Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 94024 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94024 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
I didn’t want to cry.
I didn’t want to tell him I didn’t deserve his words even though I needed them so badly my body physically hurt with it.
“I can do this,” I whispered.
“Son, this is what you were born to do. There’s only one person standing in the way.”
“Yeah,” I croaked. “Stupid bastard.”
He sighed. “We’re all stupid bastards.”
“That’s true.”
He gave me a bit of a shove. “Tell anyone this conversation happened, and I’ll shove you over a cliff.”
“Good pep talk.”
“I’m shockingly better at them than everyone else.”
I shuddered. “Tell me about it. When I asked Dad for encouragement during a test, he literally patted me on the head and called me slugger.”
Phoenix burst out laughing. “Oh, I’m using that next time I see him.”
“He hates the reminder.”
“Even better. He used to want to kill me. This brings me more joy than I’ve had in a week.” He winked. “Thanks.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Be safe, Breaker.”
“Be safe, Phoenix.”
I leaned back in my chair. The paper in front of me was still empty. I needed to finish this before I lost the nerve, didn’t I?
Plus, it wasn’t forever.
Right?
I quickly jotted down the name Junior and kept writing.
But I couldn’t bring myself to write her name down.
I wanted to.
But I couldn’t.
So, I didn’t.
God forgive me, but I couldn’t do it, couldn’t say goodbye. Hell, I’d had a hard time saying hello to her the first time I met her.
“Dipshit.” King snickered as he ran down the stairs like they were on fire.
I quickly shoved the notes into the black briefcase and then watched in amusement as Maksim chased him, holding his cell phone high. “Dude, you slept with her best friend?”
I winced. “King…”
“What?” He frowned. “She was hot!”
“Wow.” Maksim tossed him back his phone. “Never mind, you deserve everything that’s happening,” He looked over at me. “The friend found out. They told their dads.”
I burst out laughing and then slow clapped. “This is turning out to be a glorious day. Please tell me their dads are terrifying.”
“You do realize who we live with, right?” King snorted. “Though one did send me a threatening text. Numerous body parts were involved, lots of blood, burying, skinning.”
“Hey,” I pointed out. “That’s a new one, skinning, I like it.”
“Very well done,” Maksim agreed, leaning against the leather chair. “I think I saw that in a movie once. They use that skin graft thing and just glide it over like a razor— Hey, here’s a thought, we can make them a skin hat to remember you by!”
King narrowed his eyes. “Yes, because that’s what says, take me back, I’m an idiot, skin from my own body made into a hat.”
“Just a thought.” Maksim shrugged.
Junior and Serena slowly came down the stairs then, followed by Izzy, who seemed to skip around like she had endless amounts of energy. Naturally, she made a beeline for Maksim, who seemed only too happy to entertain her as they ducked their heads together and started talking.
Most likely about science, because it was them.
“Why’s King so upset?” Junior jerked out a chair next to me.
“Oh, that.” I leaned back and crossed my arms. “His dick got him in trouble—again, and now we’re talking about skinning him and selling hats.”
King just groaned into his hands and plopped down onto the chair.
“Hey.” I nodded to Junior. “You and Ash got a minute?”
“Who’s skinning King?” Ash took the stairs two at a time and made it to the bottom, his eyes darting between all of us.
Serena patted him on the back. “I’m not sure, but I imagine it’s either an angry ex or a father.”
“Ding, ding, ding, you win today’s prize.” I winked at her.
Serena stuck her tongue out and then made her way toward the kitchen, “Speaking of skinning and prizes, I’m going to make some eggs, you guys want?”
“Damn, man, you got her trained to make you breakfast?” I chuckled under my breath, earning a don’t say one more word glare from Junior.
Serena stomped over to me, smacked me in the head, and then Junior for good measure. Ash ducked away, smart man.
“I hate it when ma does that.” Junior rubbed the back of his head. “And Serena’s very sensitive this early without her coffee.”
I snorted. “When is she not sensitive? She yelled at me one time for standing too close to her breathing bubble, and I was literally trying to help her get an eyelash out of her eye.”
“Women.” Junior shuddered.
“Heard that!” Serena yelled.
“Sometimes…” Junior whispered. “She terrifies me.”
“That too!”
He pounded his fists onto the table, causing it to shake. “GO MAKE EGGS WOMAN!”
Serena came flying around the corner, knife in hand, stomping toward Junior in a way that meant blood.
“Fifty says she gets him first.” Ash pulled out a seat.
“Eh, he’s feisty this morning, I say he draws first blood. A hundred?”
“Deal.” He yawned.
With a face-splitting grin, Junior hopped to his feet. “What, woman? Where’s your apron? Shouldn’t you be vacuuming—”