Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 76736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
“Hero, get her a bed,” King orders. “Wild Child, get a couple of chairs and a table. We'll set up in here.” Wild Child makes a military salute that seems ridiculous for someone with a wild purple streak in his hair and tattoos that would make a sailor blush, then grins and takes off.
King puts me down. “I'm letting go, but don't even think about making a break for it. There's no way out.”
Obviously. I might not be wild and worldly, but I'm not stupid. The moment he lets go, I take three steps back and put my back against the wall, though, putting as much distance between us as possible. I hug myself as if I can comfort this mess away while we glare at each other.
He rolls his eyes. “Jesus, calm the fuck down. Don't give us trouble, and no one's getting hurt. That's not our game.”
A few moments later, Hero returns with one of those fold-out cots, a pillow and some sheets. He sets it up at the far end of the room. At least I won't have to sleep on the floor. Small blessings.
With nothing else to do, I drop onto the cot, wincing when I feel the cross bar through the flimsy mattress.
Wild Child smirks. “If that's uncomfortable, there's plenty room in my bed.”
I roll away, putting my back to him.
“Just saying.” But he leaves me be.
If I'm going to get out of here alive, I need to look for opportunities. They're vigilant now, but they're going to get lax. They don't seem like the most disciplined types, exactly. I just have to keep myself out of trouble until then.
Well, out of more trouble.
I'm never going to daydream about bikers kidnapping me again.
5
EMILY
Church is less like a town meeting and more like holding court. Eagle-eye sits in a deep leather chair on a raised section of the community room like an emperor. Jupiter is sleeping in his lap.
The room has been cleaned and rearranged. You'd hardly think that last night it looked like a frat house gone bad. There isn't even anyone having sex. Instead, there are at least fifty people packed in here, and the room smells of leather and heady sweat. The barely dressed women are nowhere to be seen. Just me and a club full of burly bikers.
Every lady's wild fantasy, right?
All I want to do is run and hide back in my room, but I straighten my back and force myself to meet their glares. Even if I'm scared shitless, this is no place to show weakness.
A square built guy with a buzz cut, a red dragon tattoo on the side of his head and a short beard looks to King. “What the fuck is she doing here? Church is club business.”
Eagle-eye's voice crunches. “I told them to bring her. For you lowlifes who don't follow the news, this is Emily Hawthorne.”
“What the fuck?” A slim biker with a red bandanna and a leather jacket covered in patches wrinkles his nose, then spits on the floor.
“Exactly.” Eagle-eye gestures at us. “Well? King, Wild Child and Hero, tell us how this isn't the fuckup it looks like.”
King holds up his hands to still the growing grumbling between the members. The way they still, you'd think he was the president, not Eagle-eye. “Hawthorne's a pain in our ass. We keep order on South Side, he comes to fuck it up. He blames us for everything wrong in this city. I mean, fuck, human trafficking? Murders? What kind of bullshit is that? I'm fucking sick of it.”
“Tell us something new,” yells the guy with the dragon tattoo. “We're all sick of it. What the hell is kidnapping his daughter going to do? He's going to come at us harder. He's gonna want his little slut back.”
I bristle, and I'm even about to respond when Hero beats me to it. “She's not a slut, and not available. If that's what you're looking for, Alexis and Janey will be back soon.”
Sort of like coming to my defense, I guess. I'll take what I can get right now.
Dragon tattoo guy grins, and it's ugly. “Not the first sheltered rich girl slumming it for a bit of strange. I'll be happy to give lessons. Unless Hero, King and Wild Child have already pegged you.” He makes an obscene gesture. What's with guys thinking they're God's gift to women?
“Chef, if you really want her to peg you, I'm sure we can work something out,” says Wild Child. Despite everything, I have to pinch my lips together not to laugh. Wild Child looks my way with a raised eyebrow and a grin. “I wouldn't think a pampered rich girl like you would know what that even means.”
“I've… I've read a lot of romance.”
He snorts. Still, I appreciate the support for what it is.