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)
I grinned. “No, actually I don’t know. Did you want to draw me a diagram?”
Phoenix started coughing.
I sighed. “Mary’s a tarantula. We keep her at the bar.”
Trace’s eyes widened. “Is she in a cage?”
“Of a sort.” I grinned. “Why, you want to meet her?”
“I do.” Alice piped up.
All heads turned to her. Most of the men looked shocked while the women took a step away from her like she was diseased.
“What?” She smiled wide. “I never had a pet growing up, and tarantulas are so cute. I’ve heard they’re really gentle.”
“Gentle my ass,” Sergio said under his breath.
I crossed my arms. “You’re bluffing.”
She shifted on her feet. “Oh? Why would you say that?”
“Your eyes darted down to the left at the exact same moment you shifted weight, and then you licked your lips, fast not slow. You’re lying.”
“Does he do this to everyone he likes?” Bee asked out loud.
“I think I feel a bet coming on.” Dante rubbed his hands together. “If she can hold Mary for say… one full minute without panicking, what are you going to buy your new… wife that not one of us knew about?”
I shot him a death glare.
“What?” He shrugged. “I just wanted to make sure we didn’t drop the very important subject of you suddenly being married to a woman we don’t know.”
“I have questions.” Chase gritted his teeth. “Loads of them…”
“Pleasure,” I rasped, lifting my hand to cup Alice’s face. “Not business, not tonight.”
God, it hurt to touch her, even with my gloves on.
I was numbing myself with alcohol.
And even then, I still felt her.
I took another shot and swallowed. “Deal.”
She held out her hand for me to shake it. “Deal.”
I tugged her against my chest. “That’s not how I make deals.”
“Well, shit,” Nixon muttered under his breath as I pulled out a small knife from my pocket and flicked open the blade. “Andrei…”
“What?” I called over my shoulder. “She’s the one who agreed.”
Alice’s eyes shot to the knife then back up to me. “What’s the knife for?”
“Give me your hand.” I answered to no one.
The guys went quiet, the women watched like we were the newest drama to hit Netflix as they downed their drinks over the exchange.
Slowly, Alice lifted her hand. I turned it over, palm facing up, and imagined my mark on her, my tattoo on the back of that wrist. I wanted to mark her, so anyone who saw her knew.
But not here.
Not now.
I made a tiny cut on her thumb.
And then I pulled off my glove and made a cut above the bottom star, my star. She wouldn’t know what it meant, to take a blade to your own skin, your own family tattoo.
It meant she was my blood.
I was taking it too far.
I didn’t care.
It was the dress.
The ridiculous see-through lace dress.
I pressed my thumb to hers and then clutched her hand and whispered. “I guess you’re going to have to prove you can take it.”
“The spider or you?” she mused.
Two of the guys burst out laughing while it sounded like Tex started taking bets. Fantastic.
Still holding her hand, we walked over to the bar. It was hard enough concentrating on the task at hand let alone putting up with the guys laughing. Her ass looked incredible.
I wasn’t the sort of guy who stared.
Because nothing held my attention.
Until her.
I wondered if it was a defining moment, already it was an out of body experience, the knowledge that for twenty-two years women didn’t turn my head. They were objects. Things. I knew how to please them, I had studied that topic extensively thanks to my father, just like I knew that sex started with the kiss, but I’d never wanted anything beyond that.
Because it was all of my soul that I had left.
And the thought of sharing it with someone was unthinkable. The damage insurmountable.
I had one thing no one could take from me.
And I refused to be weak enough to give it.
Despite the dress.
My eyes lowered.
I used to burn people alive. I could handle a dress.
She moved ahead of me; my hand slid down to her ass.
I would rather burn a body.
She was the fire wasn’t she?
And I was burning from the inside out.
I exhaled. “Rico.” My voice sounded funny, like it knew the rest of me was teetering out of control. “I need Mary.”
Rico was another Italian transplant. he loved working the bar because he got the most action when people got out of trouble.
He also heard the most secrets.
His head was shaved bald, and he had at least a million different colored beanies. The guy was almost too hipster to walk down the street without at least an organic coffee in hand.
“Sure thing, Boss.” He winked at Alice. I tugged her closer to me. He just shook his head and smiled. I was being possessive. I knew Rico had a crush on Ax, even though Ax was married, but still, I was ready to fight for what was mine.