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)
“That’s not cryptic or anything. Tell me.”
“When a Tzar takes an old lady, she has to get inked with her man’s property patch. You can see the other old ladies’ tats to get an idea. They’re each unique to the woman, and the men have all adopted the practice of getting a matching tat on their left ring finger.”
“Like a wedding band or something?”
“Yeah. Exactly.”
“That actually sounds rather sweet. But what happens if they get divorced?”
“That’s the second thing. There is no divorce in our club.”
I frowned. “Why not?”
“We’re not like Salvation’s Bane or Bones, or even Black Reign. Iron Tzars do things we don’t want to get out. To anyone. We have our own code we live by, but we’re not always on the right side of the law.”
“No surprise there. Neither is Bane.”
“Compared to us, they are. This club has a rich tradition of righting wrongs, no matter the cost. We don’t hurt innocents, and we always make sure of what we’re doing so there are no mistakes. The reason for the no-divorce rule is that men talk to their women and vice versa. In all the years since Iron Tzars have been in existence, we’ve never had a secret get out of our gates. That’s because every person affiliated with us from patched member to prospect, or old lady to club whore is completely loyal to us. They don’t leave.”
“Sting just sent Jezlynn away.”
“He’s sending her to a different chapter. We have them all over the country. All over the world, really. As long as there isn’t a loyalty problem, all the chapters work together to make sure all our members and women have a home in one of our chapters.” There was something he was leaving out, and I wasn’t really sure I wanted to know it all. Still, my big mouth opened and out it came.
“As long as there isn’t a loyalty problem. What exactly does that mean?”
Did I imagine he winced? “If someone inside is disloyal to the club, if they breach our trust or try to leave once they’ve been privy to any of our secrets, they’re dealt with by the club. Permanently.”
It took a minute for that to sink in. When it did, I found myself shaking my head. “I don’t think I want to be part of that, Cyrus.”
“Why not? It’s not like you’re leaving, and I don’t believe for a minute you’d betray me or the club.”
I tried to get off his lap, but he slid his hands around to grip my ass and pull me back. “Let me up, Cyrus.”
“Not happening,” he growled. “You sit here with me, and we work this out. This is how it works.”
“You’re talking about having me killed if I try to leave you! Cyrus, we’ve known each other less than a day! What the fuck?”
His chin jutted up. “You sayin’ I can’t keep you satisfied?”
“I’m saying we don’t even know if we like each other! Hell, half the time I’m with you I want to kick you in the balls!”
“And the other half?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Cyrus --”
“No, Odette. We have chemistry.”
“Sure. I feel safe with you. You’re the sexiest man I’ve ever met. You’re over the top protective. But you’re also a complete asshole without even trying.”
There it was. That flash of vulnerability I’d had a glimpse of a couple of times.
“I know I’m different. I don’t always understand how my words or actions affect other people’s emotions. Hell, half the time I don’t understand my own, but I know without a doubt I want you with me.”
“My brother said you had Asperger’s Syndrome.”
He shrugged. “Yeah. It’s not a bad form of it, and I can mostly control myself. But I still have problems relating to others. Usually when I don’t want to relate to them.”
I couldn’t help but grin. “I take it you don’t want to most of the time.”
“Maybe. Ain’t ever met someone I felt a need to relate to. Until the first time I saw you.” Cyrus didn’t have many expressions and the ones he did were very subtle. Just in the time I’d known him, though, I was noticing a few. He was telling me the truth. On all counts.
“You realize I’m way younger than you. Right? At least a good ten years.”
“Yep. Still want you, Odette. Don’t think you’re gonna talk your way out of this. You’re not. It’s only a matter of time until I convince you to go all in with me. That doesn’t change the fact that you’re still gonna be my old lady.”
“You don’t love me, Cyrus,” I said softly. “I can’t marry a man who doesn’t love me.”
I knew the second I said the words it was a mistake. “But you love me.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t not say it either. You said you couldn’t marry a man who didn’t love you. That implies you’d have to love him too. It also implies that you love me since you didn’t specify you’d have to love me to marry me.”