Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 80014 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80014 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Okay, yes, I’d had an advantage when I was first starting out. Almost twenty years ago, when I was an ambitious kid right out of high school, the Dombruso name gave me credibility. It also meant most people weren’t willing to fuck with me, for fear of incurring the wrath of the Dombruso family.
Even so, I’d gotten where I was through hard work, patience, and perseverance. The Dombrusos didn’t even know I existed, which meant they didn’t have my back like everyone assumed.
As far as I knew, my dad had taken the secret of his bastard son to his grave. In fact, after he and his wife reconciled, he seemed to forget all about me. They had more kids and had probably been very happy together—until both of their lives were cut short during a home invasion by a rival crime family.
But I still had the name, even though it clearly didn’t mean what it used to. If it carried any weight, I probably wouldn’t be dealing with Greco right now, and he was a real problem. He was violent and unpredictable, and he’d crossed a line by trashing my mom’s place of business.
I’d always gone to great lengths to keep my personal and professional lives totally separate. In fact, most people didn’t even know I had a mom and a kid brother in Vegas. So, I really had to wonder how Greco had managed to find out about the bar, which was right downstairs from my mom’s apartment.
What the hell was I supposed to do about this? Greco was a loose cannon, and there was no reasoning with him. I’d tried repeatedly before deciding to step back and spend some time away from Las Vegas. I’d even temporarily shut down my business, thinking that would help defuse the situation. But he was still coming for me, in the worst possible way—by involving the people I loved.
So now, I was heading back into a hornet’s nest with no plan whatsoever, and to make matters worse, I was doing it with Jack in tow. I glanced at him, sound asleep in his blanket cocoon. Dragging him to Vegas with me was such a terrible idea, but what else was I supposed to do? It wasn’t like he would’ve waited around for me to return.
I glanced at him again. He was a stunningly beautiful man, and I couldn’t deny I was still wildly attracted to him.
But right now, that was really just a distraction. Plus, there was no way anything could develop between us, because I didn’t trust him. He’d said all the right things earlier, but I felt stupid for believing a single word that came out of his mouth.
And what, like he’d want to date me? I currently had him chained to a car door, and I was dragging him across state lines against his will. Even though he was being cooperative, what choice did he have? He probably thought I’d shoot him if he didn’t play nice. There was no doubt in my mind that if he found a way to escape, that’d be the last I ever saw of him.
The blanket slipped off his shoulders just then, and I pulled it up and tucked him back in. Then I sighed and muttered, “What the hell are you doing, Adriano?” Nothing good could come from caring about Jack Granger…or whatever his name was.
About two hours later, I pulled into a gas station that was so brightly lit, it felt like midday instead of eleven p.m. The moment I cut the engine, Jack sat up and looked around as he mumbled, “Where are we?”
“Somewhere on the I-5. Sit tight for a few minutes while I buy some gas, and then I’ll uncuff you so you can use the restroom.”
He rubbed his eyes with a balled up fist. Then he took off the baseball cap and absently fixed his hair while I filled the tank. Even at this hour, there were a lot of people around, since the gas station was right off a busy interstate. I really didn’t know what I’d do if he decided to make a scene or call for help, but he just sat quietly and waited.
When I finished fueling up, I pulled into one of the parking spaces in front of the convenience store and walked around to the passenger door. Then I frowned at Jack and said, “Don’t make me regret this.”
He looked up at me with those soulful green eyes of his and sounded sincere when he told me, “I won’t. I promise.” This guy could get away with murder, that was how sweet and innocent he seemed. When I hesitated, he added, “Besides, where am I going to go? We’re in the middle of fuck-all, and you’ve got my phone, money, and ID.”
He had a point. Even so, I scowled at him as I reached over the door and unlocked the cuffs. He got out of the car and stretched, and then he made a quick move and pretended he was about to dart out into the night.