Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 154037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 770(@200wpm)___ 616(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 770(@200wpm)___ 616(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
The colors and innuendos written on his flesh writhed over his muscles that flexed and bowed with barely held restraint.
You’d think Tanner would be smart enough to back away, but instead, he sneered, “This is none of your concern. Think you’ve been in the way enough.”
It was the wrong thing to say.
Okay, the worst thing to say.
Because Otto had grabbed him and had him pinned to the opposite wall before any of us could make sense of the movement.
The man might have been a giant, but damn, he was fast.
Otto’s arm pressed up under Tanner’s chin, tight against his throat. “Ah, see, now that is where you’re wrong. Raven is very much a concern of mine, and if some little twat comes around, pushing her in a direction she doesn’t want to go, then things aren’t gonna end well for him. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”
“Otto.” I tried to get his attention, but he was too busy scaring the crap out of Tanner for me to break through to him.
He cracked a menacing grin as he pulled Tanner from the wall then slammed him back against it. “Now get the fuck out of here before I break your fuckin’ legs.”
He shoved him off.
Tanner stumbled to the side, and he raked the back of his hand over his mouth as if he was trying to wipe off a bad taste. He turned his attention to me. Disgust pulled all over his face. “Yeah, he’s like a brother to you, my ass.”
“Just leave, Tanner,” I told him, praying he wouldn’t be an idiot and push this any farther.
He stared at me for a beat before a harsh breath jutted from his lungs, and he turned on his heel and strode out like he hadn’t just been pinned to the wall by a mammoth.
Otto stood there fuming as he watched him disappear around the corner before he spun back to me.
My heart was jackhammering at the interaction, at both the confusion of the way Tanner had acted and the ridiculous show of force that Otto had issued. My offense rushed out before Otto got the chance to say anything. “That was unnecessary, don’t you think? I don’t need you coming around here tossing all your brute around. I was just fine.”
Burly. Freaking. Bear.
Only right then, Otto wasn’t the cuddly teddy bear he sometimes was with me.
He absolutely fumed with fury.
It was these moments when I knew he wasn’t the happy-go-lucky guy that everyone thought he was. When I knew he was violent and dangerous underneath all those smirks and grins. Hell, I knew Otto Hudson better than anyone.
“I think it was very necessary,” he growled.
“I can handle myself.”
Otto pressed forward, his big body covering me in shadow, a tall tower that loomed with all that dark intimidation. But his hand was soft when he reached out and set it on my cheek, and he leaned in close when he said, “Told you I would never let anyone hurt you again, and I meant it.”
THREE
OTTO
River used to razz me that I was a pretty nice guy unless I was murdering someone. Let it be known that I was not feeling so nice right then. Was inclined to chase the bastard down and show him exactly what the warning meant.
But Raven was staring up at me, her brow pinched and those inky eyes churning with so much emotion that I didn’t know how to make sense of it.
A vixen mixed with fragile vulnerability.
Didn’t know what to make of her half the time.
How to handle her.
What to do with the insanity that she conjured inside me.
One thing for sure, I needed her to understand the lengths I would go.
I thought she might argue with me, but instead she whispered, “I’m ready to go home.”
Yeah, it was probably a damned good idea since the only thing I wanted was to toss her over my shoulder the way I’d warned her and get her out of the sight of all these motherfuckers who’d been eye-fucking her since the second she’d stepped out onto the dance floor.
Get her away from the prick who’d been pressing in on her like he had the right.
Just get her the hell out of here before I did something stupid and snapped in front of everyone.
Before I did some of that murdering or got really reckless and told her she belonged to me. Maybe push her fully against the wall and make that sexpot mouth mine. God knew all the fucked-up ways I wanted it on me.
I roughed a hand through my hair, just realizing then I was covered in a sheen of sweat. Fiery possession singeing me through. “Sounds like a good plan.”
What I really should do was put her in an Uber and send her on her way, seek out Tiff so I could burn off some of this aggression. Distract myself with a hot body like I normally did when this woman spun me up so tight that I couldn’t see.