Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 92559 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92559 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
“You know,” the male remarked dryly, “this actually went better than I thought it was going to.”
“Because I didn’t bust the door off the hinges?” Hemmy offered.
“Well, there’s that.” Apex shrugged. “And he’s still breathing.”
Yeah, the fucker who had laid his hands on Mahrci was still breathing, Mayhem thought. But he was seriously considering shutting that down. Seemed only fair considering the male had gone for her throat.
He was never going to get over what he’d seen as he busted into that bedroom.
On that note, he glanced down the stairs. The female who had been unforgettable even before he’d kissed her was staring up at him, echoes of shock and fear paling her face, her eyes wide. After he noted all of that, the only thing he could see was the bruised, red band around her neck. It was like a second collar at the loose opening of the fleece she’d worn for their trip to the supermarket.
Are you okay? he mouthed.
He wasn’t sure she’d understand him. But when she nodded and smoothed her hair back? Guess so.
Meanwhile, the ex was getting his shit together, rolling over and planting a pair of squeaky palms on the varnished floor so he could push his chest up. Without thinking about what he was doing, Mayhem drew his boot back and aimed for that ass—
Apex yanked him out of range. “Nope, you’re done. The message has been received and we don’t need this.”
“He called her a cunt. After he started to strangle her.”
The change in the other male was instantaneous. Those black eyes narrowed, and those lips went straight-line. “I’m sorry—what?”
“He tried to strangle her.”
There was a pause. And then Apex lowered himself on his haunches and tilted his head so he could look the ex in the face. “Did you do that? You put your hands on her?”
Remis met the male right in the eye. “None . . . of your . . . fucking business—”
“You called her a cunt?”
By this time, Mahrci had reached the top of the staircase, and Mayhem wanted to step into her, pull her against his body, and feel the warmth and solidity of her. But he stayed where he was—because he wasn’t too sure that Apex wasn’t about to jump on Remis.
And if anybody was going to go beat-down properly on the guy, it was going to be—
“You’re a dead male.”
As the vow hit the airways, Mayhem thought it was Apex talking. But then he realized he was the one being addressed.
The ex’s nasty, unhinged eyes were staring up at him with a hatred that was surprising. Most aristocrats didn’t have that much passion in them. Then again, this was the new order of the glymera, where money counted more than breeding.
Apparently, the male still had some starch in his bloodline.
“I have people,” Remis said grimly. “And you’re fucking dead—”
“You know what,” Apex announced as he straightened and clapped Mayhem on the shoulder. “You just keep going with your workout. Cardiovascular health is so important, and really, when was the last time you went to the gym?”
“God, it’s been weeks.” Mayhem bent down and palmed the ex’s face, lifting Remis up to his feet by the guy’s features. “And I had a New Year’s resolution. So I’ve been letting myself down.”
As he started walking for the front door, Apex followed along casually. Like there wasn’t all kinds of tap dancing going on next to them.
“Oh, yeah?” the guy commented.
“Yeah, totally—” He steered the ex around a table with a bunch of boating pictures on it. “Watch yourself there, Remis, I wouldn’t want you to get hurt. That would be such a shame. Anyway, what was I saying—oh. Right. Yeah, so I was going to start going twice a week, but I couldn’t keep that up—hey, would you get the door for me?”
“Pleasure.” Apex jumped ahead, cranked the latch, and pulled things open with a flourish. “And I do mean that.”
The cold rushed in, and so did the glare of the bright white landscape: Thanks to the exterior security lights, it was easy to see the shoveled walkway, easy to pilot the stamping, hollering douchebag to that BMW.
When they were about ten feet away from the car, Mayhem gave the ex a good push and the male skated forth, landing on the hood of the sedan like a deer that had been hit.
The recovery was pretty quick, all things considered, the male getting back on his feet—even if those Gucci loafers gave him some traction issues.
Hard to look like a badass when you were skating while holding still.
What a pity.
“You shouldn’t have gotten involved,” Remis said.
Mayhem inclined his head. “Thanks for your opinion. I’ll file it where it belongs—”
“She’s only fucking you to get back at me.”
Time slowed to a stop. And Mayhem glanced down at the snow. “Now, see, why’d you have to go there—”