Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 169(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 169(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
I was growing to love him.
Hell. Maybe I was already there.
Chapter Nine
Bullet
“I got what you need, Bullet.” Crush popped his head out of his office as I passed. I was heading up to my room to see Cecilia. She wasn’t in the common room like normal, but I knew she’d either be with Apple or Lemon. Both women had taken Cecilia into their circle of protection and had done everything they could to make her feel welcome and like she’d found a home. I owed my VP more than I could ever express for that alone.
“You found the bastard?” Crush and Byte had been digging into both Ettore Alfonso and Marco DeLuca. I’d just been waiting for the word for where I needed to go hunting.
“Oh, we’ve had both of them for a couple days now. Not like their movements are that hard to follow. What we were waiting on was for them to be in a location together.”
“Are either of them actively looking for Cecilia?”
“No.” Crush shrugged. “Marco thought she was dead. Since she was under Jane Doe during the majority of her hospital stay -- and because of how injured she was, the hospital made her confidential -- they don’t know or suspect she survived.”
“Good. She’ll be safe here while I take care of this.”
“I sincerely hope you ain’t plannin’ on leavin’ without tellin’ her what you’re doin’.” Lemon approached from behind us. I knew from the drawl in her voice she was pissed which didn’t bode well. For me.
I turned to face her. “I have every intention of telling her where I’m going.”
“Good. ‘Cause she’s hurtin’. And it’s your fault.”
That caught me off guard. “What do you mean?” I narrowed my gaze, studying Lemon intently. “I’ve done my best to be as kind and gentle with her as I can. She’s healing nicely, but I have no idea the mental trauma she endured.”
“Have you talked to her about it? You’re the doctor.” As she approached, Lemon crossed her arms over her chest. She was a small woman, but her personality was bigger than any of us. She gave orders left and right and continually gave us shit, but Lemon didn’t really throw her authority around. She kept us off-balance but that was more for her own amusement. Fun. If you weren’t on the receiving end.
“I was trying to give her time to heal. She’s got a lot on her plate, Lemon.”
“Yep.” The woman wasn’t backing down an inch. “Surprisingly, most of it has to do with you.”
I blinked, not sure I understood where this was going. “What?”
“Get your ass to your room, Bullet.”
“Lemon, these guys won’t be in one place together long. He’s got maybe a couple of hours before the window closes. He could get one and not the other, but given how closely these guys are intertwined, whichever one is left alive will disappear.” Crush’s gaze moved from me to Lemon and back.
He wasn’t wrong. But if Cecilia was hurting because of something I’d done to her, there was no way I could leave her without making it right.
“Where are they?” I turned my attention to Crush as Rocket approached us, a frown on his face.
“At the Playground, if you can believe it. Salvation’s Bane could be really helpful.”
“A BDSM club.” Lemon snorted. “Can they get more cliché?”
“That’s one of Thorn’s clubs. Who’s his security there?” Rocket put a hand on Lemon’s shoulder.
“His name’s Lock,” Crush said. “Good guy. Steady in a fight. Smart.”
“Reach out to Thorn. Let him know who’s in their club and see if Lock can find a way to keep them busy without getting anyone hurt.” Crush nodded and Rocket turned to me, giving me a look of exasperation. “Well?”
“Well, what?”
“Get your ass upstairs and let your woman know you’re claimin’ her, dumbass.”
I blinked, looking from Rocket to Lemon. “She knows she’s mine. She’s in my room, ain’t she?”
“Did you spell it out to her?” Lemon rolled her eyes. “Like, did you tell her she was your old lady and that you were givin’ her a property cut and all that shit?”
“It was implied.” I knew the second the words left my mouth it was the exact wrong thing to say. There was no way to stifle the wince. “Never mind. I’m a dumbass.”
“Yeah,” Lemon agreed. “You are.”
Without another word, I took off at a trot to my room on the other side of the compound. I passed several members, all of them looking at me with something between amusement and pity. A couple of club whores approached me, but one look and they backed off.
When I got to the door to my room, I took a deep breath before I announced my presence. The last thing I wanted to do was scare her.
With a shaking hand, I knocked before opening the door. Seconds later, just before I opened the door myself, it was jerked open. Apple stood in the doorway, the spitting image of her sister. Instead of the warm smile and cheery disposition I usually got from Apple, I was met with a fierce scowl Lemon had perfected before she slammed the door in my face. If I hadn’t known Lemon was on the other side of the building, I’d have sworn she was with Lemon.