Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
“You should be careful in those heels, ma’am,” Ben offered helpfully as he made sure she was steady on her feet before he let her go and stepped away from her. “At your age, you could easily break a hip.” I never said the kid was smart.
“Excuse me?” Gloria clenched her hands into fists and took an angry step toward Ben. “What exactly does that mean?” She gave him a saccharine smile.
He blinked at her guilelessly. “Just that as you get older, your bones get fragile. I’m surprised you didn’t break something when you fell this time.” Ben looked so distressed I nearly missed the way his lips twitched as he fought a grin.
“I’m not that old!” Gloria screeched and struck out at poor Ben. The kid didn’t miss a beat but caught her swing with a level expression. He didn’t retain his hold, but let her go and stepped back again, ceding his ground but also letting her know he wouldn’t let her abuse him. Gloria gasped, turning to me immediately, cradling her wrist in her other hand, her lip trembling. “Did you see him? He crushed my wrist, Colm! Is this the kind of people you run with? You’d stand by while he hurt an innocent woman?”
I glanced at Ben who just grinned and shrugged. He was willing to take the fall. Kid was definitely smarter than he looked.
“If I say yes, will you be scared and go away?” I hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but I couldn’t take it back. Ben, who might not be smarter than he looked after all, laughed unapologetically. He didn’t even try to cough or anything to cover up his laughter.
“Sorry, Angel. I know it’s not polite. I swear I’ll get on my knees and apologize later, but I can’t help it right now.”
“Don’t worry, kid. I got your back with El Diablo.”
“Who’s El Diablo?” Gloria demanded. Probably more to bring my attention back to her. Granted, I didn’t know the woman. I might be married to her, but I’d spent less than twenty-four hours with her in total. Probably closer to twelve than twenty-four, and most of that time was in Vegas where I was passed out. I couldn’t even remember how I got back to the hotel room that night.
I took a breath to explain El Diablo, but before I could say anything, Ben’s street brother, Gray, answered for me. “He’s the Devil.” Simple. Straightforward. And the truth. It was right there in his name.
Gloria rolled her eyes. “Does he own this place? Seems really big.” I could practically hear the wheels turning in her mind. I almost wanted to see what happened if she tried to get her claws into El Diablo. It wasn’t the Devil she had to worry about. El Diablo’s wife, Jezebel, was just as deadly as her husband. And El Diablo was an assassin.
“He does,” Ben answered cheerfully. I was beginning to see I needed to keep a closer eye on this kid. “It’s really huge. Several buildings and all kinds of private homes for the club members who don’t want to stay at the clubhouse. El Diablo owns all of it.”
If we’d been in a cartoon, Gloria’s eyes would have lit up with solid gold dollar signs. “Ben…” I practically groaned his name. “You’re gonna cause so much fucking trouble.”
Kid shrugged. “Sorry, not sorry.”
“I demand to see El Diablo about my treatment!” Gloria had an almost gleeful look in her eyes.
“Ma’am,” Gray had come closer, putting himself between Gloria and everyone, He guided her back to her car with a hand in the middle of her back. “I think it might be best if you leave.”
“I can’t leave!” she yelled at the younger man. “I don’t have anywhere else to go!”
Ben, who it seemed loved stirring the shit, peered around Gray to grin and wave at her. “You got a nice vehicle, ma’am.”
Still eyeing trying to get around Gray, she straightened but stayed near the car where Gray had opened the door and was trying to urge her inside. “It was a gift! I don’t have to give it back!” The car was clearly a point of contention with her and whatever had happened.
“Didn’t say you had to, ma’am,” the prospect continued. “Just… I mean, you could sell it. Get a more practical vehicle and probably a nice house.” The look of abject horror on Gloria’s face sealed her fate with me. But not before I got what I needed from her.
“Bring her and that fucking ostentatious car to the clubhouse. Keep her outside until I come for her. She tries to get past you, fuckin’ shoot her.” I didn’t wait to see what Gloria’s reaction was, but I was riding a fine line between keeping the peace and killing the bitch because she’d upset my woman. Except that it was more my fault than Gloria’s. Sort of.