Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 39046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
“No,” he said calmly, not bothering to look up at me. I sighed. “The only reason I don’t have this entire hospital on fucking lockdown and you as the only patient is because Anatoly talked me off the ledge.” I stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out if he was joking. But when he just continued to do whatever it was he was going, I knew he wasn’t.
“So, are you two a thing now?” Chet asked, pointing between me and Rurik.
I opened my mouth, then shut it. Because I didn’t know what the fuck we were. We fucked once and then Rurik went all psycho, possessive alpha on me. What the fuck did that even mean?
“Yes,” Rurik said calmly, still not looking up from his phone.
If my heart skipped a beat in my chest at his answer… well, I was going to pretend like it hadn’t.
Chet grinned. “I fucking called it.” He held out his hand to Hyram, making me narrow my eyes at him. “Where’s my money? Told you Malik would fold eventually.”
I sneered at them as Hyram pulled his wallet from his pocket with a heavy sigh. He counted out three hundreds and slapped them into Chet’s palm. Chet kissed the bills, then stuffed them into his pocket.
“You two fucking bet on me?” I snapped in disbelief. Didn’t know why I was shocked. I shouldn’t have expected anything less. Chet was an asshole that way. I just hadn’t expected Hyram to join in on the dick’s games. Usually, he ignored that kind of stuff.
“I was at least on your side,” Hyram said, shrugging one shoulder. “I thought you’d have more willpower.”
Rurik snorted and finally looked up from his phone, his blue eyes meeting mine. He didn’t say a word, but he didn’t need to. His lips quirked up in that fucking cocky smirk, and my dick came to life beneath the blankets piled on top of me.
Jesus Christ. How did he affect me so damn easily?
I looked away from him. “Does my mom know about this?” I asked, referring to my hospitalization.
Hyram shook his head. “No. And she’ll be pissed she was kept out of the loop, but Rurik and I both decided this would be the better route until you could get back home. There’s no reason for her to rush up here when we don’t know what’s going on or if it’s even safe for her.”
I nodded in agreement, a bit relieved. I wasn’t sure if I could handle my mother’s overbearing nature right then, no matter how much I loved her. Chet pointed to his throat, that fucking shit-eating grin tilting his lips again. “What’s this, Malik?”
My good hand lifted to finger the chain around my throat. Rurik stood just as his burner phone began to ring. “That’s his collar,” Rurik told him. “And his tracker.”
Hyram frowned at Rurik’s back as Rurik paced to the window, lifting his phone to his ear. Chet was positively fucking gleeful. “A collar?” he asked. “A fucking tracker?” He whistled low. “Hot damn. Now I want one.” He looked at Hyram. “You think Will would collar me if I asked him?”
Hyram reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Jesus fucking Christ,” he growled as I quietly laughed. Chet was something fucking else. And it was no secret that he and William were into some kinky shit. I was honestly surprised Chet wasn’t sporting some kind of bruising around his throat or wrists. He usually was. William was extremely rough with him, but Chet loved it.
Rurik turned away from the window, lowering his phone from his ear. His eyes were cold and flinty, and the muscle in his jaw was ticking. He let his eyes meet mine, but he addressed the room as he spoke.
“The Savage Dreams ordered the hit on Anatoly. According to my contact, he thought if he took out Anatoly, he could begin dismantling the GBMC.”
“What the fuck,” Hyram growled.
Rurik slid his hands into his pockets, the perfect picture of calm, cool, and collected even though fury crackled beneath his skin. “Trying to take out Anatoly was their first mistake. Actually hitting Malik was their second.” He looked at Hyram. “War’s started.”
Hyram closed his eyes and sighed heavily. “I’ll get everyone on board at home.” He looked back at Rurik. “Get him home where he’s safe as soon as possible.”
With that, Hyram turned on his heel and left the room. Chet smiled at me. “See you in a few days, brother.” With that, he followed Hyram out of my hospital room.
I looked at Rurik once the door shut behind them. “What’s the game plan here?”
Rurik settled himself on the edge of my hospital bed, and he reached up, fingering the chain around my neck like it soothed him to see it there. Like something in him quieted when he touched my throat and felt the warm steel resting against my skin.