Page 95 of It Destroys Me

Now I understood his obsession with his wife, because I had the same obsession for Astrid. I just didn’t share the details because those were just for me. “I left the Skull Kings a week ago.”

That grin disappeared when he flinched at my words. Then he slowly dropped his hands as he sat forward. “What the fuck did you just say?”

“I said what I said.”

“No fucking way.”

“Yes.”

“You?” he asked. “Retired.”

“How many times can I say yes?”

“Wow. That means we can hang out all the time.”

“That’s not what I had in mind.”

“We can work out together every day,” he said. “Go eat lunch at Scarlett’s restaurant.”

“Don’t you have kids?”

“I’ve got Dante, my parents, and the nanny. We’ll make it work. Dude, I’m so stoked.”

“I was hoping to spend that time with Astrid.”

“You can only fuck so much per day, you know.” He grabbed his glass and took a drink. “Astrid must be happy.”

“I haven’t told her.”

“Why?”

Because it would seal the deal. Put the nail in the coffin. Make all these changes permanent. “Haven’t gotten around to it.”

“I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Now that I have peace, it’s all I want.” I wanted to fade into the background and be forgotten. I wanted life to be simple, even boring. “I can’t keep Astrid safe if I have a target on my back every single day. She’ll have to carry that target too, and I can’t handle that.”

He gave a slow nod. “I get it.”

“There wasn’t another option.”

“I’m still surprised you did this without talking to her.”

“I don’t need her permission or her blessing.”

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “She would have tried to talk me out of it.”

“You think?”

“She wouldn’t want me to give up what I love for her. I know her.”

“That’s sweet.”

“But we both know it’s the only decision that makes sense.”

“So this is the real deal,” he said with a slow nod. “I like it.”