Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36476 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
“A bitch that tried to get me to kidnap my own daughter for ransom,” my father says. I grab hold of Ivan, wrapping myself around his arm so he can’t move unless he’s going to drag me with him.
“She got desperate,” Marco says.
“I thought she would.” Ivan finally speaks.
“What—what are you going to do?” Eva’s voice shakes. My father grips her by the hair, pulling her down so he can talk into her ear.
“I want to kill you.” The look on his face tells me that he’s not playing around. That in a blink of an eye he would end her life and have no remorse.
“Don’t!” I shout.
“He’s not going to kill her, Sunshine.” Ivan leans down and kisses the top of my head. “Marco. Give him what he needs.”
Marco reaches into his suit jacket and pulls out a thick pouch, handing it over to my father. He releases Eva's hair with a shove to take it. She stumbles forward. Vincent steps backward, not catching her as she falls to the floor. JJ smirks that Vincent let her hit the ground.
“Always remember that it’s because of Raegan you all get to live. Get out of here, Leo. The Feds will be here soon,” Ivan tells him. My father’s eyes lock with mine.
“You and no one else will hear from me ever again.” He holds up the pouch, a tight smile pulling at his lips before he breaks eye contact and flees from the condo.
Eva sobs on the floor, but I don’t actually see any tears come out of her eyes. I expect her to say something. Anything really. Why did she do all this? For what?
“It would be pointless, and she knows it.” JJ answers my unspoken question, knowing me so well. “She knows Ivan. She dug her grave. Now she’ll have to lie in it.”
“She’s lucky dirt isn’t going over it,” Ivan grumbles under his breath.
Soon the FBI shows up and whisks Eva away. “So I guess we can set a date?” JJ says when it’s only the four of us left. Marco left with the Feds, all of whom he seemed to know well.
“Come on, love. Let's leave them to it.” Vincent takes JJ’s hand. “We’ll be in touch tomorrow,” he says to Ivan. “The ladies can wrap up their plans, and we’ll go over the shipments and docks you’ll need for those imports for the Stone Brothers.”
Ivan only nods a response. When the door closes behind them, Ivan has me in his arms.
“What just happened?”
He carries me through the house. “You’re free. That’s what happened.” I wiggle in his hold.
“I’m not sure this is what free means,” I tease him.
He sets me down on my feet in the bedroom. “I couldn’t risk your father being who he was and someone ever connecting you to him. He had to die or disappear forever.” I swallow. “I knew which you’d want. So I made sure I made him an offer he couldn’t refuse to leave his old lifestyle behind.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll do anything to keep you safe.” He runs his fingers through my hair. “I thought Eva would get desperate and try to find him to cook up some new scheme for quick money before she fled the States.”
“You knew she’d try to get my father to do something?”
“Your father even took me by surprise, Sunshine. Once I told him that I could offer him a way out from the life he was in, but I needed him to lure Eva in, he was more than happy to help.”
“So it’s over?” I smile up at him.
“No, Sunshine, it’s only just beginning,” he says before he claims my mouth in a possessive kiss filled with so many promises. Ones I know Ivan will keep.
I’m finally home.
Epilogue
Ivan
Many many years later
“You okay?” my wife asks. I hook my arm around her waist to pull her down into my lap. I’ve had to share her enough today. When we got married, it was only a few of us. But so many things have changed since then. The backyard of our home Rae designed has been transformed.
“I’m better now.” She tilts her head so that I can kiss her neck. “Your dress is driving me insane.” I flex my fingers into her hip. My eyes linger on the small amount of cleavage she is showing. The dress might be covering most of her, but it’s tight, showing off all her curves.
“Oh?” She laughs. “You think my mother of the bride dress is sexy?” She leans back into me, her eyes on the dance floor where Emma, our oldest, is being spun around by her husband, Vincent and JJ’s oldest and only son. We all knew this day would come. It was inevitable. Those two were always meant to be together.
“You know I love you in yellow, Sunshine.”