Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 169(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 169(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
“Ettore?”
I nodded. “And Marco. They’ll only be together for a short time and their location is perfect.” I stroked her cheek once before pressing a kiss to her mouth once more. “Come on. I’ve got to get dressed and get my ass downstairs. I’ll send Apple to stay with you. Will you be good with her staying here while I’m gone?”
She nodded, her chin quivering with emotion. “You promise you’ll come back?”
“I swear it, honey. I won’t be apart from you any longer than I absolutely have to.”
“OK.” She didn’t look or sound OK. “If you promise.”
“With all my heart, Cecilia.” I kissed her again before hastily pulling on my jeans and a dark shirt. I kissed her one more time, then headed out the door.
Surprisingly, Apple was waiting outside with Lemon. She glared at me before moving past me to the door. Before she could enter my room, I snagged her upper arm.
“Will you please stay with her until I get back?”
“You could stay with her, you know. Rocket and the boys’ll bring them back and you can do whatever.”
“Because they’re not coming back.” Surprisingly, it was Lemon who spoke. She looked from Apple to me and back again. I was surprised she seemed to be taking my side in this. It didn’t make me feel any better about leaving Cecilia, but this wasn’t something I wanted to leave to my brothers.
“She’s my woman, Apple. I have to be there to see this through.”
Apple rolled her eyes, obviously not happy with either me or her sister. “You better not fuck this up, Bullet.”
“I know what’s at stake. Cecilia is mine. She knows it now. She’s not happy I’m leaving right now. I get it. She needs reassuring and time to process. But I absolutely will not stay out of this.”
Lemon put a hand on my shoulder. “I know what you’re going through. I get it.” She squeezed my arm. “I’ll stay with them.” I’d never seen Lemon this subdued. She was almost like a normal person instead of a larger than life one woman wrecking show. “You bring those bastards the justice they deserve.”
I cocked my head. “Who are you and what have you done with the vice president of Grim Road?”
Thankfully, Lemon smacked the back of my head. “Nobody likes a fuckin’ smartass, Bullet.” Better. “Now, get your ass out there before Rocket leaves you.”
“Thanks, Lemon. I owe you and Apple after this.”
She waved me off. “Not for you. This is for Cecilia.”
“I get that. I still owe you.”
Lemon held my gaze for several seconds, then nodded her head. “On the house. Get outta here.”
A horn sounded outside, and I knew she was right. I needed to get moving.
As I jogged through the clubhouse, several club girls had gathered in the main room. I spotted Chyna among them. She smiled and waved at me even as I glared at her when I passed. I paused at the door and looked over my shoulder. “If you’re still here when I get back, I’m gonna forget you’re a woman and beat the livin’ shit outta you, Chyna. You went too far this time.”
Her smile faltered, but I didn’t wait any longer. There were several brothers in the room who could take care of the situation. This was one reason we kept the club girls separate. They were escorted in and out of the grounds if they needed to leave. Also, there weren’t many of them. This was a secret compound and we intended to keep it that way.
Outside, I climbed into the SUV Knox had prepped for us. Me, Knox, Rocket, and Scrub were the only members here. Seemed light to me, but I’d never question Rocket on something like this. He knew I had no intention of leaving either target alive and both were big-time mafia. If he thought we were good, we were good.
No one spoke until we got back on the beaten path, on our way to Palm Beach. Then it was Rocket who broke the silence.
“Thorn and Lock at Salvation’s Bane have seen to it these fuckers have a private room with four girls they trust. Thorn’s only instructions were not to leave any way for these killin’s to be tied to the Playground or Salvation’s Bane in any way.”
“I can handle that.” Scrub spoke up, nodding his head. “We doin’ it in the room where they’re holed up?”
“Yes. Much as I’d love to bring them back and make them last a few weeks, I don’t want that kinda heat on us.”
“Surprised Thorn’s lettin’ this go down in one of his businesses.”
“Only reason is because Alfonso’s been pushin’ up on Bane. Tryin’ to move them out of Palm Beach. Thorn’s tried to meet with the guy to establish some kind of understanding, but Alfonso’s workin’ with another club. Probably because Thorn refuses to do things Alfonso’s way, and he won’t pay tribute to Alfonso. The mob’s been harassin’ the girls at Salvation’s Angels as well as tryin’ to run off the high-dollar customers at the Playground.” Salvation’s Angels was the strip club Salvation’s Bane owned, and the Playground was their BDSM club.