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)
“A good thing?” Arden snorted. “I’ll take your word for it. Besides, it doesn’t matter, anyway. Doom doesn’t consider me his property.”
“Are you sure about that?” Jesus picked up his mug and took a drink of beer. Then he pulled the mug away from his lips to stare at it intently before taking another drink.
Arden looked at him curiously when Jesus set the beer down and seemed about to cry.
“Are you okay?” Arden worriedly reached out to touch his hand sitting on the bar.
“The beer is cold.”
Frowning, Arden nodded. “I fixed the kegs and redid the coils. Shouldn’t I have?”
“Are all the beers cold?” Jesus rasped out.
“Yes. Look, I can change it back. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Will you marry me?” Jesus turned his hand under hers to grip it tightly.
Arden breathed a sigh of relief. “No, I’ll pass, but I’m glad you’re happy with the beer.”
“You two better chill.” Kat reached out to separate their hands.
“You’re being ridiculous, Kat.” Picking up Jesus’s mug, she refilled it for him.
“I like you, Arden, so I’m going to give you a heads-up. Doom wasn’t given his nickname because of his winning personality. He’s normally a mean motherfucker. Except, when you make him angry, he makes it his personal mission to annihilate the cause.”
About to make light of what Kat was telling her, Arden stopped when she saw from Jesus’s expression he was agreeing with Kat.
“I know Doom comes across as heavy-handed, and he certainly doesn’t give the impression of being Mr. Rogers, but me being friendly with Jesus isn’t going to bring down his hellfire on me. We had a small disagreement when we were in Wizard’s office, which wasn’t a big deal. He’ll get over it before the night’s over. You’ll see,” she assured them.
“I sure hope you’re right.” Kat gave her a sympathetic pat on her shoulder. “If not, it was nice knowing you.”
Rolling her eyes at Kat, she looked at Jesus for help. “Can you help me out? Kat’s making a mountain out of a molehill. She’s blowing a small argument out of proportion.”
Jesus took another sip of his ice-cold beer. “Are you going to marry me?”
Margarita, who was coming from the back, gave Jesus and her inquiring stares before moving away toward the pool table.
“Of course not.”
“Then I’m staying out of it. I’ve already risked my neck enough tonight to last me for a lifetime.” Jesus leaned forward until he was practically lying across the bar top to whisper, “In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m more of a lover than a figh—”
About to laugh at Jesus’s overdramatic tone, her eyes widened in shock when Doom’s hand descended on his head, plastering his face to the bar.
“Why are you whispering, Jesus? We’re all dying to know what’s so fucking funny!” Doom snarled.
“Doom!” Arden reached out to remove his hand from Jesus.
Kat jerked her back. “Stay out of it. I warned you,” she hissed.
Jesus tried to struggle out from under Doom’s hand unsuccessfully. “I was just playing—”
Feeling sorry for Jesus, who looked like a smushed fish, she tried again to make Doom stop, but Kat pushed her farther away.
“Did I give you permission to play with Tink?” Doom snarled.
“Tink?” Jesus questioned, trying to lift his head, only to have it smacked down again with Doom pressing his full weight down on his skull.
“Arden.”
Doom had nicknamed her Tink? She didn’t know how she felt about it. Then she decided she did. She hated it.
“I didn’t know I needed to,” Jesus mumbled out.
“Now you do.” Doom pressed down harder. “Any questions?”
“Not any I can think of at this moment.”
Struggling against Kat’s hold, Arden caught sight of Wizard rounding the counter.
“Let Jesus go, Doom.”
Doom did, but not before banging his head on the counter one final time.
Wizard glared at Doom. “Was that necessary?”
“No, but it was satisfying as fuck.”
Finding herself released from Kat’s hold, Arden started forward to check on Jesus.
All three men stared at her with various expressions. Jesus was frantically shaking his head at her, while Wizard warned her to stay where she was. Yet, it was Doom’s that held her in place. He was practically daring her to take another step. Arden decided it was in her best interest to remove herself from a situation she had no idea how she had gotten herself into in the first place.
“You know, it’s late. Too late to have to deal with this. Kat, you mind if I take off?”
Kat gave her an approving nod. “I think that would be an excellent idea.”
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night, everyone.”
Hurrying around the bar, she felt eyes boring into her back as she made her escape.
“Whew!” Arden breathed a relieved sigh once she was outside then flushed at seeing Burn’s puzzled look.
“Rough night?”
She had to bite back what she really wanted to say. “You have no idea.”