Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 109086 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109086 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
I sank back on his legs, catching his hands and holding them in mine. He looked down at them.
I stated, “So you stayed out of your son’s life.”
“I took care of Justin.”
Right. His brother and sister, or his son. “I’m so sorry, Jake.”
“I took Justin away from there. By that time, my uncles were starting to circle us. They wanted me back killing for them, and if I didn’t, they were going to take Justin away too. That’s when I had enough. We moved to the city, and I enrolled in the police academy. We had other family down here. Some were cops. They helped take care of Justin.”
“Did he ever remember anything of what he did?”
He shook his head. “If he did, he never said.”
“And your Mafia family? They left you alone?”
Another harsh-sounding laugh sounded from him. His gaze was fixated on my lips, and he raised a thumb, tracing it over my bottom lip. “No. They wouldn’t totally let us go. I had my mother’s inheritance now and her shares in our family’s business. It’s a front for the business, but my uncles wanted those shares. I wasn’t about to give them up. I had to give them something so they felt like they could control us.”
“What do you mean?”
“That’s when I became a dirty cop.”
My heart paused, stricken.
He was waiting for my reaction. His hand fell from my mouth.
God. My chest ached at seeing everything that was haunting him. Too many ghosts surrounded him.
He frowned, slightly. “Aren’t you going to say something? Condemn me? Tell me what a piece of shit I am?”
Wordlessly, I shook my head. I saw how he condemned himself. He did it enough for both of us. Reaching for his hand, I took it in mine and held it between both of my hands.
His eyes fell to watch what I was doing.
Softly, gently, I said, “You were between so many walls. Justin. Your sister. Your parents. Your uncles. Tabitha. Your son. It kept squeezing you and squeezing you. You were alone?”
The side of his mouth dipped down. “I had Justin.”
“No. You were caring for, supporting, and protecting Justin. Who was protecting you?”
He swallowed starkly, his Adam’s apple jutting up and down sharply.
This man who was underneath me, who sat between my legs—he’d been just a boy when his world fell apart. He had monsters trying to take away who he loved on all sides. So he reached for what he could to protect himself.
He got a badge.
He rasped out, in a rough confession, “I started taking bribes from Ashton Walden as a way to help protect Justin and myself from my own family. His family was powerful enough to go against mine. Ashton got enjoyment out of taunting my uncles, that he now had me and they didn’t.”
“Wouldn’t it—” I didn’t even like thinking this way, but . . . “Why didn’t they have you killed?”
He laughed, softly. “They tried a few times. It never worked, and by then, I was too insulated. By law enforcement and with Ashton’s family. Enough people knew that if something happened to me, who it would’ve been.”
Another piece fit together.
“I just cared that they left Justin alone, which they finally did.”
“He never knew, did he?”
“No.” His eyes were so dark, almost black, when he added, “I’m done staying away from my son. I stayed away because of Justin and my sister. Then I stayed to find Justin’s killer. When this contract is gone, there’s nothing keeping me away anymore.”
“What about your sister?”
“Tab and I will have a conversation about that. I’m not going to let that happen, either, but that alone isn’t going to keep me away any longer.” He caught my chin and pulled me to him. His eyes studied my face. I didn’t know what he was searching for, but I held my hand over his.
“We just need to get rid of the contract first.”
“Damn straight,” he said softly.
“How are you going to do that?”
“I’m going to let the world burn.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Jake
“Why the fuck does your family gravitate toward this club?” Ashton griped, sliding in next to where I was sitting in one of the back VIP booths. We were set back on a raised floor with enough space in front of us so we could have our own dance floor if we wanted, or if others wanted. There were other booths lining the wall. They were bigger, more private, and each booth got its own bottle service.
That’s not why I was there at Octavia, a nightclub run by the Mauricio family.
I flashed Ashton a dry grin, picking up my bourbon. “Because it’s not one of yours, and since I don’t own a nightclub, it was either this or a cop bar.” I raised an eyebrow at him, enjoying his automatic sneer. “Next time I’ll pick a cop bar. We could do the one where Trace’s woman has roots. Bear’s not there anymore, but I’m sure you’d be welcome now that you and his woman are friends. Right?”