Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 107376 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107376 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
Antonio’s jaw tightens, realizing time for talking is over. I’m not here for the bullshit. I’m ready to put it to bed. I’m done remembering our first stay in his cells, the way he tortured us for weeks on end, the way he made me watch as he almost ended Maddox’s life.
I’m done with these ghosts, and tonight, I will release them.
None of it matters anymore. The score was settled the moment Maddox and I climbed that fence.
Antonio lets out a low breath, defeat in his eyes, and for the first time in his life, I think he truly understands that nobody can rule forever. It’s the laws of physics. What goes up, must come down, and it’s the same for his empire. It was only a matter of time.
Maddox picks up the fire poker that sits beside the pristine fireplace like an offering, and Antonio starts to shake. “Fuck.”
He holds the fire poker out toward me. “You want to do the honors?” Maddox asks.
I shake my head. While we have both endured hell at the hands of this man, Maddox got it worse. “This one is all yours,” I tell him. “I’m happy to watch the show, as long as it ends up with DeLuca dead.”
“Oh, that I can promise you.”
And with that, I stand back and watch Maddox position himself directly in front of Antonio. He takes the fire poker and rears back, white-knuckling the end. Then with every ounce of strength he possesses, Maddox lunges forward, sending the sharp tip of the poker plunging deep inside Antonio’s torso before pulling down hard on the handle and tearing through Antonio’s organs like butter.
Antonio wobbles on his feet, held up only by Maddox’s firm hold on the end of the poker, and with one last shove, Maddox releases him. The mighty head of the DeLuca empire stumbles and falls to our feet, his blood pooling across the floor.
He’s dead in seconds, and with that, so are the ghosts that have haunted me.
“So,” Maddox says, meeting my stare. “Burgers on the way home?”
I nod. “Sounds fucking perfect to me.”
21
LYRA
Something wet and slimy drags across my face, and I wrinkle my nose as it’s quickly accompanied by hot, stinky breath. It comes again, and I pull away, turning my face into the pillow as Smooch takes full advantage.
He sniffs my face, and I groan, but before I can push him away, the couch cushion shifts under his weight. Without warning, the massive dog is on top of me, trying to lick the skin off my face.
“Smooooooch,” I groan, trying to bat him away, but he’s got me pinned, and I have no choice but to lie here and take it while he gives me all the morning love.
My face is wet. And why does it smell so bad?
The big fucker has probably spent the last hour licking his balls and eating his own shit, and now his ass germs are plastered across my face.
My stomach churns. I love this dog, but this is not how I was planning on waking up today. Not to mention, everything is sore. Sleeping on the couch wasn’t exactly the best idea, but I was so tired that I didn’t have the energy to get up and take my ass to bed.
Smooch finally takes pity on me and jumps down from the couch before sprinting his ass over to the back door, sitting down and then watching me expectantly. Then it clicks. The fucker needs to pee.
“Shit,” I mutter, getting up from the couch and dragging my feet across the living room until my hand curls around the back door. I pull it wide and Smooch takes off like lightning, shooting out the door and into the yard.
I leave him be as I trudge back to the couch and scoop up my new phone, only to check the time and see that it’s barely even six in the morning.
“What the fuck?” I grumble. Is this what I’m going to have to deal with every day while I’m living here? Because if that’s the case, I’m going to have to train Smooch to only go to Hunter for his toileting needs.
Seeing as though it’s still the butt crack of dawn, I grab the pillow from the couch and make my way down to Maddox’s room, stopping by the bathroom to wash off Smooch’s slobber attack on the way.
Pushing through the door, I find Maddox fast asleep in bed, and a wave of jealousy crashes through me. I should have spent my night in this bed with him, but I was too stubborn to get up. Why didn’t Maddox do the gentlemanly thing and carry my ass to bed with him?
The thought has a scoff pulling out of me. I bet Hunter put up a fight. They probably did best of three in rock, paper, scissors, only to claim someone cheated and then decide that nobody gets to sleep with me.