Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 36154 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36154 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
Reaching his woman, he pulled her into his arms.
“I’ve got to go in there,” she said.
“I know.”
“She’s … so young…” she sobbed. “They can’t be dead. They can’t be.”
“I’ve got you.”
“They wouldn’t let me go in.” She pressed her face against his neck.
“I’ve got you.” He looked at Randy.
“I’m on it,” Randy said.
He didn’t need to ask the man to go and check to see if the son of a bitch was still around. For something like this, the fucker was close, he could sense it.
“It’s because of me, isn’t it?” she asked. “I put Daniella in danger.”
“This isn’t your fault.” He cupped her face, forcing her to look at him. “You’re not responsible here. You didn’t kill her or set this building on fire.”
“You know she’s dead?” she asked.
Damon nodded. “My man, he was watching. I called on the way here. He told me they were dead.”
“But, how did he know?”
“He’s inside as well. The building, it’s going to keep going up in flames until no evidence is left.”
“She was just a kid. She had her whole life ahead of her. She was so nice even after everything that happened. This isn’t fair.”
“I know. I’ve got you. I know.” He wanted to take her pain away, to not let her feel, but right now, he was just going to have to be content to hold her. Randy didn’t return immediately.
Police moved aside the audience the fire had built. Ambulance crews came, and he moved her toward his car. She was bruised. Her face cut from wriggling against the tarmac. People would pay for putting their hands on her, and he was going to find the person who thought they could hurt his woman and get away with it.
Chapter Ten
Isabella paid for Daniella and August’s funerals as well as Damon’s guard. She knew he didn’t take the money even as she passed him her card to take care of everything. He was there by her side through everything. There were no bodies to bury, but she still paid for caskets and was there at the church.
Randy was there, as were a couple of Damon’s men. He held her hand, offering her support.
That was three weeks ago.
Staring out across the city, even in the full heat of the sun, she felt so alone.
Damon moved up behind her. He’d only left her a couple of times to deal with business. She knew she should be there with him, but she hadn’t been able to think without being on the brink of tears.
Mourning.
Again.
“How are you today?” he asked.
She leaned back against him. “Fine.”
“You’re not.”
“It’s … it’s another day.”
“That it is.” He kissed her neck and she closed her eyes. “Would you like to come to work with me today?”
“What do you have to do?”
“Nothing much. I’ve got some accountants to check over. I’ve got word they’ve been playing with the books and I need to go and teach them a lesson.”
“You sound happy about that,” she said.
“It gives me something to do to help clear my mind.”
“Pain does that.”
“They’re traitors.”
“Someone killed my friend, Damon.”
“I know, and I’m going to find them. I promise.”
She turned in his arms, cupping his face. “And he gets to walk free?”
“Sweetheart, these things take time,” he said.
“No, they don’t. It didn’t take a lot of time to kill her or her son.” She pressed her lips together. “When you find the person, I want to be there.”
He stroked her cheek. “Do you think that’s wise?”
“You told me you’re not like other men, well, I’m not like other women.”
“Did you see your father torture? Kill?”
“I saw a lot.” There was much he kept hidden from her, she wasn’t a fool, she knew that, but he at least trusted her to do what was right, she believed that deep in her heart.
“Come with me today. You don’t get to join in. You watch and when we’re done, you tell me if you can handle the kind of pain you think you wish to dish out to someone else.” He glanced down at her. “You need to change first.”
“Sweat pants and stained shirts are not appropriate to a killing?”
“You need to look the part and by that, you need to look powerful and be ready for anything. Get dressed. Get prepared. You’re a strong woman. You didn’t cause Daniella’s death. You are not to blame.” He kissed her lips and she wanted more. “Go. We’ll see how much you can handle.”
She walked into the bedroom, quickly swapping her lazy clothes for something a lot less comfortable but screamed that she was in control. Once she was sure she looked good, she made her way back out, pulling her long, black hair into a ponytail.
“Beautiful,” he said.
Following him out of the penthouse apartment, she didn’t say anything on the way down to the parking lot. She noticed his men were close and as they climbed into the back of his car, she looked out the window.