Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 89145 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89145 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
“West put me in my place in the bedroom all the time,” I said. “I’ve had practice.”
“That’s the sweet spot right there,” he replied. “Only reason I rile up my man sometimes.”
Fuck, same. West and I had been equals in every aspect outside the bedroom, no power dynamic or anything like that, until the second we switched over to sex. My bossy beast would take over, grab me by the throat, and level me with a look that said he was about to own my ass.
Shite. I shouldn’t go there now. I didn’t need more misery in my life.
“How’s that going, by the way? With the ex.”
“It’s not.” I made a turn and drove past some slow cunt. “I reckon I put the final nail in the coffin today when I sorta—in a deniable in court kind of way—confirmed that the syndicate was my future.”
“Fuck, did you really?” Kellan was surprised.
I nodded.
“Damn. I’m impressed.”
I quirked a brow and made another turn. We were getting closer. “Why?”
He shrugged and exhaled some smoke. “It bodes well. Members who try to hide their affiliations completely usually fuck up sooner or later, which brings spousal drama to our doorstep.”
I guessed that made sense.
“How much do members tell spouses?” I asked, curious. “Finn, for instance. Or another high-ranking Son like yourself. Or Colm or Liam.”
Kellan weighed his answer for a few seconds. “It depends entirely on the relationship. Shan and I can share a lot since we’re both in, but we keep secrets too. It’s part of the job. We just know it’s always work-related. You’re gonna have to ask Finn about what he tells her. But you know what he says—give a hand.” Never an arm. “It’s not just about protecting the syndicate, though. It’s about protecting partners and keeping the peace. The rest is up to you. Do you trust your partner enough to divulge anything that can land you in prison?”
Not that West was my partner, but no. I didn’t trust him. I had no right or reason to, and he had no reason to protect me either.
“The more you divulge, the more you put the syndicate at risk too,” he went on. “Plus, ain’t a fuckin’ chance you’ll see a promotion or a bonus if we think you’re running your mouth to your man about your woes. A Son’s gotta be able to keep his mouth shut.”
It wasn’t going to be an issue for me. I was just curious.
I could already picture my future. West was gonna meet a man or two, possibly a rebound who lasted a year or so, and then he’d be single for a while before he met the next love of his life and got married. By then, I’d just be Trip and Ellie’s dad. He’d have no memory of me as a husband.
When West got attached, it was near impossible for him to move on. He went all in so completely, so faithfully, and so overwhelmingly, that there was nothing beyond the love he gave someone. Didn’t matter if it was a husband, like me, or the dog he’d had when he grew up. He didn’t want another dog, to this day. He’d had one, and that was enough. But of course, partners were different. He didn’t wanna spend the rest of his life on his own, so he was trying. And he was going to succeed after some ups and downs.
Me, on the other hand? Christ. I was gonna compare every future guy to West, which would result in them remaining casual. I’d have a string of hookups and arrangements to waste weekends with—never a holiday, never a birthday.
“I won’t say shit to nobody,” I muttered. “I’mma die alone.”
“Yeah, that sucks, mate. Last turn up ahead,” he responded. “Park to the left of the building. We’re entering through the back.”
I really appreciated his unwavering support.
As I pulled into a parking lot between two apartment buildings, Kellan called someone.
It was a short call. “We’ll meet up in thirty, ’cause I’m going to Baltimore later.” That was all he said before he ended it, and then he turned to me. “Thirty indicates seconds, three hours means three minutes. Baltimore is our code for something that takes less than five minutes, and me going anywhere—I can use drive, fly, and run too, depending on the distance… That means we’re requesting interference,” he told me. “In short, what I just told Eric is that we need him to run interference on the surveillance in thirty seconds, and it only needs to last a few minutes.”
What the fresh fuck?
“You need to remember this for safehouses in apartment buildings,” he went on. “Your car can only be visible at an address with CCTV a single time. After that, the location’s considered hot until you change cars.”
So that was why I was on a permanent three-month lease? I was going to replace the work car every three months.