Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
The moment he first saw Winnie four years ago, he had known she was different. The clothes she had on had been well-worn and oversized. Like her size was an afterthought to whoever purchased them. He figured she had them for years, and imagined they hadn’t fit her when she first had them. Those clothes had been the first to go.
He purchased her a whole new wardrobe, and in a way a whole new life. Little by little, he found himself enjoying her. In the beginning, it was because he didn’t want to kill her. She had been a fighter and forced into a situation not of her making, and he wanted to make it right.
Those early days had been tough, as he had been tempted to just send her away. Each time he did, something held him back.
She watched him kill, and not once did she ask if she could go to the police. She did exactly as he told her, and didn’t put up a single fight. There wasn’t even any sign that she was afraid of him.
Now, she asked him to not think of her, to just do his job the best way he knew how. He’d already taken care of business and made everyone aware that if they came after his wife, they were going to die.
The man’s wife and son were gone, not dead, just out of the way. He wasn’t going to kill them when they had nothing to do with the man’s actions. He wasn’t a total monster.
Mansell’s suggestion kept ringing in his head. He was not going to use his wife to get to Bozo. That fucker was going to get what was coming to him.
Rather than wait for him to make an appearance, his men were scouring the city, looking everywhere. They were leaving no stone unturned. They were going to find him, and anyone associated with him would be taken care of.
After enjoying the food, he went to take a shower as Winnie sat down, enjoying the movie. He didn’t take long. Usually, he made his way to his office to do some work, but he needed to have Winnie close to him. Sitting beside her on the sofa, he didn’t even have to wait before she closed the distance between them, wrapped her arms around his waist, and snuggled in deep.
“I missed you today,” she said.
He stayed silent. The truth was, leaving today had been so fucking hard. He wanted to stay with her, make sure she was safe, that she took the pain medication.
“Did you take your pain meds?” he asked, just realizing she might not have.
“No.”
“Damn it, Winnie,” he said.
“I … it has been a strange day.”
He got to his feet and made his way into the bedroom, where he grabbed a couple of her pain pills, and then to the kitchen. With the pills in hand and a glass of water, he handed them to her.
“Take them,” he said.
She sighed. “I can handle the pain.”
“Babe, you shouldn’t have to handle it. Take them, before I make you.”
She smirked and it was such a cute look. He glared at her, but he was entertained.
She took the pills, stuck her tongue out to show that they were gone. “Happy?”
“Very.”
He sat down, and this time he wrapped his arm around her. Winnie got comfortable against him, and he noticed she did so without putting pressure on her shoulder.
For several moments, he stared at the television, not really paying attention. He just held her. Again, he marveled at the fact he was happy to just hold her. He didn’t know why it fucking mattered to him. All his life he had used women, just as they used him. He didn’t give a shit about holding them, loving them, or doing anything with them. They were a means to an end. Yet, there was nowhere else he wanted to be than with Winnie in his arms.
He kissed the top of her head, and he felt her slowly begin to fall asleep. This had to be the first time today, other than this morning, that she had been pain-free.
Turning off the television, he picked up his wife. She was so out of it, she didn’t even stir. He carried her to their bedroom and tucked her in. He didn’t even attempt to get her changed. She looked so peaceful, he did not want to disturb her.
He also wasn’t tired either, so he left her alone to make his way to his office, to get down to some business. It was the same old shit. A combination of legal and illegal businesses. He checked through some of the paperwork.
He saw that one of the mechanic businesses was reporting a loss, which made no sense. Cross-examining the stats he had, something didn’t add up. It was one of the places that tended to do really well. None of his usual men went to this shop, as he tended to trust the owner, Carson. Looking over the paperwork, he frowned.