Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 67553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Thank God it was dark, and it hid my embarrassment at being called sweet as sugar.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, to be honest.
It felt like a show, and I wasn’t sure why.
I wasn’t upset about the situation as much as the curiosity was absolutely killing me.
Shasha caught my hand, and the gate behind us opened. The guards, who Shasha addressed as “Artur and Alexi,” stepped into the opening and waited as if they expected the gates to be rushed by the small crowd.
None of them made a move, not even a clearly furious Gabriel.
He’d “made his connections,” and he was angry that he’d been played.
Well, he hadn’t.
But I could definitely see the way it looked.
As we passed, Shasha stopped me with his hand on my hip and said, “Keys, Kisa.”
I scrunched up my nose.
“They’re in the truck still,” I admitted.
I mean, the truck was so old and smelled like cow shit that none of us bothered bringing in the keys.
We could park it in the middle of the worst neighborhood in Dallas and it would still be there when we got back.
Shasha handed the larger of the two men, Alexi, his keys and then said, “Cayden’s keys are with him.”
“Thanks, Alexi,” Cayden said from behind me.
So that was who he was.
I was glad to see that he was okay, although he still had obvious bruises and abrasions.
We made it inside before the bottom dropped out of the sky, but only barely.
Poor Cayden’s back ended up getting soaked, but he didn’t seem to mind as he followed us inside.
Shasha dragged me through his McMansion into what I assumed was his office, but not before stopping at an older woman and calling out to her.
“Polina,” Shasha said carefully. “Call your daughter and ask her to find an extended vacation for the next month. Tell her I’ll fund the bill and smooth it over with her husband’s boss.”
Polina snorted. “You’re her husband’s boss.”
“True.” Shasha winked. “But still. Get her out of here. I want to deal with this before she comes back.”
“Yes, Shasha.”
We went farther into the office, and Shasha led me to the far wall where his desk chair was and directed me to it.
I took a seat, crossed my legs beneath me, and scooted up until I could put my elbows on the desk.
The two men watched the show, clearly amused.
“What are you doing here?” Shasha asked once I’d settled.
“How much does she know?” he asked.
“All of it,” Shasha answered.
I doubted I knew the half of it, but he was telling Cayden a lie so he’d speak freely in front of me.
I appreciated his thoughtfulness.
“I was coming here to take care of the problem,” he finally said very carefully. “But wasn’t aware that there were cops here.”
“Whatever you do, don’t do it with me around. That detective you saw in his black military garb was a pain in the ass detective who doesn’t want me in his town. He’s already been poking his nose around where it shouldn’t be,” Shasha grumbled.
“What do you take me as, an amateur?” Cayden countered.
I had a feeling they were literally discussing getting rid of Gabriel right in front of me without actually saying the exact words.
It was fascinating.
“I’ll stay until they’re gone.” He took a seat. “Then I’ll get him back to my town.”
That was interesting.
Even more interesting was how Shasha sat on the corner of his desk next to me, keeping himself between Cayden and me.
That made my heart feel all warm and gooey.
“You have the kid?” he asked.
“The girl?” Shasha asked without confirming. “I’m sure she’s somewhere safe.”
His non-answer was enough.
Yes, he had the little girl.
Yes, she was safe.
No, he wasn’t going to tell him any more about her.
My lips twitched.
“Boss.” Alexi came into the room. “They’re gone.”
He tossed three sets of keys and left, leaving us again just as fast as he’d arrived.
Cayden was up seconds later, catching the keys that Shasha lobbed at him. “Be careful, Cayden.”
Cayden’s eyes went a little dark and scary as he said, “Oh, I will be.”
Everyone was thinking it, I just said it.
—Shasha to Dima
SHASHA
I woke up to the early morning light spilling through the closed, practically sheer curtains.
Oh, and yelling coming from below me.
I groaned and rolled over, searching for the woman that I’d spent the last two days with, only to find that half of the bed empty.
My eyes went to the clock on the wall, and I groaned.
It was well past six.
She had to leave at seven fifteen.
Getting out of bed, I grabbed the pair of gray sweats from the floor and slipped them on before heading downstairs.
I was unsurprised to find my family there.
I was also unsurprised to find Alexi and Dima arguing over what kind of coffee roast was best.
Brecken’s interruption had me smiling despite it being way too fucking early in the morning.