Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 124451 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 622(@200wpm)___ 498(@250wpm)___ 415(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124451 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 622(@200wpm)___ 498(@250wpm)___ 415(@300wpm)
Cory pauses, whipping his head to meet her furious stare as his fist hovers in the air. My heart races with fear. I know he won’t hesitate to hit his son, but I don’t know where he draws the line, and I sure as fuck don’t want to use Bri to figure it out.
Before he even gets a word in, Bri storms in front of him, shoving him hard enough to make him wobble back, forcing him to release his hold on Riley. “You fuck with Riley, and you fuck with me too, and trust me, you don’t want to do that.”
Riley’s hand goes to Bri’s waist, ready to throw her out of the way, but she stands her ground, not moving a fucking inch, even when Cory comes back at her. “Mind ya business,” he spits, getting right in her face, but she doesn’t even flinch. Damien, on the other hand, looks like he’s about ready to throw down. One hand on our girl and I’ll happily spend the rest of my life behind bars, and I don’t doubt Damien would be right there beside me. Cory’s whole body seems to vibrate with rage. “This is between me and my son.”
“Look around you,” Bri says, her gaze as cold as ice as she indicates to the hundred or so pairs of eyes locked on us, phones in hands, more than ready to expose this motherfucker for exactly what he is. “Shit’s getting cozy. It’s between all of us now.” Bri smirks, knowing she’s got him right where she wants him. “Ball’s in your court, so what’s it going to be? You want to beat the shit out of your son in front of all these people?”
Cory growls, leaning in toward her, but Bri still holds her ground, her unwavering determination to protect Riley standing strong. “I suggest you get the fuck out of my house before it’s you who ends up black and blue.”
There’s a collective gasp around us and my hands ball into fists, not taking kindly to threats against my girl, but still, she pushes back. “Hmm, I wonder,” she says, glancing around us. “Show of hands how many of your parents are colleagues of Mr. Sullivan’s?”
To my surprise, at least three hands raise high into the sky and Bri arches a brow at Cory, never looking so damn smug in her life, even more so as she lowers her voice and steps even closer. “I wonder how quickly they’ll destroy you.”
Fucking hell. I don’t know whether to be worried or turned on. All I know is that there’s a reason I stopped calling her Killjoy, and this is why. My girl is a killer through and through.
Cory’s hand whips out, his fingers snapping around Bri’s arm as he yanks her into him, spittle hitting her face. “Listen here, you little slut,” he growls just as Damien leaps to his feet with determination to end him. But it’s Riley I need to watch out for.
Time slows as my gaze snaps to his, a familiar look burning in his eyes. A look I’ve seen far too many times. It’s one thing to threaten Riley, but fuck with someone he cares about, and it’s the end of the fucking road for you.
I don’t waste a fucking second.
Lunging forward, I throw my arms out, reaching for Bri and yanking her out of the way just as Riley’s closed fist flies through the air with the force of a fucking cargo train. His father doesn’t even see it coming, still focused on bitching out Bri.
Riley’s fist slams into his face, not a hint of warning. His nose snaps like a twig with the most satisfying crunch I’ve ever heard and blood gushing out like a waterfall, splattering across the pavement as his head whips around with the force. Cory roars in pain, but the momentum has barely hit him yet. He falls back, and just to add insult to injury, Jax’s foot accidentally-on-purpose slips out, tripping the fucker before discreetly pulling it back as though he didn’t do a damn thing.
Cory falls into a row of vacated chairs, spilling abandoned drinks and making an even bigger fool of himself, and as the crowd of onlookers laugh at his expense, he tries to scramble to his feet.
Gripping onto his bloody nose, Cory stands and glares at his son. “You’ll fucking regret this, boy,” he says before spitting a mouthful of blood onto the ground.
Riley steps forward, not a hint of fear in his eyes. “Will I?” he questions. He holds his father’s stare, and seeing his son has the upper hand, he turns and storms back into the house to the crowd’s delight.
Riley lets out a breath as Bri breaks from my grasp, rushing into him and gripping both of his arms, demanding his attention. She looks up at him with big blue eyes and I can only imagine what he sees in them. “I’m so sorry,” she says. “I had no idea. If—”