Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
I meet him at the back of the vehicle as he opens it to grab some luggage.
“We could probably build if we wanted to,” he says, making my head spin. “A lot of members have had a home built.”
I don’t know if he has any idea what effect his words have on me. I don’t know if he’s just casually using the word we as if us being one big happy family is predestined or if he’s saying it because he wants me to drop my guard in an effort to gain more control of this entire situation.
I stare at him, my brain trying to decide what his intentions are.
“I doubt a five-bedroom house is what your boss had in mind when he added it to the benefit package,” I say.
“Four,” he says, making me stare at him harder.
“The boys will get to an age where they won’t want to share a bedroom,” I argue.
“They’ll have their own rooms.”
His eyes lock on mine, and once again I can’t decide if he’s telling me I’m not welcome or if he’s hinting that we’ll share a room.
Sutton, never one to be happy with not being the center of attention, pats the side of his face.
The man smiles at her with such love an outsider would never guess he just found out about her less than a handful of days ago.
I can’t help but wonder what the stubble on his cheek would feel like against my fingers. All of this back-and-forth and the battle going on inside of my mind make me consider my desperate need to speak to a professional about my lack of decision-making abilities.
“Incoming,” Vincent says, looking around the side of the vehicle.
“Wow,” Jace says as he watches a very large, heavily tattooed man approach. “Did those hurt?”
My nephew rubs his hand up his own arm, indicating what he’s asking about.
“Every one of them hurt,” the man confesses, his full attention on Jace. “But the pain was worth it in the end.”
“Mila, this is Kincaid,” Vincent says as he steps closer to me, the warmth of his body at my back.
“You can call me that or Diego,” the man says, holding his hand out.
He catches me staring at the leather vest he’s wearing, my eyes getting trapped on PRESIDENT under his name.
“He’s my boss,” Vincent adds.
“Do you guys always wear the vests?” I stupidly ask.
Kincaid smiles. “Not usually when we’re at home, but we know how hard it is for new folks to remember who everyone is.”
“Let us help with the luggage,” another guy says as he approaches. His hand is covered in a big bandage. As curious as I am to ask what happened, I’d never do it. “Name’s Oracle.”
I nod, feeling a little overwhelmed.
“This is my wife, Em,” Kincaid says when a woman walks up to stand beside him.
I look back at Vincent, the gleam in his eyes telling me that he read my hint of jealousy earlier. I must seem like a psycho to him.
“Nice to meet you,” I say, shaking her hand when she offers it.
Several others come around the vehicle, and before long, it’s empty. Even the car seats are pulled from inside of it.
“What are they doing with those?” I ask, alarmed when they start carrying them to a different building.
“We’ve replaced them,” Em says. “Did you want to keep Sutton’s?”
It takes me back that this stranger knows my daughter’s name, but I imagine Vincent has been in communication with them the entire time. It’s not like he’d just show up with a woman and three kids in tow and not mention us beforehand.
“Wait!” I screech, feeling like I’m losing my mind.
The lack of power and control could very easily tip me over the edge.
Jace’s hand is trembling when he clasps mine, and I take a deep breath when I look down at him. He’s scared, and it makes me wonder just how many situations Carlen and Janet put the boys in.
I take a deep breath, trying to gain a little control of myself.
Em steps forward, her hands out, palms up.
“I know you met a few of the Blackbridge guys before you left St. Louis, but I don’t know if you met Wren. He was probably inside. He’s the team’s IT guy,” she says, her voice calm without a hint of irritation for my little freakout.
The guy carrying the car seats away has paused, finding something interesting to look at while we have this discussion. I can’t decide if him pretending to not pay attention is worse than him staring directly at me.
“Wren found some information,” she continues, her eyes darting down to Jace for a quick second. “There might have been some damage to the car prior to—”
I hold my hand up to stop her. As much as she hasn’t attempted to make me feel like a giant asshole, it doesn’t stop that very thing from washing over me.