Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 108119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
And she let me take what was mine.
I pulled away searching her eyes. “Innocent. Trust the man who owns a club like the one I do. That kiss… is innocent. Don’t believe anything other than that.”
Her eyes darted back down to my mouth. “Okay.”
“And don’t let guys grab you.”
“You’re grabbing me.”
“I’m different.”
“You’re awfully protective for a keeper.”
I smirked at that. “Yeah, well, I don’t like people touching my things.”
“Things.” She deflated, “Right.”
I knew I ruined what seemed to be a moment for her, and admittedly for me, and she detached herself from me, putting distance between us. “I’m going to be late for class.”
“I’ll pick you up in an hour.”
“Great, I finally get the father I never had, and he’s the most overprotective human on the planet. Fun!”
I glared. “Call me your father again, and you’ll finally understand what it means to be spanked.”
Her cheeks flushed as she ducked her head and started walking in the opposite direction.
When I finally made it back to the car it was to see, with utter horror that Phoenix had his phone up like he was filming the entire thing.
“Please tell me you didn’t record that.”
“I didn’t record it.” His lips twisted into an amused smile. “I went live.”
I grabbed the knife from my boot and threw it at the nearest tree, only to hear him say. “That too.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Alice
Damn, Andrei made such a ridiculous scene that nobody would talk to me for the rest of the day, and poor Mitchell my new lab partner tried to quit! One day in! I needed a partner to pass things!
Now I was alone.
And while I appreciated the over protectiveness, while it made me warm inside for a nanosecond, now I was just pissed.
I’d always wanted someone to watch out for me. Someone to care for me. I mean wasn’t that what brothers were for? Fathers? To be the guy that threatens all your boyfriends with a gun? Or gives you a curfew? I never had any of that, and admittedly it felt good to have someone care.
What didn’t feel good was being socially ostracized because he was worried about a guy who still lived at home and played Fortnite until one a.m.
My last class wasn’t very exciting. It was a four hundred level business comm class that I wanted to yawn my way through, but I was still thankful, thankful that I was doing something, not being trapped in my room waiting for the worst and not being trapped in my own closet battling my own feelings against the monster who owned a club that raped women.
It didn’t matter that he wasn’t a rapist.
He supported it.
I checked the clock and grabbed my things as the professor dismissed us. Nobody made eye contact with me as I weaved my way through students and finally exited the building.
My breathing stuttered when I saw Andrei leaning against the side of the building closest to me, his V neck so low that I saw a swirl of tattoos, his golden blond hair was combed messily to the side, his jeans were tight against his legs, tucked lazily into his jeans, his maroon shirt was thin enough that I could see the tight corded muscles of his six pack and the bulging biceps every stupid time he texted on his phone.
It didn’t help that his aviators were low on his face, or that I could see the small diamond piercing in his nose as it twinkled toward me as if to say, come and get me.
It was irritating.
My own reaction to a man who I knew was bad.
To a man who cut out my own brother’s tongue. He was both hero and villain, and I didn’t know how to mix the two together.
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one staring either.
Several girls held up cell phones and snatched quick pictures, while a few guys sneered in his direction out of pure jealousy. The man looked like a Viking god. Of course, they were jealous.
I held my head high as I made my way over to him.
He didn’t look up. When I was a foot away, he just tucked his phone back into his pocket and grinned, all white even teeth, a small dimple in the corner of his left mouth made itself known. How had I never noticed that before?
“I’m disappointed.”
“Huh?”
“So many girls were taking pictures I almost started posing, and yet you’re not even appreciating the goods by doing the same thing.”
“I don’t have a cell phone.”
He crossed his arms and grinned. “Did you check your bag?”
“What?”
He motioned for me to turn, then very slowly unzipped the front pocket and pulled out a brand new iPhone. He handed it to me then lifted the hair by my ear and chuckled. “My number’s labeled Satan.”
“Would have guessed that.” I barely got the words out; it was like I couldn’t get air into my lungs. He was too close, he smelled too good, and it was confusing. It didn’t help at all that he wasn’t wearing his gloves.