Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24622 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24622 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
His hot stare follows the motion. “Oh, I do. But this is too important to get sidetracked. If the conversation goes the way I hope, I’ll definitely be happy to let you distract me, because, damn… The view of your front is even better than the one from the back.”
With a smile, I take his hand. He leads me down the shadowy hall and into the kitchen, then lifts me—bare-assed—onto the kitchen island. Across the room, Shadow lies cuddled on an upholstered chair at the breakfast table. She eyes us, seemingly decides we’re not a threat, then closes her eyes contentedly again.
Ransom spreads my legs and steps between them. His expression turns solemn. He takes my face in his hands. “Havana, here’s the truth: I’m an assassin.”
Since he delivers every word without a hint of humor, I don’t doubt him. And apparently, Ethan wasn’t BSing me. “I know.”
Ransom raises a brow. “You do? And you’re not shocked?”
“Maybe a little. Who do you work for, the mafia?”
“That’s actually who we’re trying to shut down. The truth is, my youngest brother, Ridge, and I went into business together to take cases too dirty for the cops or the feds. Before that, we both served in different branches of the military. I was a SEAL. Ridge was Delta Force. Army. Rand and Rush were marines.”
So he’s not one of the bad guys. My gut told me that all along. It was my head—trying to protect my heart—that filled me with doubt. “That’s badass.”
He gives me a cynical shrug. “It also means we’ve all done things for God and country we never anticipated and we’re not particularly proud of. When an enemy combatant needed ending off the normal field of battle, I was usually chosen. They called me Glacier.”
Ransom looks like he expects me to be horrified and walk away from him. I get the feeling he’s been judged before, so I blank my face and listen. “You were doing your job. And you got out.”
He nods. “About five years ago. Ethan’s mom, Lydia, called to tell me she couldn’t handle him anymore and asked if I wanted full custody. I won’t diss her, because she did the hardest parts, birthing and getting him through the first fourteen years. But she was a child raising a child, and she didn’t always put Ethan first. My hitch was about up, and I’d been contemplating lucrative offers from the private sector. The timing worked out, so I left the navy and took Ethan. A few years ago, Ridge left Delta Force to tackle this bitch of a case. Personal reasons, he said. He wanted to end a mafia operation by infiltrating it from the inside.”
“So that’s what you’ve been doing? That’s who shot you last night?”
“Yeah. Marco Donzelli is a monster. He specializes in trafficking young women to rich buyers overseas who do unspeakable things to them before snuffing them out when they’ve lost their luster—or their fight. These are sick fucks, so when Ridge came to me with this case, we decided to go into business together. He’s insinuated himself in the organization and is feeding the feds information. I’ve been posing as a rival setting up shop. Donzelli’s right hand, Paul Carboni, was the one who tried to cap me last night. He won’t have that chance again. I made sure of it.”
Meaning he killed the guy? Then again, what was Ransom supposed to do? The mobster wouldn’t have hesitated to off him. “When?”
“This morning.”
He looks really fucking collected for someone who ended another person’s life mere hours ago, but maybe he’s at peace knowing he put a stop to someone who only hurts others. “Wow.”
“That means my part of this case is over. Ridge is almost ready to cash out and end Donzelli. Then it will be done.”
“Won’t there be other capos or bosses or whatever they’re called who want revenge?”
“Donzelli and the rest of the organization think I’m dead, so that solves my problem. Ridge’s situation is a little tougher, but the good news is, I think we have enough evidence to put the heavy hitters away for a long time. The rest are just underlings with no real power. They’re cockroaches who will scamper to the dark cracks of society and disappear. But if I’m wrong…I may be hired in the future to do a little exterminating.”
It’s a lot to take in, and being in Ransom’s life will never be simple. On the other hand, he’s fighting for right, isn’t he? He cares about innocent people. Boys my age only give a damn about getting ass and getting wasted, which is why none of them ever interested me. Honestly, I can’t picture my life with anyone except Ransom. We’ll have challenges to work through, but doesn’t every couple?
“Say something.” Ransom looks tense.