Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
But they’re not mad. Well, it doesn’t seem that way. It seems like they’re… excited.
“Look, I can explain everything,” I start, and all eyes turn my way. Decker would probably kill me if I were standing a few inches closer. “So—”
My phone starts ringing, and I breathe a sigh of relief as I turn away to take the call, not caring who it is, only that it saves me from trying to finish that sentence.
“Is that Roman Marshall?” The voice on the other end of the phone is male and deep. Several octaves deeper than mine, Decker’s or Allister’s. Somehow, it sounds like money.
“Yeah. You the cops?”
The chuckle comes back crisp and clear. “No, son, I’m not a cop. I know your uncle. Decker Lawrence? I’m also your new business partner. Well, investor, if you’ll have me.”
What the fuck?
I turn back to look at Decker, and what I thought was an urge to kill me a few minutes ago seems to be something else. Respect? God damn, what the actual fuck is going on here? And who’s the guy on the other end of the phone auditioning for the part of Barry White in an upcoming biopic?
“I’m confused,” I say, and hear a chuckle.
“I imagine you are. The man you beat half to death is a rival of mine, and I understand you two had a falling out over your BuckTrack app. Nice right hook, by the way, I would be proud of that if I were you.”
There’s a pause, and I glance around at Casey, who’s miming something in the corner of my vision.
Put it on speaker.
I shrug. Whatever. I hit the speaker button, and my new friend’s voice comes through for all to hear.
“Emmett Smith is a fucking asshole. I know it, you sure as hell know it, and when your uncle phoned me a few hours ago, he fucking knew it, too. You think there’s no way to get hold of the rest of the footage of what happened between the two of you? Your uncle had me pull a few strings, but probably best if we don’t go into details on that.” He draws a breath on the other end of the line. “So, what do you say we twist the knife on Emmett Smith, or Buck, or whatever he’s calling himself? I’ve been looking at your app, and he’s a fucking idiot for reneging on the deal. I’m pretty sure the others he works with will be fucking furious if he can’t put things right, and I want in. I’ve got cash, and I already have a gambling license. Let’s hammer out the details before these fuckers find a way to duplicate the coding and put out something on their own.”
I glance at Casey, then at Carrie, and finally at Emily. And I see grins all round. “I’ll have my lawyer draw up a new contract,” I say.
“Good man. Have your people talk to mine.” And with that, the call ends.
And I meet Decker’s eyes. “You were defending my daughter.”
“Yes, sir, I was.”
He nods. “I’m proud of you. Welcome to the family. You have my blessing, son.”
After that, things move fast. I find myself shaking my new father-in-law’s hand, while May and Leah laugh and shriek with Emily as she shows them the ring. Of course, they’re kind of mad that they weren’t there for the wedding, but we make our promises that we’ll do everything properly at home, and it was just to get a ring on Emily’s finger.
“He wouldn’t… you know… not without that piece of paper.”
May snorts a laugh, and Leah smiles as she pulls me in for a hug.
“Your mom would be proud,” she says. “And I’m proud of you. I know I’m not your birth mother, Roman, but I couldn’t be prouder of my little boy.”
“Not so little anymore, Mom,” I say as I hug her back.
She shakes her head. “You’ll always be my little boy, though. My little Roman soldier, toddling around with Emily. We knew it, right back then. Me and May, we used to tease Decker with it, telling him he needed to watch you around his daughter. But we always knew you were the best thing for her. Looks like you proved us right on both counts.”
I nod as Emily comes up beside me, wrapping me in her arms.
12
Roman
“Roman! How did you have all this done right under my nose?”
Emily’s officially been mine for less than 48 hours, and already I’ve managed to get my dick inside her, totally fuck up my whole keeping out of trouble thing, cancel our multi-million dollar contract, ruin everything…
And somehow get it all put back together, better than before.
And hopefully, already knocked up my new wife.
I grin, barely able to believe the craziness. “It’s been in progress for a while, Kicker.”