Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 72421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
"I hope you're up to date on your techniques," Naomi says before following her father. Her tone is flat, her expression blank. You never know if she's joking or dead fucking serious. I swear she’s the scariest Marino out of all of us.
Everyone in the pit busies themselves as we walk through the station. No one even glances our way. They heard the screams, but they ignored them because they didn't want to be next.
War doesn’t care for it when it comes to these measures. He says he’d rather rule with respect than fear, but there is often no choice. I don’t give a shit if it’s fear or respect you have for me. Just do what you’re supposed to, and I won’t grace your doorstep.
When we step outside of the station, Nix, my little sister, is there leaning up against my SUV. The man talking to her clearly has no fucking clue who she is. Not to mention she’s fourteen, but my baby sister has a thrill of her own. We all have them. Hers is being in love with love.
I don’t say a word. I simply grab the short fucker by his hair, but in fairness, everyone is short compared to me. I yank him backwards.
“You can’t afford her,” I tell him before slamming his head into the passenger window. He crumples to the ground. Bulletproof glass hits differently. He’ll be out for a few hours.
“I’m not expensive.” Nix puts her hands on her hips.
“All women are expensive.” I flick my gaze to War in Naomi’s SUV, which is behind mine, except they have a driver. “Go,” I order her. My phone goes off at the same time.
“That is so sexist.” Nix glares up at him.
I understand why she’s in love with love. Nix sees our parents and wants that too. As one of her brothers, it’s my responsibility to set the bar as high as I can, and hopefully no fucker can live up to it. If they do, then maybe they stand a chance.
“Go ride with War,” I tell her, seeing the message on my phone.
“Is that them telling you that Kinsley is okay?” Nix tries to peek at my phone screen. The man on the ground groans. I give him a kick. The fucker must have a hard head.
"Yes." My brother's girl got wrapped up in all this drug shit. The girl is fucking nosy. If you're going to fall for a girl, brother, maybe don't pick one who wants to report the news.
I'm still on the fence about her, but it doesn't matter. When a Marino man falls, it's hard, and there's no going back, so Kinsley is now going to be my family.
"Then you're good. You can take me home." Nix's bouncing on her heels, a ball of energy. She's the spitting image of our mother with her blond hair and bright blue eyes. All sunshine and happiness. That must be wearing. It makes my head hurt.
“No. They have her, but there are other things to deal with.” I slip my phone back into my pocket.
“Are you going to the hole?” Nix’s eyes light up. Okay, she might not be all sunshine and happiness. The hole is where sunshine and happiness go to die.
So like I said, she is just like our mom. Our mom will charm the pants off someone, but if they do her wrong, she’ll stab them. And I mean that literally.
“Go.” I use a firmer tone with her, one that she knows better than to push back on. Her lips press into a thin line, letting me know she’s not happy about my command, but she steps off toward the other SUV. How she manages to stomp in heels, I have not a fucking clue, but it is impressive.
“I love you, asshole,” she snips at me. “Don’t die.” Nix gives me a bright smile paired with the middle finger before slipping into the vehicle.
“She’s going to be a fucking handful,” I say to myself, shaking my head before rounding the front of my SUV and sliding into the driver's seat.
It takes a chunk of time to get out of this part of the city. The Marinos own property all over, but outside the city and past the river is the family estate. It’s massive, and over time, more and more homes are being built. I’m starting to think the place is a fucking compound.
Our family is close. My grandparents had three kids and adopted one, which is my father Z. He ended up marrying their own daughter Cosima, my mother. My parents had four of us. I’m the oldest with two younger brothers and last but never least, our little sister, Nix. Then you have my uncle Ronan, who I spend the most time with, who is also married with a daughter. Then, of course, Uncle War and his wife, Tova, who have four kids of their own.