Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 22917 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22917 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
“If this is about Dad, you were right, okay?”
“River,” he says as I grab a shirt and still don’t look at him. “I didn’t want to be right, even if you don’t believe that. I didn’t want you to go through the pain to see it for yourself.”
“It’s done.” There’s a finality in my voice, but I felt it in my soul after today.
“This isn’t about Dad, it’s about Mara.”
Hearing her name has my body on alert. “What’s wrong? Is she okay?”
My pain-in-the-ass brother smirks at me. “Get dressed.”
He pushes away from the door, and as much as I want to tackle him to the ground and get in another fight, we’re evenly matched, and I don’t feel like getting my ass kicked. Jerking on a shirt and changing into jeans, I go to the bathroom and try to clean up my face. There’s not much I can do, so I wash off as much of the blood as possible and then grab my boots.
“Where are we going?” I ask him as I pull them on.
“We’re going to meet Beckett at a club.”
I stop what I’m doing and look up at him, ready to roll my eyes. “I’m not going to a fucking club, Felipe. Not even one you used to own.”
“Even if Mara is there?” He gives me a knowing look and just walks out my front door like an asshole, knowing that I’ll follow him.
I need to remember to pee in his pool the next time I’m at his house. “What makes you think I want to see her?” I call out to him as I grab my keys and hurry to catch up.
“I talked to our sister.” He gets into the backseat of the car that’s waiting at the curb, and I make an annoyed sound as I get in with him.
“She won’t answer my calls.” As soon as the door is closed, the car begins to move.
“Probably because she can’t hear you calling.”
“Mara doesn’t go to clubs.” I realize that I’m arguing with him, but I don’t care.
“Look, River, I know this isn’t easy. I know what it’s like to love someone so much that it drives you insane.” He glances out the window, and I have no doubt he’s thinking of his wife, Amelia. “And I know that sometimes you have to be a little sneaky to get what you want.”
“How do you mean, be sneaky? I don’t want to lie to her.”
“That’s not what I’m saying.”
“Then get to the point.” I’m so close to coming unhinged I can hardly think straight. Why is Mara at a fucking club? Whatever her reason, her ass is coming home with me.
“You know she’s at the club, but she doesn’t know you’re coming.” He knocks his knee against mine. “Use that to your advantage.”
“Why, because all I want to do is barge in there and hulk-smash the place. No offense.” I offer the last part because while I don’t want the family business, that’s how I feel.
“You’ll come to the office with me, and we’ll meet Beckett there. You can watch her on the cameras.”
Although I’m so angry my vision is blurring, I’m trying to listen to what Felipe is saying. I need to calm down and figure out how to fix this. Obviously Mara needed to blow off some steam or whatever, but she’s going to hear me out. And if that doesn’t work, then I’ll hulk-smash.
“All right, but if some guy is touching her—” I can’t even finish the sentence.
“I’ll help you light the match. Deal?”
I nod, and a long silence stretches between us. “I love her,” I say, more to myself than to Felipe, but he squeezes my shoulder.
“I know, River. I’ve known since I married Amelia how you felt about her.”
“How?” I’m trying to think of a time I said something or did something that might have given myself away.
“I know how it feels to look at a woman and promise your heart to her right on the spot.”
Sitting back in my seat, I think about his words and how they’re exactly right. Mara has always been mine since the first time I saw her. I don’t know if she realized it, but she’s been carrying around a piece of me with her since then.
When we pull up at the club, we’re taken by security to a private entrance. From there, we use the private elevator, and I’m surprised at how quiet it is. You can’t hear music from inside at all, and everything is blacked out.
The elevator doors open into a large office, and I notice that straight ahead is a glass window that looks out over the club. To the right, there’s a wall of cameras, and that’s where Beckett is sitting.
“See anything?” Felipe asks as he walks over to stand beside Beckett.