Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 105506 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 528(@200wpm)___ 422(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105506 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 528(@200wpm)___ 422(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
But from the second that I laid my eyes on Colby, it was clear I had a type. And it was him. Not that I’d ever say that out loud. Or think it while sober.
Which I wasn’t.
My bestie was preggers. I was drinking for two.
Violet gave me a knowing look at my protest. “You like him.”
“Here I’d wanted a best friend who knew me better than I knew myself. Damn, that shit backfired,” I muttered.
She smiled. “Too late now, bitch.”
I sighed. “Where is your man?” I scanned the area, skimming over Colby. “He’s well overdue to come over here, ask if there’s anything he can get you then throw you over his shoulder and have his way with you.”
Violet giggled as her cheeks reddened.
The bitch was pregnant, and she was blushing. Because of Elden. Who was really hot. And gave her looks that melted all panties in the vicinity.
“Stop trying to avoid the question, babe.” Violet reached out to squeeze my hand. “Is it because of what happened?” She didn’t wait for my response before plowing on. “I can understand why you’d be cautious, but Colby would never hurt you.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes because my friend meant well. Even though I despised her gentle tone and the way her hand felt in mine.
“No,” I replied firmly. “It has nothing to do with that.” I pushed all thoughts of that away. “It has to do with Colby, and all of these men who love the whole ‘woman is mine’ routine.” It was my turn to squeeze her hand. “I’m not gonna deny that it’s really working for you, and that makes me happy beyond measure.” Not a lie; I did love that for Violet. “Although I’d hoped we’d have been able to have a few wild months backpacking around Europe, partying our asses off before one of us got pregnant or hitched.”
Though I knew that Violet was done the first time she spoke to me about Elden, I didn’t think that she’d be a mother and a wife before she graduated college.
Not that I was resentful. At least I was pretty sure I wasn’t resentful. My best friend had been through some shit, what with getting abused by her French boyfriend, getting pregnant by that same douche, having an abortion, then finding out her father had been beating up her mother for years, eventually almost killing her, then having her father kill himself, then getting pregnant to a man she loved and almost getting murdered by a serial killer.
Yeah, she’d lived more than enough in that short time, and if anyone in the world deserved to be treasured by an uber hot, older man, it was Violet.
“I would not be so good at being … owned.” I chewed my lip.
Violet’s gaze softened. “I get that the whole ‘you’re mine’ thing is pretty archaic and at odds with everything we stand for as independent feminists, but it’s … different with them.”
Her eyes went to the group of men once more, focusing on her husband then going dreamy.
Like a magnet, Elden’s eyes went to hers, so full of expression and hunger, I felt like a voyeur looking in on a very private moment.
Violet turned her attention to me, though it looked like it took physical effort to wrench herself away from his gaze.
She sighed. “I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s not about him owning you… It’s about you owning them.”
I forced a wicked smile, not wanting to show how a part of me—a large part—desperately wanted that.
“Yes, well, as much as I love owning a man,” I paused to drain my drink, “I’m gonna have to pass. Because as much as it looks good on you, babe, I’m not planning on getting hitched or pregnant in the foreseeable future. And I’m guessing the cocky male in question wouldn’t be on board with my plan on traveling around the world partying and fucking.”
Violet bit back a smile. “I’m betting not.” She looked between the two of us once more. “I have a feeling this is going to be interesting.”
COLBY
I was still pissed at her.
Furious.
I’d stayed away because I’d surprised even myself by how rough I’d been with her in her apartment. But I couldn’t fucking help myself. I’d been seeing red ever since church that morning.
Shit had been tense because of Violet’s attack and Jenna’s death. Even more so because it happened at the club and the fuck had gotten away with it.
We were all on edge.
But no one more than Elden. Swiss ran a close second.
Fuck, I was only her friend, and I could barely hold on to my goddamn shit when we rode up to the club to see a pregnant Violet covered in blood, a fucking knife sticking out of her back.
Although we’d known about the killings prior to that, what happened to Violet and Jenna made shit fucking real.