Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
“Jez?”
“Yeah,” she said with a cocky grin. “Short for Jezebel.” The woman managed to look vulnerable and proud all at the same time. I was sure the man at her side was her man. I was equally sure she’d seen this scenario play out many times before, to the detriment of anyone making fun of her name.
“Well, considering my first name’s Swan and my last name is Lake? Yeah. I ain’t making a comment about your name.”
Jezebel laughed and lunged for me, bringing me in for a hug. I was so startled I hugged her back. “You and I are gonna be great friends.” She pulled me out of Reaper’s grasp as easily as if we were already best friends. “Come on. I’ll set you up with a space next to Liam and me.”
“Liam?”
“Yeah.” She hiked a finger over her shoulder at the sophisticated man behind her. “Liam. Only he goes by El Diablo so that’s how most people know him. He’s the president of Black Reign. I’m his ol’ lady. His woman.”
I blinked. “You actually use the term ol’ lady?”
Jezabel shrugged. “The term is before my time. As long as it means the club girls know he’s taken, I could give a shit what term they use.”
“Just for the record,” Liam said, moving in beside Jezebel, “I did ask her to marry me.” He lifted her left hand, showing me a beautiful, very expensive-looking ring. “I’m only waiting because Celeste and the other women need time to pull together an appropriate wedding. Otherwise, I’d have had Archangel do the deed the first night we met.”
Jezebel snorted loudly. “I wouldn’t have had you that first night. And you were still riding the fence. Then there were the club girls I had to pull off you after you’d left me for two whole weeks without even saying goodbye. Or calling. At Christmas!” The more Jezebel lined out Liam’s sins, the angrier she became.
Liam grinned. “So, maybe the second day.”
“Oh! Come on, Swan. My advice? Stay away from all of them.”
“Riiiight. I see that worked out so well for you.”
She gave me an exasperated look. “Whose side you on, anyway?”
“I’m on the side that gets me out of here in one piece. They look like they’re having too much fun baiting us both, and you look like you’re eager to get your man in private so he can make up with you properly. So yeah. I’m on my own side.”
“Think I might just fall in love with that one,” Archangel said with a chuckle. “She’s got brains and spunk.”
“The hell you will,” Reaper growled. I looked back over my shoulder, and Reaper followed me and Jezebel down the hall. When the other men laughed, he simply flipped them the bird and continued to follow.
Chapter Two
El Segador
Stick a fork in me. I was done. In all my years, never had I met a girl so beguiling. She had wit in the face of a scary situation, courage to stand up to all of us, and intelligence to know none of us would really hurt her. Otherwise, she’d have run screaming instead of allowing herself to be led off by Jezebel. She occasionally glanced back at me as I followed at a reasonable distance. When I winked at her, she blushed but gave me the grin I was hoping for. My ass Archangel was gonna fall in love. From this moment forward, Swan Lake was mine.
When they stepped inside the room next to El Diablo and Jezebel’s, Jez gave me a superior smirk before closing the door firmly in my face. Yeah. I got it. No boys allowed. The thought made me chuckle. That was fine. Soon, I’d lure the lovely Swan into my room. Into my bed.
I waited patiently. It wasn’t long before the women came out with laughter and smiles. Both had on shorts and bikini tops with flip-flops on their feet. Not that I noticed much past Swan’s bare torso. She was covered, but still teased me with all the glorious skin she revealed. Creamy, delicious-looking, glorious skin. A bounty set before a starving man.
They passed me, both giggling softly like the joke was on me. Likely it was, though I didn’t care. Swan was in my house now. With my club. Even in the short hour she’d been here, they all knew she was mine. That fucker Archangel had likely realized it the second we walked in.
Both women were gorgeous, but my gaze focused squarely on Swan’s perfect, perfect ass. With every step forward, her hips swished. Was it my imagination, or could I see the curve of her cheek under her short shorts when her leg moved forward? I tilted my head for a better view. Yeah. I could see it. And the sight of it made my cock throb inside my jeans.