Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
“That’s my girl.” Jekyll spoke softly from behind me, his hand going to my shoulder. I nearly broke down into tears. Grief and frustration were strong inside me. I felt like I was losing Mrs. Wagner all over again. Was she disappointed in me for not being able to be what her son needed?
I turned to go, but, to my surprise, Esther, Celeste, and Noell surrounded me, putting their arms around me. I was effectively cut off from any of the men, though Jekyll had his arms around Celeste and Esther while Razor was on the other side, his hands on the shoulders of Celeste and Noell.
“Well,” El Diablo’s smooth voice filled the void after I’d told Warlock off. “I guess that’s that. Warlock, I think that tells me all I needed to know.”
“I’m not leaving her, El Diablo. She’s mine, legally. And I’m not giving her up.”
“Wrath can take care of the legality of that tie. In fact, did you not sign the affidavit he prepared? The one declaring you a victim of fraud?”
“He didn’t.” Samson strolled into the room, Wrath right behind him.
“I’m not giving her up.”
“Yeah?” Once I’d started this, I couldn’t seem to help myself. The frustration that had been building for the weeks I’d been here finally boiling over. “Well, maybe I’m giving you up! Ever think of that? You can have your stupid club girls, or whatever they’re called. I don’t care anymore!” I practically screamed the last. Unfortunately, the tears streaming down my face belied the statement I didn’t care. “You’re an asshole, Warlock. A complete and utter asshole!”
“Seems like the girl doesn’t want to go with you.” Razor looked over his shoulder, not removing his embrace from the other women. It wasn’t so much that he was hugging them, but like all of them were hugging me. The men cemented the hold the women had on me so no one could break it.
Warlock scrubbed a hand over his face. “Five minutes, Hope. Give me five minutes alone with you.”
“You don’t have to, Hope.” Jekyll shook his head. “Not if you don’t want to.”
I thought about it a minute, staring hard at Warlock. His expression was blank, but he held his breath. I could almost see Mrs. Wagner smiling at me encouragingly, telling me to “Go on, dear girl. Listen to what he has to say.”
“Fine.” I gently moved out of the arms of the woman and past Razor, who was between me and Warlock. “Five minutes. That’s it. And only because I loved your mother, Warlock. I don’t know what you’re playing at now, but this is it. After this, I’m done.”
He nodded once, then reached his hand out to me. Instead of taking it, I gave him a withering look and lifted my chin, walking past him in a huff. Halfway up the stairs, he caught me, snagging my hand anyway.
“Not a word until we get inside my room,” he growled.
“I have nothing to say to you.” I didn’t look at him, keeping my eyes straight ahead. As if that could diminish his presence. He was larger than life. Ignoring him was an impossibility. I tried, though.
“Then you’ll listen to me.”
We reached his room, and he shoved the door open, dragging me in after him. The second he’d slammed the door shut, he wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted. Automatically, my legs went around his hips as he mashed me between the door and his hard body.
“You’re not leaving me, Hope.” Warlock had buried his face against my neck. His growled words sent butterflies surging through my stomach, and I shivered. “You’re my wife. I’m makin’ you my woman. Right now.”
“No!” I said weakly, clinging to him rather than pushing him away. “That woman said she’d been taking care of you since you got here. I’m not that pathetic!”
“I have no idea what woman you’re talking about, and I don’t care. I’m telling you the truth when I say you’re the only woman I’ve been with. We might not have fucked yet, but I haven’t even looked at a woman since I met you, Hope.”
I wanted to believe him. I really did. “How am I supposed to believe that, Max? You can’t seem to decide if you like me or if I’m a nuisance. A man as skilled as you are at pleasuring a woman doesn’t go without female companionship long. Apparently, I’m not very good at whatever it is you like.”
“Stop, Hope! I was trying my damnedest to do the right thing by you!”
“How is giving me so much pleasure and holding me until I sleep, then leaving me doing right?” I wanted to slap his too-handsome face. “Let me down!”
Instead of doing what I asked, he carried me to the bed and set me down beside it. Then, to my surprise, he whipped off his shirt. He snagged both my hands, forcing them open with his thumbs, placing them flat on his chest.