Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 94024 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94024 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
And holy shit! I squinted and scrunched up my nose. Were they wearing the same shirt in different colors?
Before I could comment on it, I was getting shoved—again—toward the door and outside.
My poor shirt wouldn’t survive the day if the bosses kept grabbing the top of it and pulling.
Somehow, I made it into the SUV without falling on my face.
And somehow, I didn’t puke all over Phoenix’s shoes when he started the car and said, “This is what you’re going to do…”
Chapter Seven
…Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued. —Robert Frost
Violet
The plane ride was a blur, as was the weirdly boring experience of watching arms dealers unload the plane and shake Nikolai’s hand like it was just a Tuesday.
They didn’t even spare me a glance.
Probably because they had no desire to purchase a girl who looked like she’d cried herself to sleep and forgot how to brush her own hair.
I was a mess.
And of course, Seattle decided that rain would only make my misery better. The minute I heard the thunder, I wanted to crawl under the SUV and let it run me over.
I checked my phone again.
Breaker had been a miserable bastard yesterday. He’d broken me in a way only he could—by claiming to love someone else when we both knew it was a lie.
To push me away?
Protect me?
Make this easier on me when we both knew I needed my best friend more than ever?
I swallowed, wishing I could get past the knot of emotion in my throat, and then I sent another text.
Me: I’m in Seattle. Safe. Also, I saw an arms deal go down and lived to tell about it, figured you’d be proud.
He messaged back right away.
Breaker of Hearts: Um, Nikolai let you watch? IS HE CRAZY?
“Yes, he is,” Nikolai said after looking over at my screen with a grin before going back to whoever he was texting.
Me: We both know the answer to that question.
I almost typed, I miss you.
But I was too afraid of what he would say back if he even responded.
Breaker of Hearts: I miss you.
Tears filled my eyes.
Me: I miss you too. You know I’ll be back soon…
Breaker of Hearts: With a ring on your left hand.
Me: It means nothing.
Breaker of Hearts: It will mean everything.
I shook my head.
Me: I’ll never love him.
Breaker of Hearts: What if he needs your love more than I do? What would you say to that?
My hands shook.
Me: Impossible. He’ll have to find it elsewhere.
Breaker of Hearts: Promise me you’ll try. We both know deep, deep, deep, deep, so deep down in the smallest crevice of your soul that you care about things that are broken.
I sighed. He wasn’t wrong, but still, this guy was the guy that had taken everything from me and clearly didn’t know how to stop taking.
Me: I’ll slit his throat before I let him hurt me.
Breaker of Hearts: Killing is harder than you think, Vi, especially your own husband. Maybe watch some Dateline first, yeah?
Me: You could always do it for me?
Breaker of Hearts: You have no idea how much I want to.
I stared down at my phone as the little dots popped up, and then, like a knife getting shoved into my chest only to end with a twist, he typed.
Breaker of Hearts: My blood for yours.
With shaking hands, I typed back.
Breaker of Hearts: My blood for yours.
Why did it feel like the end? I swiped the tears from my cheeks and adjusted my sunglasses.
The SUV pulled up to a gorgeous black iron gate; it opened up toward a sprawling property in front of a huge lake.
The house itself was three stories and reminded me of something that might be seen in a fairy tale book, with moss and ivy intertwined around white pillars that framed the entrance.
The door was black with iron gated windows.
It was both fairy tale.
And prison.
Two men stood at the entrance, both of them in black suits, both of them wearing nearly identical sunglasses. It was a look I knew well with my dad and his minions.
At least that was familiar.
“Sancto will show you to your room; he takes care of the house and is Valerian’s personal assistant.”
My mouth dried as an attractive man in his forties skipped down the cement stairs and opened the SUV door.
“Sancto.” Nikolai greeted him with a grin. “We were just talking about you.”
“All good things, I hope.” His smile was wide, white, and he had a small dimple in his chin. His hair was a dark brown and a bit wild, his eyes matched, but they seemed to have flecks of gold in them.
For some reason, I felt immediately safe.
“Ignore him. He’s a terrible flirt.” Nikolai cleared his throat. “This is Violet Abandonato, soon to be Petrov.”
I held out my hand.
He took it and flipped it over, kissing the back side with a warm caress that had me staring at him a bit too long. “I’m your humble servant. It’s not every day we meet mafia royalty.”