bridal gown. Rubies are the gemstones of passion, and they would be a further nod to Killer Crows.”
“Dima, can you focus on one topic at a time?”
“I can’t. I’m bored and ready to go.” He scanned the space. “Marcelo’s men will continue to block presumed roads going into the Coffin Cheaters’ valley. I have a small army, serving as additional security for your wedding. Once we know how to get into the valley, all of the Diamond Syndicate’s people—North, South, East, and West—will be geared up and ready to destroy the Coffin Cheaters.”
I swallowed. “Perfect.”
“Your wedding will be safe.”
“Thank you.”
He targeted me with an intense gaze. “Once you’re married you will focus on strengthening Killer Crows and making sure that your new husband doesn’t come for other Syndicate territory.”
I tensed.
“That is your promise to me.” Dima pointed my way. “The election happens in a year which gives me time to soften Marcelo to your leadership. Plus, you will make an effort to be nice to him and the South.”
I stifled my groan.
“Then, I win and you take control of the Syndicate throne like Romeo and Chanel would have wanted.”
My eyes watered at the mention of my siblings. “You think they would have wanted that?”
“Of course.” Dima placed his hands in his pockets. “Do you understand my plan?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” Dima pulled out his tiny notebook and scribbled something down.
Tomasso arrived with more gowns from the back. “Okay. Just a few more choices to select from.”
A bell sounded.
I glanced over my shoulder.
Dane entered. “Sorry to interrupt, Kash. Mrs. Tina will be arriving shortly. She also wanted to help you with finding a gown.”
“I’m cool with it.” My heart warmed. “That’s nice of her.”
Dane checked his watch. “Rue is bringing over your cousins and they will be here soon.”
“And Merik?”
“Roscoe and he were up all night drinking and laughing about good times.”
I grinned.
“Merik asked if he could take today off to apparently continue to sleep next to the toilet.”
“Wow. Quite a night?”
Tomasso parted his lips. “Who is Mrs. Tina?”
“That is the mother of Romeo and Chanel.”
Tomasso stepped back. “I thought both of your parents were dead.”
Dane winked at me and headed out the suite.
“They are. I’m the daughter of my father’s second wife. Romeo and Chanel are from his first wife.” I shrugged. “We’re all family so we don’t introduce each other as half-siblings or anything like that. Half never existed in our eyes.”
Dima added, “The Killer Crows also never liked Kashmere’s mother. They all preferred the first wife, which is Tina. Therefore, they basically ignored the second wife and Kashmere.”
I turned his way and glared. “Thank you, Dima for that additional information that no one asked for. Would you like to add more gossip about Killer Crows?”
“Oh.” Dima nodded and turned to Tomasso. “When Kashmere’s mother had her, many whispered she wasn’t even Mr. Jones child. Too dark. Hair too kinky. Mother told me that—”
“What?” I shook my head. “That’s not true. No one ever questioned my being my father’s child?”