Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 94513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Than swung his gaze to Ransom. “Don’t be a dick. She can’t help it.”
He chuckled, putting some more bacon on the skillet.
“Sounds like Than here wouldn’t mind sleeping against the wall at night. Why don’t you let him go running up the stairs tonight?”
Not happening.
“If you want a break, I can do it,” he immediately offered.
I lifted my eyes from my plate and leveled them on him. “She’s pregnant with Crosby’s son.”
He nodded. “I’m well aware.”
My grip on the fork tightened. “She’s not going to be your next fuck friend.”
Than straightened as his face hardened, along with his now-tense body. “Do you actually think I’d do that? To her? The girl my best friend was in love with?”
I took another bite of my food. I didn’t know what he’d do, but I knew what she looked like. I knew he sure as hell was finding ways to spend time with her. Like their movie night they’d had.
“She’s young and emotional. Don’t mess with her head,” I said as I stood up.
He hadn’t heard all the things that Ares had said last night. He had shown up and cut the bastard’s tongue out before he could spew any more shit.
“I’m being her friend. She needs one of those. It doesn’t help for us to treat her like she’s alone and unwanted here. Crosby wouldn’t have wanted that.”
I was so fucking tired of hearing what my brother would have wanted. I knew Than was his best friend, but I was his brother. I knew what he’d have wanted, and I knew I wasn’t doing it right, but I was trying to handle it the best way I could. My sanity was an issue, too, and Halo moving into Crosby’s room was not happening.
“Just remember it’s friendship you’re offering her,” I said, dropping my plate and fork into the sink.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he shot back at me.
“He’s just pointing out that she’s a smokeshow. You get close to her, and … well, you’re a guy. Lines could blur for you. Don’t let it,” Ransom told him.
Why were they all so fucking focused on how she looked? She wasn’t the only beautiful female they’d ever seen. We had hot ass here on the regular. Halo did not own the fucking market with her looks.
I punched the coffee machine harder than necessary, trying to tamp down my annoyance.
“Don’t break it,” Than said. “Forge broke off the fucking with that chick whose dad owns the company that makes it. And with all the bitching you did when we replaced the Keurig with it, I doubt you’re gonna pay to have it fixed.”
I wasn’t responding to that.
The sound of footsteps caused me to pause. They were softer. Way too light to belong to one of the swinging dicks in this house. I’d not gotten out fast enough.
Fuck.
“Good morning, little momma.”
Than’s greeting grated on me. What the fuck was he calling her that for? She had a name.
I grabbed my coffee and turned to leave. Her bright-eyed look caused me to pause. She smiled at Than, then shifted her attention to me.
“Good morning,” she replied to me as if I’d been the one to say it. “I was hoping to talk to you before you left,” she told me.
Damn. Had I not fixed the covers good enough?
I raised an eyebrow as I drank from my cup, not wanting her to feel exactly comfortable with me. If she brought up the fact that I’d been in her bed most of the night in front of these two fuckers, I’d never hear the end of it.
She cleared her throat in a nervous way, and her gaze flickered past me to Than.
Don’t go doing that. He will get the wrong idea, and I don’t trust him or his cock.
“I, uh … who cleans the house? I noticed it’s always so tidy, and I … well, I can’t just sit around all day. I need something to do. I could clean and do laundry. Go buy the groceries, if you have a list I could use,” she finished with a hopeful gleam in her eyes.
“Wilma might be upset if you take her job,” I told her.
The instant disappointment in her expression was hard to miss.
Why the hell did she want to clean up after us? Did she have any idea about the mess this bunch had made yesterday in the game room alone? She’d not had to clean up after we had a race-watching party or a fight night. There was also the issue that I couldn’t stomach watching her fucking clean. Not after what she’d grown up with. How she had been treated. That wasn’t happening to her again. Ever.
“Oh, I hadn’t seen anyone, so I didn’t realize,” she said softly. “Well, could I perhaps look for a job? I would need transportation, and I know that can be a hassle, but if there is a bus system, I could use it.”