Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92376 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92376 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
“Do what?” I ask, cautious in case I’m wrong.
“Be all quiet and broody, keep it all packed in and not ask for help. It’s nice to talk about things. I actually have a counselor here, and we talk about a lot of things.”
“A counselor? What do you talk about? You aren’t telling them family secrets, are you?” My words come out more hostile than I intended, a consequence of being obsessed with secrets all my life. I bite my lip. “Sorry, I know you wouldn’t do that. I don’t know why I reacted that way.”
“I think you just demonstrated what I’m talking about. This isn’t healthy, Logan. To keep things buried like that. I’ve just been talking about some stuff that happened when we were younger. Like…” Even before he says it, I already know where he’s going. “With Mom.”
Vivid images flash through my mind—bright-red blood, being gripped by terror as I seize my gun, rushing through the house, desperate to make sure my family’s okay…
I clench my fists, trying to will away the thoughts of that fateful day. The day our mother died.
“Obviously, just the event,” Malaki assures me. “And once I got it out, it didn’t feel as heavy. It didn’t feel so scary.”
I glance around Dad’s office, searching for a way out of this conversation. “I think I have some things I need to get to.”
“I didn’t mean to upset you, Logan.”
“You didn’t. I just, I need a minute.”
It’s not that the memory is too much for me. Hell, there hasn’t been a day since then that I haven’t gone over it, whether I wanted to or not. It just feels like I can’t deal with it while I’m already stressed out of my mind over Killian.
I tell Malaki I love him before hanging up, and I’m about to head out of the study to mope about the premises when the door bursts open. I jump, half expecting Killian’s come to collect.
It’s only Wrath. “Whoa, bro. Why so jumpy? Guess being kidnapped will do that to you. You know, that last time I was kidnapped, it wasn’t so bad. Met some nice guys, and I had a good time before I killed them all.”
If only he was joking.
He slaps my back. “Relax. You’ve been too uptight the past few days.”
“I was just on the phone with Malaki, and it reminded me why it’s so important to maintain protection for our family. Everyone shouldn’t have to pay for this family’s mistakes.” Just me…
“I don’t think you get how the mob works,” Wrath says. “You don’t get a choice about it. It’s in our blood, and that includes the little artist.”
Maybe it’s something to do with being given such a wild-ass name, or that he and Masters inherited the side of Dad that loved all this—the politics, the power, the frenzy. Malaki, Rory, and I aren’t anything like them. This wasn’t the life we chose for ourselves, and I would rather swallow the more unpleasant parts of this than put it on them. Of course, that’s not something Wrath would understand, so I bite my tongue.
He hands me a drink, and I down it. “Ooh, you needed that, didn’t you?”
“You have no idea.” I enjoy the tingling that gives me some reprieve from the bullshit.
He glares at me. “You’ve been doing that thing you do.”
“Huh?”
“Sulking around the house.”
“You and Malaki need to leave me to it,” I say through my teeth.
“Well, I’m here to announce you’re finished moping. You’re coming out with us to the Trove tonight.”
I cringe.
Wrath and Masters love attending the fights, which I find barbaric. Brutal.
“You’re not fighting, are you?”
“Of course I am.”
Jesus, I thought I couldn’t get more stressed than when Malaki brought up Mom.
“Wrath…last time your opponent broke your arm and busted open your lip.”
“And I broke his nose, but look at this guy.” He indicates his perfect nose, which he’s so proud of never having broken in a fight.
“I’m not going to a goddamn fight, especially if you’re in the ring.”
He slings his arm around my shoulders, tugging me close. “Come on, big bro. You’re gonna love it.”
I hate the fights. It’s one of the many things I could do without. Although, the Trove is one of our business associates’ favorite places to meet.
“You know what would make my brother feel better?” he asks. “A good lay. A girl to remind him he doesn’t belong to some psycho. And you know all the hot girls show up to the fights.”
He’s not wrong. Plus, one of the reasons the Trove is so desirable for guys like me is that the security is on point, so there’s no chance Killian would attempt to have me kidnapped from there. But that brings me to another issue…
“Killian might be there,” I say. “I don’t want to see that fucker.”