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)
“Hey.” Eyes unfocused, he slurs in my face, “God, you’re beautiful.”
Wobbling, he reaches for the high-top table beside me. I don’t know if he needs it for balance or if he’s deliberately stumbling against me, but in a blink, his ribs knock into mine, and his hot breath coats my neck.
Oh, God, no. The dumbfuck has no idea he just started World War III.
Pushing him off me, I angle my head toward our table to stop what’s coming.
But it’s already empty.
29
Frankie
—
An inhuman bellow of rage singes the air, sending a chill across my scalp.
“No!” I spin, slamming into Kody’s chest.
His arms come around me. Behind him, Leo stalks toward the drunk man with a calmness that lifts the hairs on my nape.
“Whoa!” The man’s hands fly up in surrender. “I didn’t mean to—”
A fist cracks across his face, whipping his head to the side in a spray of blood. His body follows the momentum, crashing onto a table and breaking it.
“Leo, no!” Pulse spiking, I shove against Kody’s grip. “Stop!”
Leo tackles the man to the floor, letting his fists fly in a haze of homicidal fury. Over and over, his knuckles connect with sickening thuds, a Viking waging all-out war.
Kody breaks away in a blur, joining in the assault, his strikes precise and relentless.
The man sprawls beneath them, his cries drowned by the sounds of smacking flesh and cracking bones.
“Stop it! Both of you!” I shriek, my voice lost in the chaos as I try to wrestle them away. “Please, stop!”
They don’t hear me. Don’t feel me pulling on them. I’m not strong enough, and they’re lost in their rage, their need to protect me overshadowing all reason.
Blood splatters, and sweat and tears permeate the dining room, painting a grotesque picture of their wrath.
“You’re going to kill him!” I scream louder, my vocal cords burning.
The crowd recoils in horror, their whispers of alarm jangling in my chest.
When I hear someone mention the cops, I know this will only get messier. And soon. The police station is a block away.
The urge to vomit the nerves in my stomach overwhelms me. I whirl toward the entrance to alert Carl and Jasper. But they’re already inside, shoving through the crush of bodies.
They grab at Kody and Leo, trying to pull them off the man, but it’s like separating wolves from their prey.
My mind wails.
Kody whirls on Carl, his fist connecting with the man’s jaw with a crunch. Carl stumbles back, clutching his face, blood seeping through his fingers.
Every nerve ending fires with fear as I search for a safe way to end this. I’m at a loss.
Jasper lunges at Leo, who twists and lands a vicious kick to the man’s midsection, skidding him across the floor.
The guards fight back, their efforts becoming more desperate. Carl locks down Kody’s arm, twisting it behind his back.
“Kody!” I rush in, attempting to capture his eyes. “Look at me! Calm down!”
He roars in fury, his free hand swinging back to strike Carl’s temple, and the impact crashes the guard into a nearby table.
Leo snarls, eyes wild, as he takes down Jasper with a swift, brutal punch to the gut.
The sound of sirens just outside the door sends a ripple through the crowd.
A man shouts, “The cops are here!”
Tears sting my eyes, and my throat closes.
They’re going to jail. They’ll be handcuffed and separated from me. That won’t go well.
The guards redouble their efforts, finally managing to subdue Kody and Leo with the help of reinforcements from the crowd.
In the end, it takes eight men to wrestle them to the ground, their bodies still thrashing, breaking my heart.
Blood and sweat slick their skin, their breaths coming in harsh, ragged gasps. Pinned to the floor on their stomachs with several men kneeling on their backs, they look battered and bruised and absolutely terrifying, like avenging gods in the aftermath of battle.
A flurry erupts outside the front door.
The cops.
I have less than five seconds to prepare them for what’s about to happen.
Dropping to my knees beside their prone positions, I rest my hands on them and talk fast. “Listen carefully. You’re going to be arrested, handcuffed, and taken to jail. Remain silent and ask for your lawyer. You’ll turn over your IDs and give your name and address, but do not say anything else. Don’t talk to the officers. Don’t talk to your cellmates. Assume every conversation will be recorded and used against you.” Spotting the approaching police, I rush through the rest. “Don’t unlock your phone for them. They need a warrant for that. You’ll be searched, photographed, and fingerprinted. Don’t resist.”
“Step back, ma’am.” An officer nudges me away as four others climb over Leo and Kody.
Handcuffs click into place, the sound of cold metal shattering through me with harsh reality.
Their possessive glares stay with me, and slowly, their bloodlust fades, replaced with a startling realization.