Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
The questions I asked her wouldn’t be about her happiness. They would all have a purpose. The final goal. Finding out what she knew about her deceased husband. How she’d found out about the job here, working for Kendrix. There was no way it wasn’t connected. It was all too much of a coincidence. I would have known that even if Liam hadn’t spelled it out for me.
I knew he believed she had some insider information or that she’d come here because of something she’d been instructed to do. I intended to find out the truth and clear her name. Make sure everyone knew she was innocent.
Pulling to a stop in the clearing where I’d had trees taken down for the house I never got around to building, I cut the engine. When her hold on me loosened and then her arms left me, I realized my mistake. But if she kept touching me, my head wouldn’t be able to focus on my reason for doing this.
I glanced back at her as she began to unbuckle her helmet. The eyes that had never left my dreams took in her surroundings with interest until they came back to meet mine.
“This is your land?” she asked, pulling the helmet off her head.
Her dark locks, in a messy disarray, were distracting. Making me think of the times I’d made it look that way and the things we’d done to cause it.
“Yeah,” I replied, then cleared my throat.
“There’s so much land. I’d have never imagined there’d be anything like this close to Miami.”
We’d driven over an hour north up the coast, but I liked that she hadn’t thought it was that long. That meant she had been enjoying herself.
“It was easier to find six acres of undeveloped land in Lake Worth Beach. I doubt there is any in Miami, and if there is, it is out of my price range,” I replied, climbing off the bike.
I’d spent almost two million on this piece of land, but it had been an investment. Continuing to sink my income from the club’s profit into more strip clubs hadn’t seemed like the best financial move. I had enough invested in them. I’d wanted something that was solely mine.
I held out my hand to her after taking her helmet. She glanced down at it for a moment, as if she wasn’t sure she should take it.
“We’ve been riding for over an hour. Your legs may be a bit wobbly,” I told her, using that as an excuse.
She licked her bottom lip and then gave me her hand. I wrapped my larger one around it and enjoyed the way that simple connection felt. Letting go of it was something I didn’t want to do, but once she was off the bike, I knew I had to.
She glanced around at the ground. “How far away from the water are we? Are we in danger from an attack of any alligators?”
Chuckling, I shrugged. “It’s South Florida, Angel Face. Gators love it here. But I will keep my eyes open.”
Her eyes widened, and she glanced back at the bike, as if she considered getting back on it.
“I swear I won’t let one get you,” I assured her. “This is an equestrian community. Didn’t you see the big sign when we drove inside the gate?”
She nodded, then scrunched her nose. “You don’t ride horses…do you?”
“No, but the land was ideal and in my price range.”
I waited while she decided if she was going to go any further or not. I decided on not telling her that just beyond the trees I hadn’t cleared yet was a panoramic view of the lake. If she knew water was that close, she’d no doubt climb back on my bike.
“How did you find this place?” she asked.
“Liam has links to the equestrian community. A business partner of his son-in-law’s owned the land and wanted to sell.”
It was more like the former owner had gone bankrupt, and Liam had mentioned to me that he’d be interested in the land if his daughter and grandson weren’t in Ocala. I’d seen a good opportunity and taken it.
“It’s lovely,” she replied, her eyes drifting over the property. “Do you plan on ever building a house here?”
Yes…no. I wasn’t sure.
I shrugged. “Maybe. One day.”
Her smile was soft as she turned her eyes back to mine. “Vanna would have loved this place,” she mused.
I nodded. “Yeah, she would have.” Especially the view of the water that the house would have when the trees were all cleared.
“Do you ever visit her grave?” she asked. “I mean, sometimes, I just want to talk to her. Even if she can’t talk back.”
My chest tightened. “I do. Every time I’m in Ocala, I drive up to sit, drink a beer, tell her about life. Wish like fuck she were there to listen.”