Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 125517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 628(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 628(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
Arden’s smile grew calculating. “That would be a huge favor for me to ask for, but I would—for a price.”
Wizard glowered at her darkly. “What’s the price?”
Arden’s expression grew serious. “Just one vote. I’ll even pay for the food.”
Wizard’s eyes filled with cold anger. “No. You want my vote, you’ll earn it like the other women.”
Arden shrugged. “That’s fair. By the way, I might be able to talk Mama out of a couple more trays of meatballs, if you ask me nicely. You sure neither of you want a beer?”
“Bring me a bourbon,” Wizard ground out.
Arden left to get his drink.
“I have a couple of meatballs I’m going to give her…”
Doom had to smother his laugh.
Wizard angrily turned to him. “You’re not pissed?”
“No. I expected her to try to trick or bargain us out of our votes. You didn’t?”
“Yeah… But I didn’t expect her to be so upfront about it, nor try it on me.”
Doom couldn’t hold back his laughter anymore at Wizard’s affronted expression. He was kind of surprised at the woman’s brazenness himself.
Wizard wasn’t amused as he turned to hang the pool cue back on the wall. “You better not trade your vote away.”
Doom shifted on his hip, turning toward Wizard. “Get real. Arden will never be able to earn my vote, even if she ditches the fuck-ugly clothes.”
“Then I guess,” Arden spoke from behind him, “I won’t waste my time with you.”
Doom turned to look over his shoulder at Arden, who set Wizard’s drink down on the table next to the pool table.
Without glancing his way, she went back behind the bar.
He turned his head back to Wizard, and the two men stared at each other.
“I hope you didn’t want her too badly.”
Doom shrugged. “It’s all cool. Like I said, she wasn’t going to be earning my vote anyway.”
Wizard grimaced. “We both know you don’t mean it.”
“Actually, I do.” Doom straightened to hang the pool cue up.
“Brother… Fuck.” Wizard crossed his arms over his chest. “Never mind. We’ll deal with that screwup later. Have you ever eaten at the restaurant she works?”
Doom looked at Wizard as if he were crazy. “The closest I’ve ever come to a fine dining Italian restaurant is when I drive past to go to Little Caesars.”
“Wonder if it’s as good as Celeste says it is. There are Italian restaurants in the city.”
Doom raised his hand. “How in the fuck would I know?”
“Burn!” Wizard yelled.
Doom gave him a mocking brow.
Wizard shrugged. “It’s different when I yell.”
“How so?”
“Because it’s me.” Wizard sprawled in a chair and reached for his drink.
Doom remained standing while Burn took a seat at the table, looking at Wizard.
“What you need?”
“How good was that fucking food?”
Burn looked up at him, as if Wizard had lost his mind for asking such an inane question.
“We’re just curious.”
Doom felt the heat of a blush rush to his cheeks when Burn looked at him the same way he had at Wizard. No wonder Puck wasn’t upset at losing his rank. He could have been the one standing here, dealing with this.
Burn shrugged. “It’s okay.”
“Okay.” Wizard straightened in his chair. “If it’s just okay, then we can order from another restaurant. Hell, it’ll probably be cheaper. I was going to splurge for the club—”
“You’re thinking of ordering some food from there?” Burn’s expression had changed. “Let me know what night you’re going to do it, so I can be here,” he said eagerly.
Wizard’s expression drooped. “I thought you said it was just okay?”
“That’s when I thought you would ask us to kick in for it. I’m a broke-ass man.”
“So, it’s better than good?” Wizardly asked sadly.
“I’m not paying?” Burn asked.
“No,” Wizard ground out.
“Then I’ll put it this way: I only had half a meatball and half of a garlic knot, and I considered taking out Hawk before he could eat his.”
In other words, Burn had thought about sacrificing his life for half of a meatball and garlic knot.
Wizard stared Burn down, checking if he was telling the truth, before he turned his head in his direction. “Doom.”
“Yes?”
“I need me one of those fucking meatballs. Make it happen.”
CHAPTER 13
THE BOSS
“Mama wants to talk to you. I’ll take over until you come back.”
Arden gave Andrea a quick nod of acknowledgement before escorting the party of six to their table. Maneuvering through the darkened restaurant with the ease of experience, she settled the customers in before she headed to kitchen.
She blinked at the sudden bright lights, so it took her a moment to spot Mama making dough. The woman was anything but a stereotypical Italian grandmother. Dodging one of the servers who was carrying a massive tray, Arden navigated herself through the bustling kitchen.
“You wanted to see me?”
Mama glanced up from the vat of dough that was the size of a linebacker to stare at her intently. “You look tired.”