Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 139186 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139186 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
“Wait, wait! I want to be there with my king,” Elliot exclaimed, and to Vars’s utter disbelief, the guy climbed into Knight’s lap in the fucking chair he and Jake were supposed to carry.
“You’ve gotta be shitting me,” Jake growled, but Beast shook his head.
“Haven’t you been training with Gray all year? I’m pretty sure between the two of you, you can handle two guys and a bit of wood.”
Vars exhaled and briefly nodded at Jake in resignation. This had to be a form of punishment for the transgressions Knight must have reported to Beast over the phone, and they would just have to bear it until they finally received their patches. Couldn’t be long now.
Elliot curled up his long limbs, as if he were a baby in Knight’s lap, and sent a villainous grin to Jake. It was childish beyond reason. Jake had never even approached the status of Knight’s boyfriend, so there was no need for the gloating.
And while Vars believed Jake was now devoted to him, the fact that Elliot—or anyone else—believed Jake was missing Knight’s attention was triggering irrational anger deep inside Vars. Elliot could take all of Knight for all Jake cared... Right?
Jake looked back at Vars and rolled his eyes, as if he’d somehow overheard his thoughts.
They crouched on the sides of the chair, grabbing the fancily ornamental legs. Vars took a deep breath every step of the way during a countdown that was happily done by everyone present, and when that came to an end, he and Jake forced their knees to straighten. Muscles pumped with adrenaline, but they managed to lift the chair and place the seat on their shoulders at the first try, so at least they didn’t embarrass themselves.
Elliot shrieked in delight, and Vars wished he could “accidentally” tip over the chair to dump the ungrateful fucker on the floor, but patience was key here. He focused on the task at hand, thinking only of keeping balance and putting his feet forward to move first to the staircase and then up the stairs, with the disparity in height between him and Jake a constant threat and cause of discomfort.
The music became louder once they entered the hallway upstairs, but at least its sound signaled impending relief to Vars’s strained back and muscles. By the time they were allowed to put the chair down in the common room, he was completely damp with sweat.
Jake’s breath was ragged, and Vars was happy they were finally relieved of their duty, because he loathed every second of seeing Jake follow someone else’s orders. Jake was his to control. Not Knight’s, not Joker’s, not even Beast’s. His.
Vars placed his hands on his hips and took his time stretching his spine without being too obvious about it. His gaze licked the room devoid of decoration, the small number of familiar faces around him, and the goddamn chair that somehow looked even heavier after Vars had carried it all the way here. A sense of dread sank its claws into his muscles when he realized the loud music was coming from somewhere else altogether. Could it be that this was only a stop mid-way to the actual party?
He was relieved when Knight finally vacated the chair, with Elliot still clinging to him as if his man had come back from war.
“Happy Birthday to me! Thanks guys. I think it’s time for cake and beers now. Prospects, bring everyone some booze,” Knight said and pointed to the fridge.
Jake might have groaned, but the sound of his voice drowned in the background music and conversation. Since this was Knight’s party, there were likely huge numbers of people involved, and Vars suspected the main source of the noise was the concert hall where all the big events were organized. Here at least, everything was semiprivate.
Without a word, Vars moved toward the kitchen, gathering Jake on the way there. Maybe he could get some food while they were at it. Jake stiffened under his arm, glancing over his shoulder at the other guys, as if unsure about what to do, but he didn’t pull away. And good, because Vars was done with bullshit secret relationships.
He pulled the fridge open to find it stacked with beer.
Except the middle shelf, which was completely empty save for two big black patches that stunned both of them into silence.
Before they could actually say anything, Knight grabbed Jake from behind and sprayed his head with beer from a bottle he was holding. “Hell yes, you lazy fuckers! Slaving days are over!”
The next few seconds were a whirlwind of hugs, pats on the back, and drinks knocked against the bottle Beast pushed into Vars’s hand. He even got a brief kiss from Nao, who hung from his neck for a moment, before rolling away into Rev’s arms.
Jake looked as if he’d won the jackpot, rosy-cheeked and with happiness oozing from his gaze when it met Vars’s. He cradled the long-awaited patch to his chest like a beloved baby, but even in this moment of triumph, even speaking to Knight with a wide grin, he never forgot Vars and discreetly grabbed his hand. With Jake’s status suddenly elevated, there would be no more blackening boots and cleaning bikes for men who wouldn’t truly appreciate his dedication.