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“Brace yourself, then,” he says, his expression hardening and his eyes growing cold. “It’s still a long way to Texas.”
18
Jasha
Idon’t want to scare Lola, even though it seems like I do. She just needs to know that danger can present itself at any time, and the Italians don’t forget or forgive so easily. If there’s an attack, it’ll come suddenly. We won’t have time to prepare for than we already are.
I’m the one in charge of keeping her safe, though, so it’s not her place to worry about what could happen. My men are on the lookout, and will inform me if something arises that needs immediate attention.
Until then, we still have time to kill, and I’d like to get to know Lola better.
Alotbetter.
Especially since I’m going to be marrying her, but I don’t think she’s ready to hear more about that part of the deal yet. This could’ve been avoided had be not had a baby together, but that’s already behind us, and I’ve already made up my mind.
That baby is mine, and so is Lola.
“I need to know more about you, too,” I say, messing with a pawn on the chess board between us. “Unless you have questions to ask me about my story.”
She rolls her tongue across her teeth, thinking for a moment before narrowing her eyes. “Yes, actually. I think you skipped over all the dark shit you mentioned before. Other than your parents, I’m sure you’ve experienced some things that would make falling asleep at night difficult.”
“I have no trouble sleeping,” I say, but that’s a lie. I actually struggle to sleep at all most nights. The best I’ve slept was when I was holding Lola, but I’m not prepared to admit that to her. Not yet.
“Well, I’m sure you’ve done things that would make normal people lose sleep, so spill the beans,” she says, crossing her arms and leaning back. “Other than killing the train security guard, what horrible things have you done? I need to know who I procreated with.”
I chuckle, but the dark truth can’t be hidden with humor. She’s not going to like what she hears, but I’ve committed to coming clean. I’m going to ‘spill the beans,’ as she so eloquently puts it.
I start with the less conspicuous ones, the people who probably deserved it and would eventually be killed by someone else if I hadn’t gotten to the first. Those are the crooks and low-level thugs who nobody missed. Lola doesn’t seem too bothered by them as I list out everyone I can remember.
But then I move on to the ones who were less clear-cut. “A farmer in Russia,” I say thinking so far back that I have to clear a few cobwebs out of the back of my brain. “He was sitting on an oil well and didn’t want to budge,” I explain. “He was probably abusing his daughter, though, and she seemed happy when he disappeared one day. Nobody came looking for him, and I bought the land from the girl for a generous sum.”
“Probably?” Lola asks, raising an eyebrow.
I shrug. “There’s no way to know for sure. People out in those parts of the country aren’t terribly open.”
She sighs. “Anyone else?”
“I try not to kill anyone who didn’t have it coming, but I will admit to killing a politician who I can’t name. I’m pretty sure his family still hasn’t gotten over it, but it was him or me at that point. He was cracking down on crime in the area, and I needed that to change before I ended up behind bars,” I explain. “I didn’t pull the trigger, though. I try not to, these days, but sometimes I need the satisfaction of knowing they’re truly dead.”
“Satisfaction?” she asks, looking thoroughly horrified.
“Perhaps a poor choice of words.”
“Not perhaps. Definitely.”
I rub the back of my neck, trying to think of another way to say it. “Well, you want to make sure the people you need gone are actually gone, and not in hiding. Hitmen aren’t always that reliable, even if you pay them enough. If you want someone dead, sometimes it’s best to do it yourself.”
“Sounds a bit messy. Aren’t you eventually going to end up in prison for that?” Lola asks, giving me a doubtful, and thoroughly unimpressed stare.
I grin, even though I know it’s just going to irritate her. “I’ll try not to.”
She groans, pressing her palm into her forehead. “Jasha, that’s not going to be good enough for me. If you want to be a father, you need to be there for our baby. You can’t get your ass thrown in prison forever.”
“I won’t,” I reply with the utmost confidence. “I have enough connections to where that’s very unlikely.”
She holds up her index finger. “You just contradicted yourself.”
I shrug. “It happens. Now, if we’re done talking about my dark and evil past, I’d like to hear about your life. I’m sure it’s not all rainbows and butterflies.”
