AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I should tell him.
He looks at me, waiting for me to say something, and I know that this is the time to tell him. To tell him about my lump, about my life being on a timeline, about everything. But as I open my mouth, I can’t. I just can’t.
“I’m fine. Please don’t worry about me. That was the best wakeup call I have ever had,” I say with a smile, while on the inside, I am not sure if I am about to faint or throw up. All I can hope is that whichever one is going to happen, it doesn’t occur until he is gone. Clearly, I have overdone it again and the bleak reminder starts to haunt me.
“I will see if Maria is feeling better to check on you later,” he grumbles before leaning in and kissing my lips, then slowly retreating to the door.
“I’ll be seeing you later, Little Red,” he whispers.
“Be safe,” I reply to him, and he nods before walking out the door.
I lie there in the quiet, taking big breaths, until my heart beats slow. I’m his, I want to be his, but it is all going to be over before it really begins. I already am feeling my body going. I’m always tired, and my appetite is no longer as ravenous as before. I feel the cold more than ever.
I feel terrible not sharing it all with him, but I am in bliss with him. For the first time in my life, I feel what it means to want someone and them want you.
I know Dante told me to relax, but I need a shower and something to eat. Because if this feeling doesn’t subside soon, then Dante is going to know something is wrong.
26
Dante
I walk out of the bedroom door, leaving Little Red in bed wrapped up in my sheets and wishing that I can lie there with her. Her sweet naked body wrapped around mine is all I will think about today.
Her move to straddle me on the armchair this morning surprised me, and I am glad to see her coming out of her shell a little more. She must be feeling more comfortable, and I do like this confidence that she has, especially when I get to start my day with her on top of me or her mouth on me.
But as I walk out my front door and make my way down the quiet hallways to our conference room to meet the boys, I still feel like something is not right. She was pale this morning when I tucked her in. I quickly pull out my phone and send a quick text to Maria to see if she can check up on Annie this morning. Perhaps it was because she is tired and hasn’t eaten yet this morning, but I have a niggling doubt in my head that is starting to fester, and I feel like she is keeping something from me. Something she knows I won’t like.
I meet Sebastian in the hallway, and watch him as he rubs his eyes, clearly having had a late night.
“I fucking hate getting up early and leaving Goldie in bed,” he grumbles to me, and while 6am is not too early, I am beginning to understand what he means.
“Well, she is your weakness, you know that,” I say to him as we continue to walk together. I never thought I would see the day that my best friend fell in love, and it has been a privilege to watch. Growing up, we never really saw a happy marriage, all of them arranged and merely business transactions. But when Sebastian spotted Goldie, it was game over for him, and now all he does is grumble when he is away from her. A feeling that I am discovering in myself.
“You will see, brother, you will see,” he says to me with a knowing smile as he takes a sip of his morning coffee.
We walk into the conference room and see both Carter and Nico having an animated discussion about one of Carter's upcoming fights, and Sebastian and I take a seat, watching them.
“You really should. You get calls about it all the time!” Nico says, obviously trying to convince Carter to go pro, but we know he will never do that. Nico has a good business mind, and I can see the wheels in his head turning, thinking about managing Carter to become a world-renowned MMA fighter, which he is more than capable of being.
But underground fighting is what he enjoys. Carter loves to walk on the wild side; he doesn’t like restrictions, rules, or anyone telling him what to do. He is a tough motherfucker who had a bad upbringing and a rough start at life, and he is now taking out his anger on the poor suckers who think fighting with him in a warehouse, on a cold concrete floor, in the darkness of night is a good aspiration to have.
“Fuck going pro. Do you know how much money you make me, Carter!” Sebastian chimes in, now grinning like the Cheshire Cat, because it's true. Sebastian and I have made a lot of money from Carter's fights. We never bet against him. He wins every time. I feel sorry for the poor guys who step into the ring with him, because I would never want to.
“When is your next fight?” I ask him, knowing he always has one lined up.
“Not sure. We need to find this asshole first, because I want the family safe before I step back into the ring,” Carter says, sobering the room.
I nod to him in admiration that he puts the family in front of himself. We all do it, but it was how Sebastian and I were raised. Carter is different, but no less part of our family, and he shows us his commitment each and every day.
“How is Annie, anyway?” Carter asks, and all three of them look at me. Sebastian has a sly smile, clearly reading me like a book.
“She is fine,” I reply, not really wanting to elaborate.
“Just fine?” Carter presses, trying to goad me into biting. Clearly, he needs to fight if he is trying to pick one with me.
“Why don’t we talk about your woman for a moment, shall we, Carter?” I say to him, willing to entertain him this once. Carter doesn’t have a woman and has never had anyone serious, but I like to tease him, regardless.
“Oh, so Annie is your woman now?” Carter asks with an eyebrow raise, quick to pick up my words and slam them back into my face. He is good at it. Due to his history of growing up on the streets, he had to hustle, had to learn to sway things his way in order to survive.
