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)
I still haven’t processed what she said. She was already pregnant? Our baby is gone?
“I knew you would come for me. I was waiting,” she whispers.
I can only nod. The pain in my body no longer registers as the pain in my chest takes over. It feels like I’ve been stabbed through the heart by a hot knife.
“The city is on lockdown. They won’t get away, youse two do whatever you need to.
“I have no objections. Burn the fucking city down if you want,” Uncle Emilio says, then walks out.
“Rico?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“About Emory. Is she okay? I owe her. Lorcan was going to rape me. She stopped him.”
“What did you say?”
“I woke to Lorcan trying to rape me. I fought as best I could with my hands tied, but then Emory came and pulled a gun on him. I want to thank her.”
“Mario has …” I pause to swallow hard. “She’s been in one of our safe houses. Lorcan knows she led us to you. He wants her dead.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“No, it’s not. I’m going to kill him with my bare hands as soon as I get out of here.”
“I’m not going to rest until they all pay for our baby.”
“Me either, baby. This is far from over.”
CHAPTER 46
Recovery
Rico
Six months later …
“Human” by Rag’n’Bone Man blasts through the speakers in our home gym as I push my body to its max. However, I don’t feel like I’m only human. I’ve crossed over into a different zone.
My one goal is to fully recover so I can avenge my wife and child. I haven’t stopped seeing red since Oni told me we lost our baby and that bastard tried to violate her.
I know exactly where the brothers and Alyissa are. We’ve trapped them in New York City. All the families know the deal.
If anyone aids Alyissa or those two assholes, their entire family will be wiped off the map with them. They can’t move outside the five boroughs without running into my men, one of the crews, or one of the other families.
Everyone has been ordered to bring them to me on sight. I have a torture room ready. They bring them in; I’m going to put them through all nine circles of hell.
“Rico,” Oni calls as she enters the gym and turns down the music.
I rack the bar and sit up. Sweat is dripping down my face and chest. Oni walks over and hands me a towel.
“Babe, you’re pushing too hard. Come chill with me.”
“Not yet. I still have a few more sets and I want to hit the treadmill.”
“Rico, come on. You can’t keep pushing yourself like this.”
“I love you, Oni, but I’m not going to stop pushing until I make this right.”
She cups my face in both hands and straddles my lap. I settle my arms around her waist and look into her eyes. This woman is so fucking strong.
“I love you too,” she says. “Believe me, I want them dead as much as you do. It’s going to happen. We’re going to make that happen together, like we do everything else.”
“We should have been together when they took you. I’m never going to forgive myself. I need to do this. I need to get back to a hundred percent so this can be handled.”
“Rico, this isn’t your fault. You have to forgive yourself. There’s something I should have told you before we even left for that trip. You might be angry with me when you find out, but you should know.”
“Tell me. I’m not going to be angry. Just talk to me.”
“You know how you kept asking me what was going on?”
“Yeah, something was off. I knew something was bothering you. That’s why I planned the trip.”
“Well, Emory had reached out and asked me to meet up with her. When I did, she told me Lorcan and Mason were coming after me.”
I groan. I can’t believe she’s just telling me this. I asked her if someone was fucking with her. She told me it was nothing.
“Listen, I hadn’t brushed it off. I told you I was fine because I had it under control. At first, I didn’t know if it was a credible threat.
“Then, I didn’t care either way. I planned to put them down the day you surprised me with the trip—”
“Why didn’t you tell me then?”
She gives me a pointed look. “If I would have told you once we arrived at the island, you would have canceled our trip and come back here to put them down yourself.
“I was going to tell you when we got back. Who knew Romano was funding their operation? I wouldn’t have thought that in a million years.
“They didn’t have the money to follow us, so I wasn’t pressed about it. My mistake. It will never happen again.”
“Underestimating our enemies or not telling me what the heck is going on?”