Total pages in book: 189
Estimated words: 181808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 909(@200wpm)___ 727(@250wpm)___ 606(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 181808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 909(@200wpm)___ 727(@250wpm)___ 606(@300wpm)
“There’s something you should know …” Her heart beat in her throat.
“I only want one word coming out of your mouth—goodbye.”
Huskily, she gave him what he wanted. “Goodbye.”
With that one word, Moon walked out the door and out of her life.
Bursting into tears, Larissa laid her head on the desk.
“Are you okay?” Priss comfortingly rubbed her back.
She didn’t raise her head. “He hates me,” she sobbed.
“Does it matter if he does?”
“I didn’t want him to hate me.”
“What are you going to do?”
Larissa raised her head to brush the tears away.
“Give him what he wants.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
THREE MONTHS LATER…
Moon peeled Ember’s thigh off his hip so he could get out of bed. He rose and lazily rubbed his stomach as he went to the dresser to get clothes before showering. A snore coming from a hanger-on who would make an appearance every other Friday had him returning to the bed to shake her awake.
“Time to leave.”
“Come on; let me stay. I can’t move,” she complained sulkily.
“You didn’t have any problem moving an hour ago. You’ve been partying here long enough to know the rules.” Moon bent down to pick up her clothes strewn on the floor, tossing them to her on the bed.
“Why does she get to stay, and I don’t?”
“Ember belongs here; you don’t. I’m not going to argue with you, either. Get your ass in gear, or next Friday when you come to play, you won’t get in the door.”
Pushing herself off the bed, she dressed before sliding thin sandals on. “Next time, I’m choosing Nickel. Maybe he’ll let me stay the night.”
“I wouldn’t count on it, but give him a go.” Unfazed by her threat, he motioned her out the door. “I’ll walk you to the stairway.”
She slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. Unmoved, he pulled her arms away.
“Do you always have to be such a hardass?”
Once, he would have taken exception for being called a hardass, believing himself to be one of the more laidback Last Riders. As the years had passed, it was hard to deny the change in his personality.
After escorting her to the stairs, he watched as she reluctantly went downstairs and out the door. Hell, she had been coming for the last three months, and he still hadn’t made the effort to find out her name.
He went to the bathroom to shower, removing any trace of the women’s scent on him. Why did they have to cover their bodies with numerous scents? He had yet to find any he liked or thought any suited them.
Moon looked at himself in mirror as he brushed his teeth. Don’t lie to yourself. You liked the way Larissa smelled.
He had liked the smell on his sheets, and on her panties, until the vanilla scent could no longer be detected.
Rinsing out his mouth, he placed his toothbrush back in the cabinet before heading downstairs. He expected the kitchen to be empty so early in the morning, but Moon passed Shade sitting at the kitchen table.
The silence in the room became tangible as he went to the cabinet to take out a box of cereal and a bowl. Pouring the cereal, he then went to the fridge to take out the milk. He put the milk back in the fridge and grabbed a spoon before he headed to the kitchen table, where he scrolled through the news as he ate.
“How long are you going to keep up the silent treatment?” Shade asked.
Moon didn’t look up from his phone. “You’re never up this early after a Friday night anymore. Say what you have to say so you can go back to bed.”
“Cool. I can play it your way. Was trying to do you a solid.” Shade got up from the table to rinse out his coffee cup then put it in the dishwasher.
Moon watched him casually walk toward the door, his instincts telling him not to let Shade leave. The brother had maintained a stony silence for the last three months, so there had to be a reason he was breaking it now.
Despite his misgivings, he let Shade leave.
He finished his cereal and put the bowl in the dishwasher before getting started on breakfast. Starting the two pots of coffee, he had just placed the bacon in the oven when the kitchen door swung open, and Ember groggily walked toward the counter.
“I’m getting too old for this shit.”
“Right there with you.” Closing the oven door, he took the eggs out of the fridge.
“Did you hear Diamond has decided to close her office?”
“No, I didn’t,” he answered, carrying the eggs to the counter, where he had placed a large bowl.
“Knox is going to take a leave of absence for a month, and they’re all going on a vacation to her island.” Ember went to check on the bacon. “She doesn’t want to represent clients anymore.”