Total pages in book: 165
Estimated words: 166103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 831(@200wpm)___ 664(@250wpm)___ 554(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 166103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 831(@200wpm)___ 664(@250wpm)___ 554(@300wpm)
This wasn’t like her. She never let go of the tight hold she had on that part of herself. She rarely gave in to her temper and yet, she’d been close to letting it fly at Grumpzilla.
Taking a deep breath, she knew that she’d do better after a run. That was what she needed.
Thankfully, the coast was clear as she walked down the hallway to an exit that was far away from Judd Stark.
Beck rounded on Judd as soon as the door slammed in their faces. That had been a bit of a surprise. Ms. Chloe Reed didn’t seem like the door-slamming type. Nope, she was all cool, calm, and collected.
Which might be the reason that Judd seemed intent on poking and prodding at her.
But he had to remember that she was a guest here. Kassim had put their team in charge of her safety as well as the pompous dick that she worked for.
That was their job, but that didn’t mean that they had to stand outside the suite all night or talk to her like he just had. That was over-the-top. Even for Judd.
“What the fuck, Judd?”
“She slammed the door in our faces! Did you see that?” Judd glared at the door in question, stepping toward it as though he was about to storm inside and have it out with the gorgeous blond.
Yeah, Beck had noticed how beautiful she was. Yesterday, he’d did his best to ignore her beauty. It had been easier since she’d been dressed in an outfit that probably cost more than his entire wardrobe. Plus, she’d been all made up and had this don’t-touch-me vibe. And he’d had no interest in trying to crack her facade.
Until he’d seen her this morning.
Dressed all in black, with those tight workout pants and a small crop top that showed off a sliver of pale skin. Her blond hair pulled back in a high ponytail, making her look young and vulnerable.
Yeah, he’d definitely taken notice and his dick had sat up at attention. That asshole had no manners anyway. She’d stirred his protective instincts. Which surprised him. He hadn’t felt protective of a woman since Ester left them all.
He slid between the door and Judd, pushing him back.
“What are you doing?” Judd demanded.
“You’re not going in there unless it’s to apologize.”
Judd gave him a look like he’d betrayed him.
Fucking moody bastard.
“Judd, you were just a jerk to that woman. We’re supposed to watch over her, not keep her prisoner.”
“I don’t trust them,” Judd said quietly.
Beck understood. Judd wasn’t a trusting person. “You don’t have to trust them or like them. But you’ve got to be civil, man. Kassim wants them kept safe while they’re here.”
Lord Fothersam was here as a favor to Kassim’s fathers, so they had to put up with his pompous ass for another ten days before they could send him back to where he came from.
Him and the icy blond.
“You have got to tone it down,” Beck said. “Or Caleb is going to pull you off this assignment.” Which meant they’d all be pulled off because they worked as a team. But God knew where they’d be assigned next. Because Judd was burning more bridges than the rest of them could build.
No matter what, though, he was their brother. Other people didn’t get that. All they saw was the prickly outer layer. But Judd had the sort of loyalty most people would kill for. Once he considered you his, he’d kill and die for you. At some stage, he’d saved each person on their team.
Their bonds had been forged in the fiery depths of hell. But they were made of graphene. Unbendable. Unbreakable.
That didn’t mean they wouldn’t tell him when he needed to pull his head in, though.
“You can’t tell me that there’s not something about the two of them that is off.”
“I don’t know. But we’ll watch them closely. However, it would be easier to do that if you didn’t push them away. You get more flies with honey, huh?”
“I don’t want fucking flies. I want answers. I want everyone safe.”
“I get it. But if you fuck them off, they’re going to go to Kassim and then we’ll be off their detail and you won’t be close enough to figure out why they’re here.”
Hopefully, they were just what they seemed. Nothing had come up on their background checks. Lord Fothersam had inherited his wealth and title, he was a member of the House of Lords. And there had been very little on the girl.
No, not a girl. A woman.
Chloe.
She’d been raised in Florida by a single mom who’d died just before she turned eighteen. After that, there wasn’t much about her until she’d taken a job with His Lordship.
“You’re right. Fuck. What do I do?”
“Maybe apologize.”
Judd grimaced. “I hate fucking apologizing.”
“Believe me, man. I know.”