Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 96808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
It’s like she’s trying not to make a sound, but the sound is still breaking through. I think she’s in shock. Mario pries my gun from her hand, then rushes to lock the door.
I’m grateful to him as he snaps into action, calling for a cleaner and setting in motion the start of taking care of this mess. Seeing the front of Oni’s dress torn and her naked breast exposed, I tear my shirt off and pull it over her head.
“Ashton Larkin,” Mario says, tossing the dude’s wallet on top of his lifeless chest.
“Irish? Who the fuck invited him here?”
I cup the back of Oni’s head and pull her into my chest. She’s still sobbing. I don’t want to think about what happened before she dropped this piece of shit. I failed her.
I promised this wouldn’t happen. I feel like such a fuckup. I didn’t deserve her in the first place; now I really don’t.
“No fucking clue, but I’m starting to have a lot of questions. I saw him talking to Juliana earlier. Oni said she saw him at the club that night. Neither one of us believes in coincidences.
“I wonder when your uncle invited Juliana out. He’s playing a game, but what if he’s being played as well?”
I snort and shake my head. “Bro, the eyes in the back of his head have eyes. If Juliana is up to something, he knows. Fuck, that would make so much sense.
“I’m going to kill him. New plan, I need you to find out what the Abatos have been up to in the last year. Who they’ve been connected to, who they owe, what they owe. See if any of that connects back to the shit you found in New York.
“I want to know if this is a me problem or a family problem. Then I want it shut down and everyone who allowed any part of it can be wiped off the map with the source. And I mean everyone,” I snarl.
“I’m on it.”
I look down and cup the sides of Oni’s face. She looks up at me through tear-filled eyes as her lips tremble. My heart breaks a million times over.
“Oni, baby. I need to get you to a hospital. Someone needs to check you out,” I say softly.
She shakes her head frantically. I open my mouth to convince her that this needs to be done. If not at a hospital, I need to bring someone in.
However, my mind is blown as she cuts me off. Holding her hand up, she takes a deep, calming breath. I watch as she goes from a sobbing, fragile, frightened bird to a phoenix right before my eyes.
“No. He didn’t … he didn’t get to hurt me. I need to stay here and help clean up my mess. Show me what you need me to do. Tell me what’s next,” she says.
“Oni, what the fuck?”
“If I fold now, if I can’t handle this, I can’t handle you. I’m okay.”
I look at her with wide eyes. She’s serious. It’s like she’s flipped a switched and turned the last fifteen minutes off.
I fucking love her.
CHAPTER 20
Hard Decisions
Rico
“Son, here, take this,” my father says as I pass him in the foyer.
I look down to find him handing me a leather notebook. I look back up at him and lift a brow. He gives me a smile and pats my cheek as I take the book from him.
“It belongs to Oni. She left it in my office the other day. You might want to take a peek. That is one special young woman.”
I open the book to the page that has a ribbon in it. I’m taken by surprise as a sketch of me comes into view. It’s so detailed I would think I was looking at a photograph of myself if I didn’t know better.
“Wow,” I breathe.
“Yes, wow.”
I look up into my father’s eyes, hearing his unspoken words. I have Oni here for the wrong talents. Once again, it sinks in that I don’t deserve her.
I know this, but I also know I’m in love with her and it’s going to be nearly impossible to let her go now. The look on her face from earlier comes back to me. The right thing would be to let her return to New York and forget about everything that’s happened here.
She’s capable of something this beautiful and yet I’ve turned her into a killer. I swallow hard and turn to walk away with my thoughts. Once I’m in my room, I change for bed and climb into it with the notebook to look through it.
Drawing after drawing takes my breath away. She’s so skilled. How did I not know this about her?
I’m leafing through the pages when the door to my room opens. Lightning fast, I reach for my gun and flick off the safety as I aim at the door.