Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38960 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38960 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
And had been kicking himself since. One of the men he’d served with who had suffered a TBI—traumatic brain injury—had gotten out of the service. As happened, Hastings had lost contact with the man once he’d hit stateside. Bradford’s message about Evan had chilled his blood in more ways than one.
Not only had his friend and fellow warrior been attacked and was now in a coma, but he’d also been living on the streets as a homeless man. Hastings had headed for California immediately, determined to get answers.
“I’m his father.”
The sneer yanked him from thoughts of the past.
“Evan is one of my best friends. You’re his sperm donor.” He shifted again, keeping the woman out of the line of fire.
It was one thing for him to yell, because he knew he’d never lay a hand on her, but this man? The stories he’d heard about him put the senator on par with his own sperm donor. And that brought one conclusion—he would be up on murder charges if they came true because he wouldn’t allow this man to lay a hand on her.
“I’m a senator and I deserve respect.”
Hastings growled and took a step forward, only to stop when the woman—he still didn’t know her name—placed a hand on his arm and stepped between them.
“Gentlemen. This is neither the time nor the place for such behavior. Welcome Home is a safe haven, and I won’t have two grown men who should have better manners yelling like this.”
“Are you threatening me?” Senator Hayes snapped at her.
Protectiveness for this slender firecracker exploded in his chest and, while he wasn’t a fan of the emotion, he wasn’t about to let her put herself in danger.
“I’m protecting my business. I was just telling this gentleman here I don’t know Mr. Winter’s status and I’m not giving out any information. If you are his father as you claim, the hospital should be able to provide you with more. As for what happened here, we are looking into it, but I have nothing more to say on this matter. Now, if you both will excuse me, I have things to do.”
The spitfire squeezed his arm, stepped back and returned to the chair behind the desk, where she placed her hands on the smooth top and glared at them both. Obviously not intimidated by either of them.
The senator curled his lip and glowered at her. “If I find out you had anything to do with my son’s injury and his coma, I will own this place.”
“You can close the door on the way out,” she stated primly.
Hastings admired her grit. He would have continued yelling at the man, but she just cut that off. Completely. She’d shut both of them down and she was less than either of their weight, but she didn’t seem the slightest bit concerned.
Moving to the door, he used his size to push the senator back as well. The senator’s bodyguards stood outside in the hallway. With a deliberate act, he pulled the handle until it latched behind him.
I will be back, Virago.
Even as he thought it, he knew he couldn’t call her that because he thought of her not as an ill-tempered woman but as more of a woman of strength. But there was something else he imagined when he thought of her.
He braced his feet and stared at the man he’d heard horrible stories about.
“Look here, boy,” Hayes sneered. “Don’t think you can play with the big boys. I will have you out of the service and living on the street if you even think of getting in my way.”
Not moving, because he wouldn’t want to stop until he laid hands on the prick, Hastings he blinked and focused on the man in front of him. Not the woman in the room behind him. Not how he would like to sink his hands in those shiny curls and hold her to him. Definitely not how he wanted to see her black hair with its hints of red and gold spread out on a pillow as he thrust deep into her.
And most of all, he wouldn’t dare think about how those full lips of hers would part as she screamed his name to the room, body shiny with sweat.
“Stay out of my way,” the senator growled.
“I was going to issue you the same warning. Don’t let me catch you back here causing trouble for her either.”
He snorted. “And who do you think you are?”
Hastings swallowed and stepped forward to meet the senator’s aggressive move toward him. The man’s protection detail shifted as well but he didn’t take his gaze off the asshole in front of him. While he despised his old man, for Evan, he would do anything. And that included acknowledging where he came from.
“My name is Hastings Rhodes. I’m sure you’ve at least heard of my father, William Rhodes.”