Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 89032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
“And you’re going to help her?”
“I don’t know. Something like that.”
“Cormac, you know I love you, but you’ve never been the most emotionally available person in the world. I made peace with that a long time ago. But how does your wife feel about it?”
I close my eyes and sink into the music. I feel Bianca’s body under my hands. I taste her on my tongue. I hear her moans in the gaps between the piano keys. “She’s coming around.”
“Be careful. That’s all I’m saying. You found a happy medium these last few years, and I’m just worried you’re going to backslide.”
I shake my head. “It won’t happen.”
“But it could. You’re precious, Cormac. You’re more brittle than you let on. I just don’t want to see you snap.”
“I won’t.” I smile at my mother and she smiles back. “I have a wife to protect now.”
We finish the piece together. It wasn’t perfect, but it sounded better than I would’ve guessed after all these years. Seven, if I’m remembering right, since the last time we sat down together like that.
Seven long years.
I get up from the bench and Mom watches me. “You don’t have to lose yourself, my love. When you’re ready, we can find a way to take care of her. We can buy her another house, hire guards, make sure she’s comfortable. It doesn’t have to be your responsibility.”
“I chose this. It’s a good thing.”
“We’ll see.”
I leave her there. Mother’s only worried I might end up like I was back before my saint came into my life. Back when my life as Ghostman was everything and murder was all I could dream about. Stealing into Bianca’s apartment helped to settle the demons in my mind. She gave me life again. If Mom knew that, she might not be so concerned.
But I have to be better. The Morozovs are coming.
They want Bianca, and I need to be twice as good to make sure they never get close again.
Chapter 20
Bianca
There’s something creepy about the locked door.
It’s probably not a big deal. Lots of people have rooms they don’t want to show off.
I bet Cormac uses it for storage.
Worst-case scenario, it’s where he keeps all his guns. And potentially a few dead bodies.
I should just ignore it. I mean, what’s it even matter? If Cormac wants a place to hide his boxes of junk, he’s got every right to it.
But I can’t seem to let it go. The day after those random guys tried to kill me, I find myself standing outside the door, staring at it like I might mentally unlock it with my mind. I should be at the office, but Cormac insisted that I stay home.
Which works out, since my furniture is getting delivered today.
“What do you hide in here?” I murmur as I knock lightly on the door. I step back, afraid I might get an answer from someone inside. What if he’s got a prisoner chained up to some filthy bed?
But it’s all quiet. Just a door.
I try the handle again, my heart beating fast. My hands are shaking and my palms sweat. I reach up and run my fingers along the door’s frame, looking for a key. Dust flutters down around my face. I wrinkle my nose and fight back the urge to sneeze. Cormac’s downstairs, and if he knows I’m up here poking around—
There’s a loud slam from outside. I yelp and jump back, my chest feeling like it might explode. “Jesus fucking—” I hold my hand over my heart, catching my breath, as the sound of a truck engine firing out front makes me stand up straight. “My stuff!”
I hurry downstairs, figuring this is the delivery. But as I get closer to the front door, I begin to slow down, before finally stopping.
Cormac’s standing on the stoop, watching as the truck drives away.
“My stuff?” I ask quietly.
He turns to frown at me. “You ordered a bed.”
“Where is my stuff?” I move toward him and strain to look outside, thinking maybe it’s just left on the sidewalk or something. No problem, I can carry it in. Except there’s nothing.
The truck pulls away with a puff of smoke. I shove past Cormac, who doesn’t try to stop me, and follow it out onto the street, wildly waving my arms. “Wait!” I shout after it, my mouth dry. “Hold on a second! Wait, please, come back! My stuff!!”
The truck slows, and for a second, I think it’s actually going to turn around. Instead, it makes a left at the corner and disappears into the city.
I’m left standing in the street, staring after it.
Fuck. Fuck!!
I was going to have my own freaking room!
And now—
A car horn honks loudly, and I flinch. “Get outta the street,” some guy behind the wheel of a beat-up Acura shouts. He flops his hands like, what the hell are you doing, and I give him an apologetic wave as I hurry to the sidewalk. He’s about to say more, but his face suddenly goes pale as Cormac appears at my side. The guy hits the gas and quickly speeds away.