Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 54283 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54283 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
"Come on," I murmur. "Let's go feed your homeless."
"They aren't my homeless, Nazario. They're the city's homeless," she says primly. "And you should care about that too, you know. You may be a criminal, but that doesn't mean you can't be human, too."
A smile twists at my lips, my cock stiffening at the way she calls me out without hesitation, without compunction. Fully grown men wouldn't even dare, but this little princesa? She fears nothing, least of all me. I fucking love it.
"Out of the SUV, princesa. Before I decide to show you just how big of a degenerate criminal I am in front of all these people," I growl, smirking at her. "Think they'll try to stop the big bad cartel boss if he stuffs his cock down your throat on the sidewalk?"
"Probably." Her pulse thrums against her pretty little throat, her eyes darkening. "But I won't."
Jesus fucking…
The shrill ring of my phone rips through the SUV, freezing me as I reach for her, intending to drag her into my arms.
"Motherfucker," I growl, snatching it out of the console. My mood plummets when I see Nicolas's name on the display. "I need to take this."
Brynna nods.
"What?" I snap as soon as I have the phone at my ear.
"¡Se nos creció el enano!" he growls. The dwarf has grown on us—our problems have gotten bigger. Fucking great.
"What the fuck happened?"
"We're on the verge of losing another shipment, príncipe."
Anger slices through me, sharpening to rage. "How the fuck are we going to lose another one, Nicolas?"
"Our ship was quarantined as soon as it docked in Aruba, Naz."
"Motherfucker," I swear, slamming my head back against the seat. This is the last thing I need right now.
"They're going to want to hear from you directly, príncipe," Nicolas says. "They won't negotiate with anyone but you."
I flick my gaze in Brynna's direction, guilt sliding through me. She needs a day away from this shit. But if we don't get this sorted out before they board the motherfucking ship, they'll rip it apart and take everything. And docking another ship in Aruba will cost two or three times what it does now to keep them looking the other way. We need that port.
"I'll be there," I sigh, a wave of defeat coursing through me. This empire is a yoke around my neck…but it's still my responsibility.
Cristo. Burning it to the ground looks better and better every day.
I disconnect, dropping the phone into the console.
Brynna meets my gaze, hers worried. "What's wrong?"
"Issue with a ship," I mutter, scrubbing a hand down my face. "I have to deal with it, mi alma."
"Okay," she says softly. A moment later, her hand slips into mine, her fingers lacing through mine. "It'll be okay, Naz."
I glance over at her, startled. "I'm supposed to be the one telling you that, Brynna."
"Yeah, well, I think maybe you need to hear it sometimes too. You're carrying the whole world on your shoulder. Now, you have help. You have me." She smiles at me, so sweet I want to crawl into her fucking skin and pour myself into her veins. Cristo. The way she looks at me, the way she makes me feel… It's terrifying and exhilarating, setting me on fire.
I lean over the console, devouring her lips. I lick into her mouth, claiming every corner of it. And then I pull back, reaching for the door handle. "Stay right here, mi alma. I'll be right back."
Her brows furrow with confusion. "Where are you going?"
"To do a little charity and get you that good karma, mi luz." I wink and then slam the door, striding toward the entrance to the soup kitchen. The fact that she thinks she needs to pour more good into the world to balance the scales for herself is fucking heartbreaking. So is the fact that Sullivan is too goddamn blind to see the damage he did to her.
He put her on a pedestal and turned her into a target, and then killed anyone who took a shot at her. And she's the one who suffered for it. He should have handled it a long time ago.
The moment the first enemy made a move against her, he should have gone scorched earth, burned their fucking worlds to the ground. No one else would have dared try. She wouldn't feel so guilty now if he had. But he let it continue, instead picking them off one by one like it was a game.
I won't make the same mistake. I won't lock her away. She won't be a target. And she'll never know just how brutal and monstrous I'll be to ensure it. Those sins will be mine, carried in secret so they never touch her.
"I need to see whoever the fuck is in charge around here," I mutter to the man standing at the door, letting people in one by one. "I'm about to make his day."