Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 88580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
“Stop it,” I say, surprised by my hard tone. I didn’t know I had anything left in me. I feel drained, wrung dry, squeezed to within an ounce of my life. “I don’t want to hear anymore. Just stop.”
“I’ve been paying for my mistake for seven years, and I’ll keep on paying for the rest of my life. You matter to me, Casey.”
“And you protected the man that nearly killed me.” The elevator arrives and I slowly get on. He doesn’t come closer, and I’m overwhelmed by the sudden, visceral need to get away. “Don’t follow. Don’t send your goons to keep me. I’ll scream if they do. I’ll make a scene in your precious casino.”
“Casey—”
“Just don’t. Okay? Just don’t. I need to think.”
His face finally breaks. It twists into a mask of pain, and the hurt’s so clear in his expression that it nearly shatters my resolve. Instead, I jab the lobby button so hard it chips my nail.
The doors slide shut and I glide down and down, away from Adler, away from my husband and my home, down into the guts of the Sunrise.
Chapter 32
Casey
“No. No! He did not.” Roxie paces back and forth across her apartment. “He’s the freaking guardian angel? Adler Costa? He saves your freaking life then stalks you and pays for everything and—” She raises her wine glass to her lips, considering. “Sorry, what’s the problem again?”
“Roxie,” I say and throw a pillow at her.
“I know, I know, I’m kidding.” Although I don’t think she is. “Seriously, what was he thinking? I don’t think I’ve heard anything so—” She waves a hand in the air trying to conjure the word.
“Creepy? Bizarre? Freakish? Insane?”
“I was going to say romantic—”
I throw another pillow at her. “Would you stop it?”
She grins at me and flops down onto the couch. “Sorry, I’m done. I agree, it’s beyond bizarre. I mean, he’s been doing this for how long?”
“Seven years. He’s been steering my life for seven years.”
She takes another long drink and whistles. “That’s impressive.”
“It’s insane.”
“There’s some serious dedication going on here. I mean, most men would’ve given up after a week of no sex, let alone seven years.”
“Roxie.”
“There is something obviously wrong with this guy, but still, you have to admit it’s impressive.”
I rub my temples. “I thought you were going to be more supportive.”
“Sweetie, supportive is letting you crash at my apartment for as long as you want. Supportive is going up to bat for you against the big bad Costa family. Supportive is being ride or die no matter what, and you know me, I’m as ride or die as they come. But I won’t lie to you.”
“You know who did lie to me?” I give her a look. “Adler. Repeatedly.”
“Lies of omission.”
“Arguably worse. He manipulated me into marrying him and neglected to mention that he’s one of the most central figures in my entire life. Even more central than I knew.”
“Fair point.”
“He steered me into his casino. He kept me close, always hovering around, always watching. Now do you believe me that the guy used to purposefully walk past my table whenever I was working?”
“I absolutely believe you,” Roxie says, looking chagrined.
“This whole time, he knew what happened to me. Not just the stories, but he was there. He’s the voice in my freaking head.” I lean forward and hug my knees to my chest, staring at Roxie’s beige carpet. She lives in an apartment complex where all the rooms have the most boring decoration imaginable. She spiced her space up with colorful wall hangings, lots of silk and pillows and such, but the carpet remains atrocious.
She puts her arm over my shoulder and hugs me close. “He should’ve told you,” she says, squeezing. “Right from the start. That should’ve been part of the negotiations.”
“The thing is, I don’t know what I would’ve done if he had. I’m not sure I would’ve walked away.”
“Why now though?” she muses. “Why tell you all this now after so long? Why break his silence?”
“Tony Vetch.” I hug myself tighter. “Tony wants to hurt me. I’m a loose end.”
“You think Adler married you to keep you away from Tony? Didn’t seem to work.”
She has a point there. If anything, it drew more attention to me than before. “I don’t know what that man’s thinking because he doesn’t tell me.” Which is beyond frustrating. I want to believe Adler’s doing this because he cares, but I can’t quite bring myself to take that leap yet.
From my perspective, he’s done nothing but lie, manipulate, and take advantage of me. Instead of being honest from the start, he concocted this whole web of lies, this convoluted scenario to get me into this life.
I don’t even know what’s true anymore.
“What are you going to do?” Roxie asks when I stand and start pacing. I feel like my body’s going to explode if I don’t keep moving and burning off some of this nervous energy.