Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 40037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 200(@200wpm)___ 160(@250wpm)___ 133(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 200(@200wpm)___ 160(@250wpm)___ 133(@300wpm)
Grandmother and Simon won’t let me rule. They think I’m a puppet to control and talk down too. Maybe, I should trust Santino.
“Did she slap you, Kashmere?”
I swallowed. “She did.”
The line of his jaw twitched. “She’s your grandmother. I won’t touch her, but I will decapitate all her men and place their heads at the gate’s entrance.”
“Oh shit,” Merik muttered. “This motherfucker’s brutal.”
“Uh no. . .” I shook my head. “You can’t just cut their heads off, Santino. That’s not how we do things.”
He stalked forward and stopped in front of me. “And this Simon basically told on you to her?”
“First of all, can we get a clear agreement that you’re not going to decapitate anyone.”
“Did Simon tell on you?”
I sighed. “He did.”
Santino glanced over his shoulder.
One of his men nodded at him.
Wait a minute. What’s going on?
Santino turned back to me. “I’m staying here this evening. Can rooms be prepared for my people and me?”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “That depends.”
“On what?”
“What are you going to do?”
“Protect you.”
I tensed. “How?”
“It’s better that you don’t know.”
“You can’t come through terrorizing—”
“Yet, they can terrorize you.” He scowled. “I think not. If you want to truly save the Killer Crows, then you have to cut out the toxic poisonous parts before it infects the whole body.”
The very idea of what he was saying scared me.
I was supposed to be a proper Chairman and rule according to the laws of the Killer Crows—rules that my ancestors had created and passed down generation from generation.
And now, in one night, I may be the Jones that destroys it all.
I turned to Merik, needing some clear guidance.
My cousin grinned. “I just have one question, Mr. DeLuca.”
Santino quirked his brows.
“I just want to be with you, when you do what you do.”
I frowned. “Merik—”
“We need to blast all these motherfuckers, Kash.”
Santino raised his eyebrows. “Kash? Is that your nickname?”
“Yes.”
Santino licked his lips. “I like that.”
Further back in the hallway, I spotted Rue and Dane semi-dragging my grandmother away. Perhaps, she thought they wouldn’t follow my instructions.
Either way, she’d gone from somewhat calm to now loud and belligerent.
“That whore can’t kick me out of my house!” Grandma screamed as they took her off in the opposite direction. “Get off me! My father built this place! Kashmere is nothing and will never be nothing!”
I let out a long breath. “That damn woman never liked me. From the moment, I left my mother’s womb she probably hated me.”
Merik gave me a sad smile. “If it makes you feel any better, she only has like three grandkids that she likes out of the ten. And now two of them are gone.”
Santino looked at Merik. “Who is the third one?”
“My older brother Roscoe. He went to jail five years ago,” Merik said. “He serves on the Board as a Shareholder. Every Tuesday and Thursday she will drive two hours to visit him. Meanwhile, if I stand next to her, she’ll look through me and never say my name.”
“Be happy with being ignored by her.” I sighed. “I actually miss those days.”
“No need to miss them.” Santino tenderly took my hand. “I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere.”
I gazed at him.
If I let Santino stay, he would shake up the Killer Crows and me. In order to do this, I would need to put all my trust in him and hope to God that he wouldn’t seize this opportunity to destroy my people and me.
Santino squeezed my hand. “Do you believe me, Kash?”
I smiled at him saying my nickname. “Yes. . .I believe you.”
“I can stay?”
“Yes.”
“Wow.” Merik nodded and headed off. “I’ll let the butler know to prepare rooms.”
Please, God. Please, don’t let this be a horrible mistake.
10
Strange Happenings
Santino
I
stood in my suite, with the lights glowing and the heated floors warming my toes.
The staff had laid a robe and red silk pajamas over an ornate wooden chair. Towels were stacked on another chair in a beautiful candy apple red color that reminded me of Kashmere’s lipstick.
The bedroom was surprisingly large with high ceilings and ornate cornices and moldings. The deep red walls were decorated with swirls of rich, dark-red roses. A crimson red quilt covered my king-sized bed. The pillows had red tassels. The floor was made of inlaid wood with a large, deep-red and black oriental rug.
However, the oddest part of the room was that the large windows were barred and blocked by intricately designed black metal shutters. They were locked over the windows and balcony opening. They resembled the commercial metal ones that business’ put over their doors and windows to prevent theft and vandalism.
However, these were a shiny black and looked extremely expensive.
Why would they put those there?
On this level, I knew that the windows would provide a breathtaking view of the property as well as the twinkling stars in the dark of night.