 by Marteeka Karland.jpg)
Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 37093 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 185(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37093 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 185(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Chapter One
Cyrus
“I can’t understand why this amuses you.” I was sitting with Blaze and Wylde in a bar a couple towns over from Evansville. It was karaoke night. Which was basically grown men and women, drunk off their ass, singing off-key and off-beat. Some people laughed, others whooped and clapped. I was at a complete loss as to what to do. Though, I now understood why people drank. If I did, I’d be drinking now. Heavily.
“It’s laughing with each other and thinking how bad that person was and that you can do better. Only to get up on stage and do just as bad or worse.” Wylde grinned at me as he explained. The bastard always loved explaining social nuances he knew I’d never get otherwise. It pissed me off sometimes because I knew he was having fun at my expense, but I was oddly grateful for the explanation. Not that I’d ever admit that. “Think of it as male bonding with both men and women.”
“Seems like it’s grown adults making fools of themselves.” I winced as someone made a particularly horrible noise from the stage.
“Exactly!” Wylde was excited, almost like a kid. This was one of his favorite things to do. He always wrangled someone to go with him so he could drink. Of all the men in Iron Tzars, Wylde puzzled me the most. He was ruthless when it came to hunting people he considered “bad guys,” but otherwise obeyed the law to the letter. I didn’t understand him. “But that’s not why we’re here.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose with my thumb and finger. I felt a nauseating headache coming on. “Then why the fuck are we here?”
“Just wait. Trust me when I tell you it will be worth the wait.” Wylde actually looked gleeful. What the fuck was he up to?
“He’s been talking about this for two weeks, Cyrus.” Blaze tossed back a couple peanuts from the bucket on our table. “I’m actually anxious to find out what all the fuss is over.” Blaze signaled our server that he and Wylde needed more beer. I took another cup of coffee.
“Well, he’s got ten more minutes, then I’m outta here. You guys can either come with me or find your own Goddamned way home.”
“I’d almost forgotten what an asshole you are, Cyrus.” Wylde didn’t look mad. Strangely, he looked amused.
“Never claimed to be anything but.”
Wylde just grinned and took another pull from his beer. “You, my friend, are getting ready to be knocked on your ass.”
With a roll of my eyes, I took a sip of the coffee in front of me. How was this even my life right now? Wylde had coerced me and Blaze into coming with him. Blaze was having a blast. Wylde too, obviously. This was a special kind of hell for me. I didn’t deal with crowds on the best of days, and drunken, singing crowds made me want to run from the room screaming with my hands over my ears.
Wylde actually looked like a kid who’d been let loose in a candy store with a hundred dollars. He was practically rubbing his hands together with glee.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Blaze said with a chuckle.
“Trust me.” Wylde grinned at the other man. “You’re gonna be glad you came.” Then he burst out laughing.
“You’re drunk.” I ground my teeth. This was yet another reason I hated coming to shit like this. The guys knew I didn’t drink and always wanted me to go because I was guaranteed to be the designated driver.