Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 106948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
“That’s all I can ask.” She sighed then moved over to her desk, her gait slightly hitched and her head bowed. “I need to be alone for a while. Can you take Ramón to get something to eat? I don’t think he’s done anything but drink coffee and whisky since this whole sordid affair started.”
“Of course, anything you need, Judith.”
“Thank you, Leo.”
Dismissed, I numbly made my way through the underground labyrinth until I found Ramón talking with some of his father’s men. No doubt there would be some power restructuring within the cartel; Fernando was the heir apparent, but he was in no shape to do anything but breathe right now. There were rumors that he would be leaving the area for a while after his son’s funeral, and I couldn’t blame him. Too many ghosts haunted his house, and everywhere he looked, he would be reminded of what had happened, what he used to have.
With a deep sigh to announce my presence, I put a hand on Ramón’s tightly muscled shoulder and squeezed. “Your mom ordered me to drag your ass out to eat, though I have no idea what in the fuck is open at this time of night.”
Instead of fighting me, Ramón shook his head. “I know a place, not too far from here, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to eat anything.”
“How’s their coffee? New day’s starting and it looks like you and I are shit out of luck about getting any sleep.”
The men around us laughed softly, our lives so saturated in violence even the atrocities we’d witnessed started to roll off our backs faster than it would for normal people. We were killers, all of us, born and bred, so what happened with Judith and Nina was par for the course. It was the boy’s death that haunted us and kept us from our beds. No one wanted to lay their heads down and close their eyes, only to see Jason’s mangled form burned onto their lids.
Ramón slapped my back, hard, no doubt reading my grim expression. “Come on. I need to get the fuck out of here.”
After I finished cleaning up, we walked through the service exit and into the deep of night, that ultra-dark and quiet time right before dawn, with a blend of exhaustion and the hope of a new day twisting in the air. The world felt old, used up and dull as I waited for the first hints of dawn to break the horizon and paint the sky crimson and the mountains in shades of lavender. Even though it was warm, the evening still held a blessedly cool tinge that felt good on my skin, refreshing me as we approached a brightly lit diner done in a retro theme.
I’d passed it many times, admired the old fashioned and elaborate neon sign out front, but had never gone in. Now as we pushed the door open, the smells of good, greasy food mixed with coffee and a hint of sweetness filled my nose, rinsing away the residual smell of blood from my mouth and mind. I took a deep breath, not really paying attention as we were led to a booth toward the back of the restaurant. The place was fairly busy and it took us a minute of shuffling to get to our seats.
Thankfully, the circular booth we were seated in was situated so both Ramón and I had a view of the door. Neither of us liked having our backs to the room and I didn’t feel like flipping him to see who sat where. The booth was high enough that it gave us a sense of privacy and I let the chatter of humanity wash over me.
I felt restless, edgy, as I contemplated Judith’s words. Some people may think just because I’m able to view a human being as nothing more than meat, it meant I didn’t or couldn’t have the desire for a loving family of my own someday. I wanted to find a nice girl, somehow con her into marrying me, and spend the rest of my life making her and my children happy. I’d always taken it for granted that I would find a good woman worthy of my devotion and we’d grow old together.
Now, after Nina’s betrayal, I wondered how I would ever be able to trust another woman again.
“Morning, gentlemen, my name’s Hannah and I’ll be serving you today.” A young female’s incredibly sweet voice rolled over my skin, stroking me from the inside out. “Can I start you out with some coffee?”
I turned to see who the enchanting voice belonged to, and was struck dumb by the leggy beauty smiling at Ramón as he placed an order for coffee, then added some pancakes and sausage to it.
Her long, long black hair was held back from her face in a high ponytail that still fell midway down her back, and she had the most delicate features I’ve ever seen on a woman. Big golden-brown doe eyes full of warmth and light, high cheekbones that curved down into a narrow, pointed chin, and lips so full they looked like they belonged on a porn star. Add to that a slender body with curves in all the right places, and even though she was dressed in a pair of loose brown pants and wearing a god-awful yellow apron over her white shirt, she struck me dumb with lust.