Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 79052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“Thanks, I appreciate that.”
“You like this girl?” he asked.
I huffed out a long breath. “Yeah, I do. There is something about her.”
“Like Marcus?” he asked. “Julian?”
“Maybe.”
“Then I will make it a priority.”
I stood and shook his hand.
“Send me anything you have on this asshole,” he instructed. “I’ll cast my net.”
“Thanks, Egan.”
“You’ll talk to Sofia, right?”
“I will.” I met his eyes. “And I won’t be lying when I tell her you’re a good guy. But she’s skittish. She saw what happened with all the bosses. Matteo, Marcus, Julian. How their wives became targets. That frightens her.”
“She would be safe. I would make it so. I would give it all up and just be Egan. Stay home and look after bebelusii.”
At my shocked expression, he smiled. “Sofia is a doctor. Very important. She loves what she does. I stay home with the children, and she can keep her career. I want only what is best for her.”
“You might want to back it up a little, Romeo. Get her to have dinner with you before you inform her you have day care planned.”
He laughed. “Good advice.” He was still laughing as he walked out the door.
I shook my head. I had a feeling my cousin didn’t stand a chance.
RAVEN
I checked my ponytail in the mirror in the teacher’s lounge, my nerves fluttering. They had been all day since Damien texted me. While it was true I hadn’t slept much, it wasn’t for the reason he thought. He’d chased Andy away—I knew I was safe in my apartment. Even if Andy returned and got into the building, he couldn’t get into my place. And I had called my principal and she picked me up this morning, so I hadn’t worried about running into him then either. Andy was, in fact, the last thing on my mind.
What, or who, was on my mind was Damien. His reluctance to leave me. The way he took charge of the situation. He didn’t know, but I had watched him confront Andy across the street. I saw the way Damien stealthily approached the building, then dragged him from the doorway. I couldn’t hear them, but the difference in their postures said it all. Damien—tall, commanding, determined. Andy—hunched, hidden, no doubt belligerent. When Damien stepped closer and Andy hurried away, I felt only relief. When Damien had sat in my apartment, for the first time since moving to the city, I didn’t feel as alone as I had. He was calm and collected, yet I felt his wrath at Andy’s behavior.
The way he used my computer, I had no doubt the man had downplayed his skills. His fingers flew over the keyboard, and his concentration was intense. The questions he asked and his subtle way of taking control were sexy and comforting at the same time. The attraction I felt toward him was undeniable, and from the way he had kissed me before leaving, he felt it as well.
And we were having dinner, not because he felt the need to protect me, but because he wanted to. Since I’d gotten his texts, he’d been on my mind all day. I could hardly wait to see him.
The door opened, and the principal walked in. “Raven,” she greeted me. “All go well with your parent interviews?”
“Yes, they did, Tracey. Except the Flynnes. They feel Aaron should be in the advanced reading class.”
She rolled her eyes. “Did you point out the child can’t read a full sentence yet?”
“I did. They think he’s just shy. But brilliant.”
She shook her head. “He’s a normal student. A lovely child. I dislike it when parents push their own desires on their children. Let them develop at their own speed. It only harms them in the end.”
“I assured them I would work with him one-on-one when I could. That seemed to satisfy them. For now, at least.”
Tracey beamed. “That is why you are one of my best. Besides that, are you all right? I can give you a lift home.”
“No, a friend is picking me up. I’m good. I’m going to go get my purse and wait for him by the doors.”
She lifted one eyebrow quizzically. “Him?”
I felt the heat in my cheeks. “Yeah. Him.”
“Not—”
“No. He helped me out with Andy. Scared him away. He seems like a really nice guy. He owns a company called Elite Security.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Elite Security?”
“You know it?”
She nodded. “My husband does some hours with them. On occasion, they need off-duty cops. Mike thinks the whole organization is top-notch.”
“Well, Damien seems to be.”
She smiled, her eyes gleaming. “I met Damien once. He was top-notch in many ways, I think.”
I had to laugh at her words. “I agree.”
She laid her hand on my arm. “Okay. You go get ready. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
I went to my classroom and grabbed my purse. I shut off the lights and hurried to the front doors. Damien was waiting, leaning against the hood of a car, scrolling through his phone. I took a moment to admire him. Tall, dressed in jeans and a leather jacket, he was sexy and intense-looking. I was suddenly anxious to be close to him again, and I stepped outside. He glanced up at the sound of the door opening, tucking his phone into his pocket and watching me approach him with a wide smile.