Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 128290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Of course I don’t tell them this.
Raven’s eyes narrow in understanding, and slowly, she nods as if she knows exactly what I mean.
“Cute. We already knew all that.” The tattooed one crosses his arms.
“Don’t call her cute,” Enzo snaps.
The man grins at Enzo. “Heard he caught a wine stem to the neck. Nice move, my man. Might borrow that one.”
Enzo huffs, and I can picture him shaking his head.
Raven has been watching me silently, and I wait for her to open her mouth, but she just runs her tongue along her teeth.
“Looks like we’re done here,” I say, sitting back.
“You’re making a mistake.”
My eyes snap to the dark-haired, green-eyed one, Maddoc, I think they said his name was. His expression is one of pure annoyance, jaw sharp in anger.
I squint, guessing, “He’s a threat to you.”
Maddoc’s lip curls and I correct myself.
“He’s a threat…to her.” I motion toward Raven with my head.
Maddoc stands up taller, dipping his chin as he glares at me through his lashes. “Nothing will ever touch her.”
“Which is why you need me.”
“We need no one.” He leans forward. “I’m only here because we took it to a stupid fucking vote, and my brothers give in to everything she wants, so I lost.”
“Because you don’t want to put your wife in danger.”
“No.”
“Then why?”
“I don’t like people I don’t trust.”
I chuckle at that. “And I don’t like half the people I do.”
“And I will kill you all before you can blink if you look at my fiancée like that a breath longer.” Enzo demands everyone’s attention, but it’s not so much the fact that he said it, but how the second the last word left him, a single, pointed laser lands on each of their foreheads at the exact same position from all different angles, Bastian included, though his is pointed at his dick. “You are here as a courtesy, but I will happily bury each of you in my graveyard beside the others.”
Bastian spots the targets on his friends’ foreheads, sighs, and steps up. “All right. Time’s up.”
“The fuck?” The tattooed one turns to Bastian. “You said they’d listen, Bishop.”
“They did listen, Royce. Not their fault you’re talking in circles and giving them nothing. I got you in. My sister is the only one I’ve got a guarantee will walk out unharmed.” He looks to the pregnant one and my brows pop up in surprise. “And I’d rather she not hate me later for what will happen if Maddoc keeps running his big fucking mouth.”
“Fuck you,” Maddoc spits.
Bastian only nods, sliding his hands in his slacks pockets, looking to the blond, pretty one for the first time.
He’s yet to say a word, silently assessing the situation, so I’m not surprised when he’s the one who steps forward first, blocking the others from view as he bypasses me completely and speaks to Enzo, but not in a disregarding way to me, but in a way of respect to Enzo.
“The man we’re looking for is no small threat, and yes, it’s largely to our family, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t pose just as big of one to yours. I’d like to ask that your wife and Raven exchange numbers just in case.”
“Captain. No,” Maddoc growls.
“That way both sides can decide what you want to do, if anything at all,” Captain continues as if his brother didn’t speak.
What kind of name is Captain?
I look to Enzo, his eyes narrowed on the deceptive-looking blond. He’s pretty with his blue eyes and unmarred skin, has that all-American vibe going on, but it’s easy to see that’s not who he is. He’s their silent killer. Logical. Tactical.
Capable of faking a calm he doesn’t feel.
And he oh-so casually called me Enzo’s wife.
Enzo doesn’t correct him. In fact, he gazes down at me, his eyes softening slightly as he asks, “Little Bride?”
I lift a shoulder, meeting the blond’s stare.
“Good.” He nods and just like that, the entire Brayshaw family fans out, the small, platinum-haired pregnant one turning back with a smile and a wave…and I can’t help but chuckle. She looks ridiculous, especially with the laser locked on her temple.
Bastian waits until they’re gone to face us. “They’ll be watching.”
“They’d be fools if they weren’t, and they didn’t strike me as such.” Enzo cocks his head. “Maddoc Brayshaw. Is he a problem?”
“He’s a hundred problems, multiplied by every member of his family and his town. I’ve never known a more loyal name than theirs. Even when I was on the outside of it.”
“I don’t like him.” Enzo glares at the space they cleared.
“No one does. That’s kind of his appeal.” He laughs this time and Enzo scoffs, running a hand over his face as he looks to me.
“What do you think?”
“I think we’re missing something they don’t want us to find.” I look to Bastian. “And I think you know what it is.”