Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
10
DIEGO
She disappears into Bells and Barrow’s room with the other women, so I sit down at the kitchen counter and check my texts. My contact works fast. I scowl as I read the information he’s sent, each bit of data worse than the last.
“Fuck.” I slam my phone down.
“Don’t like it?” Tiernan takes a bite of his cake and grins.
“It’s delicious.” Daphne, the red-headed journalist who showed up out of fucking nowhere stands at the end of the counter. She takes another bite of her cake and gives Tiernan a pointed stare.
“Jesus, woman.” His smartass tone dissipates as he swipes his plate and stomps away.
I go back to my phone and ignore the two of them.
“Got some news?” Daphne asks.
I pick up my fork and take a bite of cake. It’s fucking delicious. I’ve never had anything so good. She made this. From scratch. With her tiny little hands. I couldn’t be more impressed. The sweetness cuts through my irritation, at least somewhat.
Snagging my phone, I forward the intel to the guys, then dig back into my cake as I keep an eye on the hallway.
It doesn’t take long for Charles to come stomping into the kitchen again. “This can’t be real.” He sits heavily on the stool beside me.
“It’s real.” I sigh and finish off my cake, then scoop up the crumbs left behind.
“So we’re talking at least five numbnuts showing up here to try and take out your pop princess?”
“I’m thinking there’s probably one they missed. Maybe a true professional. Not sure.” I toss my fork onto my plate. “Could have flown under the radar.”
“Could be outside right now.” Charles grits his teeth.
I shoot a glance out the window at the snowy landscape. “Freezing his balls off if he is.”
“The first assassin made it.”
“And that damn redhead.” Tiernan strides in, his eyes on his phone. “She made it. Her and her questions and her legs, and ...” He runs a hand over his face. “Her everything.”
Charles raises a brow at me, and I shrug. Must be something in the water.
“She made it, but I checked her route. She got as close as she could in a Jeep towing an ATV, then hopped on the ATV with chained tires and made it to us. Not easy.” Charles glances outside, too. “The snow should stay thick, but the road will thaw soon. Probably tomorrow around noon, if I had to guess. Then the plow from Frozen Falls will clear it.”
“And then we’ll have five or six killer clowns at our doorstep.” I grab my plate and toss it into the sink, then frown when I realize I almost broke it. “Fuck.”
“We’re all on edge.” Tiernan shakes his head.
“Not true. I feel great.” Charles smiles.
When I think about my sweet songbird, I feel pretty damn good, too. I re-take my seat and go back through the list of amateurs on my phone.
“I think I want the arson guy. He seems like fun.” Tiernan smirks. “Real fucked up.”
“I’ll take the sharpshooter and the knives expert.” I could use a warm-up.
“I guess I get the leftovers. The block-headed brawler and the wannabe ninja?” Charles grumbles. “I should’ve called the arson guy.”
“Too late.” Tiernan pulls a blade from his side and flips it expertly in the air. “Time to go hunting.” He turns and strolls out.
“Barrow’s going to be pissed he missed out.” Charles cracks his knuckles.
I stand and cast another glance down the hall. “If this guy is obsessed enough that he’s spending money on B-team players, it’s only a matter of time before he realizes he needs to step it up. And when that happens—”
Charles holds up a hand. “The Brotherhood knows better than to show up here.”
“I’d like to think the Scorpions would know better, too.” I sigh heavily. “Then again, you see the trust fund on this idiot? He’s paying low-dollar right now, but it’s only because he doesn’t know there are better players out there. Once he finds the cream of the crop, he’ll pay for it.”
“I hope you’re wrong.” Charles rubs the bridge of his nose.
“I’m not.”
“I know.” He glances down the hall again. “But we’ll be ready. No one’s going to hurt our women.” He holds out his forearm to me. “We’ll handle it.”
I accept his grip and give him a nod. “Let’s take out the trash, then plan for the professionals.”
“Right on, brother.” Charles squeezes my arm. “And do you think your Aurora could make us some more cake?”
“Where the hell have you been? Why is there blood? What is—”
I stop my songbird’s mouth with a kiss.
She melts against me as I pull her close. I’ve come back victorious from two death matches, and my blood is running high.
I can’t resist her, can’t stop myself from backing her up until her knees hit the bed. She drops with a soft sigh, and I pull my shirt over my head and kick my pants off.