Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 114936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
“Who are you?” I paused. Far enough away from the octagon, but close enough to shoot her if I had to.
“I’m… maybe you should talk with Kaius.” She swung her long leg over the railing, jumping down onto the floor in front of me. Up close, I could see the sprinkle of freckles over her nose. She was beautiful. She was totally Kiznitch something.
“I’m asking you since I found you here—” I sidestepped when she tried to dodge me. She chuckled. “And this is one of my homes.”
“So it is.” She rolled her eyes and shoved past, collecting a duffel bag near one of the hanging punching bags. She turned at the last minute. “You’re definitely Cartier, from all of this—” She waved her hands up and down my body, and I spun around to chase her when the door slammed in my face.
Pulling out my phone from my pocket, I hit dial on Kaius.
“Cartier.” His voice usually calmed my frantic thoughts. So calm and collected, there had been times where he would make me feel stupid for being so erratic.
This wasn’t one of those times.
“I just found a woman downstairs. Who the fuck was she?”
“That isn’t of importance right now, Cartier. If it was, you would have known about her. I’ll be sure that doesn’t happen again.” The line went dead.
She finishes off the final sentence and looks around the room.
Sass had moved closer while she was talking, and she’s the first person to ask a question. “Who was she? I want to know who she is.”
“I don’t know. Kaius never told me, and I never asked again.”
“Why not!” Perse this time.
“Because.” Cartier looks up at where she stands in the kitchen, puffing the same joint Kyrin was. “Part of my training is obeying The Fathers. I cannot challenge them, and when I do, it won’t be because I found a hot bitch using my gym.” My eyes shift to King, who is already staring right at me.
I tap Cartier on the thigh. “I need to get changed. Stay here.” Moving through the lounge, I make my way upstairs and slip in and out of the shower, before throwing on a pair of slacks, a white shirt, and a black jacket beneath my leather one. By the time I make it back downstairs, everyone is ready to go and Cartier is still pounding down alcohol.
I take the glass out of her hand and place it on the kitchen counter.
Tonight isn’t going to go well. I can fucking feel it. We all can. And it has nothing to do with what we have planned… or does it?
Even for Kiznitch, this place is over the top. There’s a pool at the front of the house, where steam floats up and evaporates into the dark sky. Luxurious cars are parked on either side of the driveway, ready to go if anyone needs to get out fast. Keaton has been quieter than usual after I told them all about my suspicions with The Fathers. For years, since seeing that girl, I’ve gone back and forth on whether or not I should say anything to The Brothers. Their loyalties have always been to Kiznitch, and you don’t get much more Kiznitch than The Fathers. Keaton has been whacking off people for them since I can remember. He’s a damn robot, programmed to comply.
I step out of the car, clutching my gown in my hand. The fucking stupidity of always needing to dress up for these things is yet another subject I’d like to argue about. But not tonight. Tonight I’ll look pretty and hope I’m wrong.
Music saunters through the wide opened doors, some classical piano piece I don’t recognize. The house belongs to Kaius, and unease crawls down the back of my spine.
Two men stand guard on either side of the entrance, both in suits as dark as the sky, and with machine guns strapped to their sides. A car pulls up behind us and I turn, just in time to see Jordan and Christopher slide out and jog their way up the stairs. Even though I have The Brothers around me, it’s still good to know that they’re both here. Two people I wouldn’t second guess.
Two people who know everything I know and have kept it quiet.
Jordan and Chris stand on either side of me, slightly in front, and size up the guards at the door. It’s painfully obvious how much bigger mine are to these two, and then with The Brothers behind, the guards wouldn’t have a chance.
“Good evening, gentlemen.” I smirk up at them, choosing the one to my right to tease. I place my hand over his hard chest. “Such a lovely evening, isn’t it?”
He pulls away from me politely and steps backward. “Indeed. The party is in the garden at the back.”