Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 37828 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37828 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
“But I like those things,” Emme said quickly. “And I brought pumpkin pie for dessert.”’
“You did?” Dahlia asked, her face lighting up with hope.
“Uh-huh, don’t worry, D. Everything is awesome.”
“If we waited a few hours, the turkey might be ready. Dimitri put it back in the oven.”
He sent her a surprised look. “Baby girl, I threw it out.”
“What?” she asked. “Oh no! No turkey? At all?”
“I’ll get you a new one,” he said hastily, hating the look of sadness on her face. “I’ll go find you one right now.”
“No, no,” she said with a sniffle. “I’m being silly. Sorry. It’s just that it’s our first Thanksgiving together . . . and I . . . I was trying to make it perfect, and instead, it ended up a disaster.”
“Baby, come here.” He patted his lap. He’d had enough of this.
Getting up, she moved slowly toward him. Reyes and Emme were quietly talking to each other as Reyes piled food onto Emme’s plate. He drew Dahlia onto his lap.
“Baby girl, what is this all about?” he whispered in her ear.
“I just . . . I want . . .” She gave Reyes and Emme a look.
“Let’s go talk about this in private.”
A banging door made him jump. Reyes stood.
Fuck! Why didn’t he have his gun on him?
“Hello! We’re here!”
He knew that voice . . . but how the fuck had he gotten into the house without the guards alerting him?
“Emme, get down,” Reyes ordered.
Markovich lifted Dahlia off his lap. “Dahlia, down with her.”
“What is it? Who’s here?” she asked.
“Now, baby.”
He didn’t have time for her questions. There was a gun in his sideboard. He didn’t think their visitor was a threat, but the fact he’d turned up unannounced and gotten through his security . . . red flag.
He grabbed a gun from his sideboard as the man in question walked in, flinging open the doors to make a grand entrance.
There was a large smile on his face. “The party can start now that I’m here!” His gaze immediately shot to where Markovich was holding his gun at his side.
For some reason he felt guilty when he shouldn’t.
“Really? Is this the way you greet your long-lost brother? A gun? That wounds me. Perhaps literally.”
“You surprised me,” Markovich added. They were staring at each other from across the room. The Fox eyed him coldly.
Fuck. Had he fucked this all up?
But what was he doing here?
“You practically get down on your knees and beg me to come visit you and this is how I’m treated?”
“I didn’t know you were coming. You surprised me! And how did you get through security?”
“Pfft. That was simple. I knocked your guards out and used my passcode.”
“You knocked them out? You’ve left us defenseless? And what passcode? You don’t have a passcode!”
“Of course I do. I’m your brother. And the guards will wake up soon. Don’t be so precious. Besides, I have the place alarmed.”
“You . . . what . . . how . . .”
“I’ve had a system in place since before you contacted me about a job. Had to have a way in for when I decided to kill you.”
Dahlia made a small noise and Markovich prayed the Fox didn’t hear her. But he crouched down, smiling at the girls. “Hello, there. Are you playing a game of hide and seek? I don’t think my Bunny would feel comfortable playing that in a strange house. She might get scared after everything she’s been through. But my Pup might. Or at least he likes a game of the Big Bad Wolf. Although, what happens after isn’t something I can do—”
“Fox!” Reyes snapped. “You can’t talk about that.”
“What? About how I like to have him present and—”
“Fox!” Markovich interrupted him this time. The other man didn’t seem to like that, but the girls did not need to hear this.
None of them did.
“I was only going to say I spank him, kiss him, and then send him running again. Wow, you all have such filthy minds. You should get them examined. I can recommend an excellent therapist.”
“You have a therapist?” Emme asked.
“Emme,” Reyes warned.
He really wished she hadn’t spoken as the Fox turned back to the girls.
“Ah, is that my niece? Isn’t that weird? That you’re my niece. I’m not sure how I feel about that yet. I mean . . . if I start to feel like an uncle, then I might have to object to this guy being your fiance.” He pointed to Reyes.
“Hey, what’s wrong with Reyes?” Emme asked.
“Hmm, what isn’t wrong with him would probably be a shorter list.”
“Fox,” Markovich said, before Reyes’ temper exploded. “Why are you here?”
“Rude. I’m here for Thanksgiving dinner, of course. You invited me.”
He had.
Lord help him.
“You never replied.”
“Family has to RSVP? Is that a rule?” he asked.
A rule? What did he mean?