Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 146392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 146392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
“I know. Again, nothing I want to talk about tonight.” Cooper seemed to close himself off, staring at the door with every bit of focus TJ had.
But TJ was waiting on Lou to walk out and offer herself up to him for the night. Kala wouldn’t be doing that for Cooper.
So a change of subject was needed because he knew when a wall had gone up.
There were a few things he needed to talk to Cooper about while they were waiting for their women. Kala could pretend all she liked, but he knew she was still in love with Cooper. It was kind of sad watching them play with other people when what they really wanted was to find a sub to torture together before going at each other hard in a privacy room. “Hey, I had a talk with Aidan earlier today, and I’m almost certain he lied to me.”
A brow rose over Coop’s eyes. “Aidan? Why would he lie?”
Normally he wouldn’t. Normally Aidan was a tell-it-like-it-is guy. As a doctor, TJ wasn’t sure it made for a great bedside manner, but it was the truth. And that meant something was wrong. “I asked him if he’d talked to Tristan recently. Didn’t you have the feeling they’ve cut off contact?”
Cooper nodded. “Yeah. Tristan gives this whole song and dance about how they’ve grown apart since Aidan and Carys started their residencies. But I don’t understand because they got through medical school with him being halfway around the world most of the time. Why now?”
That was a question he was asking a lot lately. “Something’s going on that we don’t understand. I think he knows something about whatever it is Tris is doing. I’m not even sure I buy the whole breakup thing. I’m not saying this to gossip…”
Cooper put up a hand. “You’re worried that something’s going on with Tris we don’t know about. I am, too. I love the guy, but he can be a reckless motherfucker. I’m worried about you, too, though. I’ll feel better once Lou’s gone through whatever they have. Though I have to admit, it’s something I wish Tris was in on, too. I’ve called his cell and told him what’s happening and I’ve gotten nothing back.”
“If he’s working an op with either the military or another team, you know he might not have access to his phone.” TJ felt the need to defend his friend. Family, really. Though there wasn’t blood between them, he’d grown up with Tristan. “You have to know whatever he’s doing, he believes he’s helping.”
“Or he’s trying to prove himself,” Cooper said under his breath. “You know he’s always trying to live up to his dad. Though it’s not like Adam ever demanded it. I don’t get his hang-up about his dad.”
And TJ didn’t get Cooper’s hang-up about being adopted. “I don’t know. I think we find problems where there aren’t any. I know I’ve cost me and Lou a lot of time. I did it because I was more worried about losing her than I was making her happy. My parents didn’t teach me that. No matter how great our families are, we’ll still have problems, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Cooper turned his way, shaking his head. “Sometimes I wonder if Aunt Erin is truly your mom, and then I remember who your dad is.”
TJ gave him a grin. “Hey, I’ve got my dad’s willingness to talk and my mom’s willingness to shoot. Best of both worlds.”
He heard a door opening down the hall and watched as Tasha’s fiancé walked out, escorting the new guy. Ben Parker was wearing a set of leathers and looked slightly uncomfortable in them. He glanced down the hallway, and his eyes locked on Cooper.
“I was hoping to avoid this. Kala better stay in that room or we’re going to have trouble,” Cooper said quietly. “If you…”
“I’ll handle it.” He would make sure Parker never realized there were two “Karas.”
“Hey, Cooper. I was hoping we would get a chance to talk,” Parker began.
Cooper’s expression went bland. It was obviously not his night. “About Kara?”
“Is that even her name?” Parker asked. “She knows mine. I’m not sure why I can’t know hers.”
“Just because you play these things fast and loose doesn’t mean she does,” Cooper replied.
Damn. There was no small amount of jealousy in his friend’s tone.
Because Parker wanted Ms. Magenta. At least he wanted her when she was played by Kenzie, but the trouble was at any given time she could actually be Kala.
“Zach told you,” Dare began. He’d been playing with Tasha for the last couple of weeks. Rumors had it they’d started out gently at first and gotten more hardcore as they went. He’d helped set up a suspension scene for them earlier. And no matter what his damn uncle said, it wouldn’t bring the roof down. “You can call her Kara or Ms. Magenta. You know how it is in this business.”