Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 102546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
I stand awkwardly over by the table, wanting to offer my help but also not wanting to overstep. I’m not sure if these women have invited me because they feel obligated or are just truly interested in getting to know me.
“Emilee should be here any moment. Not sure where Alexa is,” she answers.
“She’s probably still in bed. She was up at the club late last night.”
“Yeah, Grave and I went up there to help her and Cross with a few things. But the Kings ended up having to go to the Airport,” April adds. “Grave didn’t get home until almost four. He was home long enough to shower and took off for Kingdom.”
“I’m here! The party can begin.” A brunette enters the room, and I know who she is. She’s in the pictures with Bones that I found. And she was with another one of the Kings at the hospital. My eyes catch sight of the diamond on her finger, telling me she’s either engaged to one as well or already married.
“About time.” Jasmine grabs a bottle from the brunette’s hand. “Let’s drink. Mimosas all around.”
“Hi.” The girl comes over to me and reaches out her right hand. “I didn’t get to properly meet you the other night.” She smiles shyly. “Emilee.”
“Mia.” I reach out and shake it. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“I wish it was under better circumstances. I’m so sorry about Luca. Have you spoken to Haven?” she asks.
“No.” I sigh. “I don’t want to bother her.” She knows I’m here and will contact me if she needs me.
Emilee nods.
“Speaking of here,” Jasmine wipes her mouth with a napkin. “Where have you been?”
“Jasmine. That’s none of our business.” April scolds her, swatting her arm with a spatula.
“What?” She jumps back, laughing. “You’re all thinking the same thing.”
“It’s all right.” I give her a soft smile. “I’ve been in Italy.”
“All your life?” Jasmine asks
“For the most part.” I pull out a chair and sit down at the table.
Jasmine grabs a jug of orange juice out of the fridge and pops the cork on the champagne she took from Emilee. “And you came back because of Luca?”
“Yeah.” I look down at my hands. All these women are obviously very close with Haven and Luca. I don’t want them to know that I’m the reason he’s in a coma. “I had called Luca, and she answered, telling me what happened to him.”
“Speaking of what happened …” Jasmine speaks, pouring some drinks into flutes. “Does anyone know if the guys found out what they wanted at the Airport?”
Emilee shakes her head. “I was asleep when Titan returned, and he was gone before I woke up.”
“I spoke to Grave before he left this morning,” April states, piling some bacon on a towel-covered plate. “They confronted a guy who the Mason brothers were holding, but it just wasn’t what they wanted to hear.”
The door opens again, and then a bleach blonde enters the kitchen. She has her hair up, pieces falling out everywhere, dressed in a Kingdom T-shirt with black sweatpants on along with what I’m guessing is her makeup from last night. She’s got a cross tattoo on her inner wrist that looks like it’s on fire. I notice she doesn’t have a ring on, and I didn’t see her at the hospital the other night.
“What the hell happened to you?” Jasmine laughs, looking over at her.
“I’m exhausted.” She falls into one of the chairs at the table. “I haven’t been to bed yet.”
“Mia, this is Alexa, Cross’s girlfriend.” Emilee introduces her.
I nod. The cross on her inner wrist now makes more sense. I bet it has to do with Cross. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Her blue eyes meet mine and soften. “I’m so sorry to hear about Luca.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, pushing some loose hair behind my ear awkwardly.
Every time someone mentions his name, my chest squeezes to the point it’s hard to breathe.
Alexa’s cell phone rings, and she pulls it out of her pocket. “Hello?” She answers, placing her elbow on the table and her face in her hand. “Fuck,” she hisses. “I forgot. I’ll head there now.” Hanging up, she drops her phone to the table.
“What is it?” Jasmine asks.
“I forgot that the contractor was going to be at the club today. I’ve got to go—”
“I’ll meet him,” she offers, walking over to her. “Go home and get some rest. You’re going back tonight after Cross gets off, right?”
Alexa bites on her bottom lip for a second and then nods. “Yeah. Thanks. It shouldn’t take him more than twenty minutes. He just wants to go over a few changes that we made. There’s an extra set of updated drawings there for him to take.”
Jasmine rubs her back, and Alexa lays her head on the table. Jasmine looks at me. “Want to go with me?”