Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 111435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 557(@200wpm)___ 446(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 557(@200wpm)___ 446(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
Des, the closest thing to a boyfriend I’d had in a while, even liked them, and his values were definitely conservative. Then again, he had no problem with my job, so maybe he wasn’t the most conservative.
I wondered if the Sons reminded Kallum of his past life and that was why he didn’t like them. Obviously, I didn’t have much time to think on that since Hades had almost made it to us—his long legs making huge strides—and Kallum had his back up, ready to go into some kind of alpha male protection mode.
I reached out to grab his hand, to stop him from rounding the bar and having some kind of standoff, one that might result in him breaking his no violence edict he’d stuck with for about three years now. Three years ago, some client put his hands on Carmen in the parking lot as she was coming in. Didn’t particularly like that she had been continually refusing his advances. Broke her nose. Kallum beat the guy half to death.
One of the Sons—Hansen, I think it was—happened to be around at the time. He’d been able to stop Kallum just before he literally beat the guy to death, then he had a little chat with the police, somehow convincing them not to press any charges. The man in question was transferred to a hospital out of town and never seen again. Come to think of it, maybe that was the weird, alpha male, pride-based reason that Kallum didn’t like the Sons … maybe he felt like he owed them something or whatever.
Not that that was something to be thinking about right now.
“It’s okay,” I whispered to Kallum, his gaze still plastered on Hades. “I ... I know him,” I continued, my back burning from the gaze of the man I knew was now standing mere feet away.
Kallum’s eyes flared, and he finally moved his attention to me. My hand was still on his. “You know him?” he repeated.
I nodded. I hadn’t told a soul about what happened that night with Hades and the Sons. Not Des, not even Marilyn, my best friend here. Des would’ve gotten too worried about me, coming up with some crazy idea to come and move in to protect me, and I couldn’t have that.
Marilyn would’ve caught the glint in my eyes, the shake in my voice, and known it was due to more than the trauma of the event itself. She was some kind of intuitive witch. The smallest tells and she could read my fucking mind. Even the things I didn’t know I was thinking.
And I definitely couldn’t have told Kallum what happened. He would’ve fired Dante because of it, and then I’d likely have Dante out for revenge. I didn’t need any of that. It’d been better to keep my mouth shut.
“Yes, I know him,” I said, louder this time. “Not in any kind of way you’d think,” I added when his brows furrowed, and his hand flexed around mine. “I just helped him out with something once.”
This did not quell the frown on Kallum’s face, but I gave his hand one more squeeze then let him go, turning around before I lost my nerve.
Hades was standing there, watching. Watching the two of us. His jaw was sculpted from stone, his body held tight, eyes narrowed, fury etched in his features. Not just the irritation I’d seen as he walked in. No, fury.
At what, I didn’t know. It was terrifying up close. Powerful enough to rattle my bones, making me feel as if the ground was slipping from underneath my feet. I swallowed, tilted my head up ever so slightly, then pasted on a crooked smile.
“Hey,” I greeted him, intending to sound carefree, friendly and not at all terrified. Or turned on. Instead, my voice came out all breathy and weak.
He didn’t reply to my greeting, not verbally, at least. His eyes once again flickered behind me, to where Kallum was still leaning against the bar, most likely watching.
“We’re, um, not open yet,” I explained after we’d been silent for what felt like a long time. It was uncomfortable, thick and loaded, that silence. I’d never felt like this around a man before. Unsure of myself. Of how to stand, how to fucking breathe.
“Not here for that,” he replied with a clipped edge to his tone.
I gritted my teeth. He made it clear that he would never be here for that and it was structured as an insult. “Well, what can I do for you then, Hades?”
His name felt heavy, tasting metallic as it came out of my mouth. His eyes alighted with something as I said it. Something that made heat bloom in my stomach. But it was quickly gone, my body going rigid at the way his expression closed off.