Total pages in book: 192
Estimated words: 189782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 949(@200wpm)___ 759(@250wpm)___ 633(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 189782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 949(@200wpm)___ 759(@250wpm)___ 633(@300wpm)
“He’s always been good at putting on a show,” Leo says quietly. “It’s his red flag.”
“We need to remind him he doesn’t have to pretend.” Monty traces small circles on my bare thigh. “Have you talked to him about his apprenticeship?”
“Yeah, we talked. He’s really into it.” Leo loosens a slow breath. “It’s a good way for him to express his art and the owner of the tattoo shop…What’s his name?”
“Declan,” Monty says.
“Declan won’t shut up about how crazy talented Wolf is. But…” Leo glances at me.
“You’re worried.” I squeeze his thigh. “Wolf’s still dealing with so much. The nightmares, the blackouts…It’s a lot.”
We all visit him regularly at the shop. He’s good when focused, but sometimes he checks out. Sometimes he stares at nothing like he’s not even there.
“We’ll get him through this.” Monty’s jaw tightens, his blue eyes narrowing with that protective intensity that never leaves him. “He’ll never be alone again.”
As we sit there, watching Wolf return to his playful banter with the women around him, I know his path ahead won’t be easy. But we’re a family, bound together by love, pain, and the ruthless ferocity to fight for a blinding bright future.
“Hey, Wolf.” Kody leans across the bar, ruffling Wolf’s hair.
Wolf swats him away, but there’s a smile on his face, a genuine smile that shines through the dark Goth makeup.
Kody says something to him, and Wolf stands. They stride off through the crowd.
Stopping in the center of the lounge, Kody shoves two fingers in his mouth and releases a sharp whistle that cuts through the clamor of the distillery.
The commanding sound instantly silences the room. Every head turns toward him, followed by the faint clinking of glasses as people lower their drinks, eyes wide with curiosity.
A devilish grin appears on Wolf’s face as he motions for Leo to join them. The crowd parts, and Leo rises, suspicion hardening his eyes as he makes his way toward Kody and Wolf.
Monty and I climb off the couch and follow him through the throng of people.
My pulse kicks up as curious gazes track our approach, and whispers of speculation ripple through the crowd.
When we reach Kody and Wolf, Kody throws an arm around Leo’s shoulders, pulling him close with a proud smile.
“Ladies and gentlemen.” Kody’s voice rings out, deep and confident. “This is my brother, Leonid Strakh.”
His brother. Not his nephew.
They were brothers first, and that’s what they’ll always be.
“I’m thrilled to announce that Leo just started his own float plane business, and it officially opens tomorrow. If you ever need a flight to anywhere, anytime, Leonid Strakh is your man.”
The room erupts in cheers and applause.
Happiness shines in Leo’s mismatched eyes as he looks at Monty, who gives him a nod, then at me, his gaze softening.
I rub a hand against my chest, leaning into Monty’s side.
Kody raises his hand to quiet the crowd, and the noise dies down.
“I have one more announcement.” Kody’s hand sweeps out to point in my direction. “Please turn your attention to the stunning redhead.”
What the hell?
My heart stutters, and my breath squeezes as hundreds of eyes zero in on me.
Heat rises in my cheeks, and I clasp my hands together, trying to steady myself. What is happening?
Just as the anxiety threatens to overwhelm me, Wolf steps up, his fingers slipping around mine, and the connection pulls me back from the brink.
He bends his knees to put us at eye level. “Don’t you dare cry.” He kisses my cheek. “If you start, I’ll have to join in and ruin my fucking makeup.”
“The horror.” I laugh, a choked, nervous sound that breaks the tension in my chest.
He gives me a playful wink and shifts to my side as Leo, Monty, and Kody lower to one knee before me.
Three powerful, beautiful men kneel in front of me, and my heart feels like it might burst from my chest.
“Woman.” Kody’s black eyes melt with a softness usually hidden behind his brooding exterior. “Will you love us forever?”
I nod, unable to speak as the tears start to spill over, my vision blurring.
“Love.” Leo smirks, his mismatched eyes glimmering. “Will you sleep with us forever?”
“Fuck yes.” I laugh through my tears, ignoring the collective gasp that ripples through the crowd around us.
I don’t care what they think. All I care about is the love pouring from my entire world.
Monty reaches into his pocket, pulling out a small velvet box. His eyes lock onto mine, and I’m transported to the night he proposed to me on his yacht.
We were different people then.
Everything is different.
He flips the box open, revealing a ring that makes my heart skip. It’s my original diamond ring, the one he gave me that night. But it’s been altered.
The solitaire diamond remains, but now it’s flanked by two new rocks, one on either side.
Three diamonds.