Total pages in book: 767
Estimated words: 732023 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 3660(@200wpm)___ 2928(@250wpm)___ 2440(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 732023 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 3660(@200wpm)___ 2928(@250wpm)___ 2440(@300wpm)
If I weren’t already tense, I would’ve gone stiff. “No, nothing.” I hate lying to him. It makes me feel like I’m going to puke. “Hey, will you put me down? It hurts my head even more.” Now I feel like a bitch on top of it.
He stops and lowers me to my feet, his brows together.
“Just give me a few minutes. I need to regroup.”
He nods and shoves his hands in his pockets, looking at me thoughtfully. I ignore the chills racing up and down my spine as I walk swiftly to my hotel room.
Get it together, Corey. Get your shit together.
#
Stefano
Something happened to Corey, I’m sure of it. If one of my asshole family members roughed her up, I will fucking kill them. It’s possible Junior found out about her dad. Wouldn’t he say something to me first, though? Or to Nico?
Or is it her own family that has her off her game. Lord knows, I can sympathize with that plight.
I knew this wedding would be a fuck-all of family shit. Corey said her dad wasn’t invited. Maybe someone gave her a hard time about that.
I wish to hell she would just tell me!
All she ever does is push me away. Enough that I’m not even sure she feels the same way.
Not that I’ve come out and said I love her, or declared long-term intentions. I still haven’t figured my way around her dad and my family. I still don’t even know what long-term looks like for me and her. If I even know how to be in a committed relationship.
Hell, just getting her to move in with me was a major endeavor.
She probably won’t be walking down that aisle with me as anything but best man for a long time.
If ever.
She’s been wounded. Her dad did a number on her and she’s gun shy now. But I’m going to show her what it’s like to be with someone who has your back. Because if there’s anything good I learned from my family, it’s loyalty.
It’s the willingness to die or go down for the people you love.
And eventually I’ll teach her to trust me.
Chapter Fourteen
Corey
Nico flew us all to Chicago in a private plane, but we’re on our own heading back because he and Sondra are taking the private plane to Fiji for their honeymoon.
Stefano and I head to the lobby at 7:00 a.m. the next morning to get a taxi to the airport. After the incident with my dad last night, I’d gone to my hotel room to pull myself together, and made it through the rest of the night.
Stefano dragged me back from the shitstorm of thoughts in my head at the end of the night by pinning me down—literally with my wrists clamped in his big paws—and forcing me to hold eye contact the entire time he fucked me raw.
It was brutal. And beautiful. By the time we both came—perfectly synchronized together, of course—I was fully present. In my body. With him.
We get to the airport, and Stefano hands the tickets over to the United agent. “Two to Memphis,” she confirms.
My head jerks up. “No—”
“That’s right,” Stefano says.
I hide my confusion because I don’t want to get punked in front of the ticket agent, but the minute we head for security, I grab his arm and pull him to a stop. “What in the hell is going on?”
He hides a smile. “The world poker tournament starts tonight. I entered you.”
My eyes must fill my whole face. “What?”
“You heard me, bella, you’re going to be on TV. An international poker star.”
My knees nearly buckle. “Stefano, are you nuts? It costs ten grand just to get in. I’m nowhere near ready for games like those.”
Stefano’s expression turns serious. “Bullshit.” He has a way of saying bullshit that is all street. All scary, in your face, I-dare-you-to-lie-again attitude.
I draw back, flushing.
“When are you going to let yourself out of the box?” he demands.
I’m trembling now, whether it’s from anger or fear, I’m not sure. “What box?” I raise my voice, because getting right back in his face is my defense mechanism.
“The box you put yourself in to keep you small. To keep you from shining. Who are you hiding your brilliance from? Your dad? Yourself?”
I slap his chest, because tears are shoving up in my throat and I’m pissed that he’s stripping me bare right here in the airport.
He catches my hand and brings it to his lips, kissing it with tenderness. “Because I see it in you every time I look, bella,” he murmurs. “Every goddamn time. And I want you to know what I know.”
Tears well up. “What’s that?” I mutter.
“There’s nothing you can’t do.”
“Damn you, Stefano.” I blink back the water in my eyes.
“Listen, amore. We’re going to Memphis. If you decide you don’t want to play, then we’ll go to Graceland and see the King. Or we’ll stay in the hotel room and you can punish me for springing this on you. ‘Kay?”