Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 46715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
He’s always level-headed when it comes to business, but he knows this is a big deal, a huge life event that could catapult us into a new world of profits and potential.
“I should’ve worried about that more,” I tell Clive. “The consequences.”
Clive grins, thinking I’m talking about the jump. “You made it out alive. That’s all that counts.”
I’m still unsure if we will make it out of this, my woman and me.
Julian stands, tapping his fork against his glass. A warm chuckle spreads around the table when Tessa cups her hands and says, “Not another speech.”
But she’s smiling warmly, her cheeks blazing with love. Julian looks at her, and I can see the unconquerable happiness there, the connection nothing could sever.
I never thought I’d feel it, but then I glanced at Lauren.
It’s a mistake, awakening my hunger.
She’s wearing a sleek black dress outlining her breasts, but there’s a high collar inlaid with small silver jewels. It frames her face, full cheeks, and elegant makeup just enough to enhance her natural beauty.
Her hair is styled, bouncy, and curly, glistening.
Her eyes swivel. She looks at me, her body tightening, then quickly returns her attention to her dad.
I do the same, though it takes a brutal effort.
“I know,” Julian says, laughing.
He’s not drunk, but I’d understand if people thought he might be. He’s giddy with success.
“I wanted to say a special thanks to….” He turns, staring right at me. “The best business partner a man could ask for. The best friend. You saw this deal, Silas, and you went right after it. You didn’t let anything stop you. Just like when you’d do some insane, silly things back in the day.”
Everybody raises their glasses, toasting me, even Lauren.
She gives me an urgent look as she takes a sip of her drink. She knows this is going to be an atom bomb, an explosion that will upend everything.
The meal continues, with me doing my best not to get up and run around the table, then lean down, kiss her, grab her, and tell the world she’s mine.
“This is just lovely.”
The man speaks loudly in a drawling drunken voice laced with superiority. I look down the table to find Logan standing in a crumpled suit, his hair floppy and greasy, with three security guards standing just behind him.
I stand, looking at the man who wanted to sell his customers’ data, who hated that I made it part of the deal…and destroyed it.
“How are you, Logan?” I say, keeping my voice level.
He laughs, but there are angry tears in his eyes. “Not great, honestly. I just came from a meeting with my dad. He’s not happy about the deal at all. He wanted that….”
Even drunk, Logan knows better than publicly complaining about not getting the data, like his sleazeball instincts are kicking in.
“Your dad gave you complete power to make the deal on his behalf.”
“I told him I’d get the last part.”
“That was a stupid thing to tell him,” I snap.
Logan laughs erratically, walking around the table, his security guards following him.
Some of the guests cringe away from his swaggering gait.
I walk around the table, meeting him in the middle, noticing the security guards tensing up. They’ve got blank faces, like men who could snap into violence any second, their expressions utterly indifferent.
They are all around my height or just a little shorter. One has tattooed arms, another cauliflower ears, and the third a busted nose.
The swollen, puffy quality of their muscles makes me wonder if they’re on steroids.
“You fucked me,” Logan says. “Fucked the deal. Fucked away millions….”
“There are children present,” I snap, stepping forward. “If you want to talk like that or whine, let’s go somewhere and talk privately.”
Logan sneers at me. “Shut the fuck….”
“Hey!”
Everybody turns as Lauren jumps to her feet. The jewels around her collar glisten, like a female warrior’s chainmail, like the fierce woman who will always protect our children.
“My little brother doesn’t need to hear that stuff.”
Logan makes a mistake…he aims his sneer at Lauren. “Listen, honey, if I wanted advice from the town pig, I’d….”
When I dart my hand out, he lets out a yelp, but the security guards are good at their jobs. They must’ve been watching me for any sign of movement.
The tatted one bats my hand away, shoving me in the chest.
I gasp as the air is sucked out of my lungs, the strike going right to my center. My chest aches and my stomach is torn.
But I can’t get Logan’s words out of my head.
He called my woman a pig.
“You never get to speak to her like that,” I roar, pushing past the pain in my chest. “You don’t talk to my woman like that. You’re lucky I don’t tear your head off.”
“I’d like to see you try,” Logan yells.
I’m barely aware of what I’m saying, knowing on one level I should stop. But it’s like all my protective missiles are firing at the same time, obliterating my common sense.