Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 86168 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86168 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Matteo stares at me, pale and waxy. All he can do is nod before I walk away.
The place smells like dog. Which shouldn’t be a surprise, since it’s a grooming shop. But still, it’s almost comical.
I find Kira set up in a booth in the corner of the main washing room. I get some stares but nobody stops me as I walk over to her. They probably think I’m the owner of the little white fluffy rat she’s cleaning. How anyone thinks that thing is a dog remains beyond me.
I lean against the wall and watch her blow-dry the little yappy animal. It squirms and twists, but she’s surprisingly gentle and patient. Even when the little shit tries to nip at her fingers. I’d probably throw the bastard off a cliff if it did that to me. But I’m not a nice guy.
She notices me once the dryer’s turned off. Her eyes go wide in surprise, and she looks around hurriedly, as if she’s afraid I might have been noticed. I step into her booth, arms crossed, trying not to let her see how amused I find all this.
“You’re covered in hair,” I tell her.
She looks down at herself, her face turning red. “I wash dogs. It’s kind of hard to keep the hair off me. What are you doing here?”
“Just checking you out. I’ve never seen you at this job before.”
“I’m shocked you haven’t stalked me here before now.”
I don’t mention that I have; I’ve just never come inside. “Where’s the ring?”
She grimaces and looks away. “I told you. It’s too expensive.”
“And I told you, I want you to wear it.”
“I will, okay?” She tugs a thin gold chain out from the inside of her shirt. The ring dangles at the end. “It’s right here in case you were wondering.”
“Keeping it next to your heart?”
“More like keeping it close in case I need to pawn it for quick cash.”
I can’t help but grin. This girl has a mouth on her. She’s got a sharp wit, and I have a feeling she’s going to get herself in trouble one of these days. But for now, I like it.
“Now that you’re mine, there are going to be changes. You’ll move into my house. You won’t have to work here anymore. No more dog hair. We can buy you all new clothes—”
“Slow down,” she says, holding up both her hands. “Move in with you? Buy me new clothes? This is going pretty fast.”
“What did you expect? Separate bedrooms?”
“For a start.”
“That’s not the marriage I want.”
“We don’t have a real marriage,” she mutters, glaring at me. “Look, I told you, I need to talk to Gem before we do anything.”
“It’s an easy conversation. I can come over and help if you’d like.”
“No!” Her eyes go wide. “God, no, please don’t do that.”
“Then tell her soon.”
“Give me a few days.” The panic in her voice makes me soften slightly. I want to move forward, especially now that the council’s going to hear about her, but I understand that things aren’t so simple.
“You have until Monday. Then my people will come to bring your things to my house.”
“Your people? No, never mind, it doesn’t matter. That’s too soon. It’s only Thursday.”
“Monday,” I repeat, pushing off the wall. “And don’t worry. I have plenty of space for both of you. Gem can have her own floor.”
“Her own… floor?” Kira’s eyebrows raise. “What about me?”
“You and I will be sharing the master suite.”
“I’m not sure I like the sound of that.”
I shrug and turn away. “You’ll get used to it. You’ll also have to meet my family, which won’t be easy, but you’ll survive.”
“Family? You mean, like your siblings?”
“I’m an only child. I mean the people in my organization.” I give her a hard look.
She rubs a hand across her face. “Right, your criminal friends, got it.”
“This is your life now. You should probably learn to refrain from calling your husband a criminal.”
“That’s a fair point.”
“I look forward to waking up in the same bed with you Tuesday morning.” I move toward the door but hesitate. “You look good, by the way.”
She laughs nervously. “Covered in dog hair?”
“Exactly.”
I leave her there. As I wind my way back through the grooming place and out into the afternoon, I can almost feel the roots I’ve planted begin to take root in the city. My plans are slithering through the concrete, and soon they’ll bear fruit. I just have to be patient. Only when it comes to Kira, it’s difficult to wait. I want all of her, and I want it all now.
Monday will have to do.
KIRA
Idon’t think I’ve ever been this nervous before in my life.
Nothing could ever prepare me for this. Not long hours grinding my ass to dust. Not slinging coffee or shampooing slobbering dogs. This has to be the hardest thing I’ll ever do.