Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 66062 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66062 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Aiden swallowed. “Yeah, I heard about that. Is he okay?”
“Darling, it’s Zain. Who knows what’s going on in his head?” She snorted. “But I’d really stay away from him if I were you. He’s been scaring even me a little. He’s in a nasty mood these days.”
“Noted,” Aiden said. “But I really need his number.”
“Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. Here it is…” She rattled off the number, and Aiden hastily wrote it down.
“Thank you,” he said.
She chuckled. “Don’t thank me yet. Seriously, don’t call him now. He bit my head off last time I called him.”
That seemed like sound advice.
Sadly, Aiden was too weak to follow it.
He called.
He waited with bated breath, his heart beating in his ears and his stomach attempting to crawl out of his mouth.
Finally, on the fifth ring, Zain answered, barking something into the phone.
“Hi,” Aiden stammered. He hadn’t meant for it to come out so weak and shaky. It barely even sounded like him.
Zain said hoarsely, “Aiden?”
A whine building in his throat, Aiden pressed the phone closer to his ear, as though that would make him closer to him. Hearing Zain’s voice was like allowing a starved man to smell a feast but not allowing him to eat. “Yeah. I’m—how have you been?”
“How have you been,” Zain repeated flatly. “I’ve been busy hiring new people after you had all of my staff killed.”
Aiden lay down on his bed and hugged his pillow, pressing the phone even closer to his ear. He could hear Zain’s every breath that way. If he closed his eyes, he could almost pretend he was right there, behind him.
“I didn’t do it, you dick. It’s not my fault I was rescued.”
“Congratulations,” Zain said and hung up.
Aiden nearly cried—no, please, it wasn’t anywhere near enough. But then his phone rang. It was Zain. Aiden had never answered a call so fast.
“I don’t get something,” Zain said testily. “Why the hell are you bothering me after siccing your mafioso of a brother-in-law on me?”
Aiden frowned, utterly confused. “What? I don’t understand.”
There was a moment’s silence.
“You didn’t tell Damiano Conte to threaten me to stay away from you?”
“What? No!” Aiden scowled. “I told Damiano to leave you alone. I told him you didn’t do anything to me.”
Silence fell over the line.
“I definitely did something to you,” Zain said at last, very dryly. But his tone was softer now.
Aiden found himself smiling. “I miss you,” he blurted out before he could stop himself.
Silence.
He could hear Zain inhale deeply.
“I thought they’d cure you of that nonsense by now,” he said in a clipped voice.
Nonsense.
It was nonsense.
Of course it was. Had he actually expected Zain to say that he missed him too? That he wanted him back?
Aiden pressed his trembling lips together.
“They’re definitely trying,” he said, forcing lightness into his voice. “It hasn’t worked yet. But I’m sure it will soon enough.” I miss you. I wish you were here. I miss your weight on me, your arms around me, even your scent.
Aiden didn’t say any of that. He wanted to, but nonsense still stung.
“Probably,” Zain said tonelessly.
Silence fell again.
“It’s probably for the best that they took you away,” Zain said. His voice sounded rough. Stiff. “I wouldn’t have—” He cut himself off. “It’s a good thing they separated us.”
“Yeah,” Aiden said, closing his eyes. His throat ached. This felt like a goodbye. “Probably.”
Silence reigned again.
“You’ve lost weight,” Zain said.
“What? How do you even—Are you keeping tabs on me?”
“It’s easy enough for a man with my resources,” Zain said, irritation in his voice. Or was it defensiveness?
“I didn’t say it was hard,” Aiden said, smiling involuntarily. “But it’s sweet of you to care.”
“Sweet,” Zain repeated. “Some would call it stalking. You really need to get your head fixed.”
Aiden smiled helplessly. God, he missed him so much. So much. It felt like he was alive for the first time in months. Just hearing Zain’s voice was invigorating. “I probably do,” he said agreeably. “But in the meantime, I’m allowed to say all the nonsense a person in their right mind wouldn’t say. So I will. I miss you. I miss you so much.”
Zain inhaled audibly. And then he hung up.
Aiden blinked, his eyes suddenly burning.
But before he could wipe the stupid tears away, his phone rang again.
“I’ll be in the US next week,” Zain said. “I might find time to see you, but it’s a business trip.”
Aiden’s heart soared. “Right,” he said, smiling. “I had no idea you even had business here.”
He could practically see Zain’s dark eyes glowering at him.
“I’ll text you when I’m there.” Zain hung up again.
Grinning, Aiden hugged his pillow to his chest and screamed with joy.
“Aiden?”
Aiden froze.
He turned his head toward the door and found his mother watching him with a troubled frown on her face.
“You called that man, didn’t you?” she said.