Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
“And then?” I asked, feeling my heart start to thud hard in my chest.
“And then I will finally give him what has been coming to him.”
“What’s that?” I asked, hating how squeaky my voice sounded, how meek. Scared. But, well, those were all things I felt right then.
Because I knew what she was going to say.
“Death.”
“For what?”
“For his betrayal,” she said, her words taking on an even colder tone.
“How did he betray you?” I asked. “Did he… cheat on you?”
The disgusted curve to her lip answered me before her words even did.
“No. I did not fuck him, if that is your worry.”
“I, ah, actually I worried more that you two dated, and he loved you,” I admitted. “I could tolerate the, ah, fucking.”
“No love. Never,” she said with a ferocity that said there was no reason to doubt her words. “He is not a man worthy of love,” she told me, pinning me with a look that said she wanted to talk about it.
And if her talking could bide me some time, I was willing to listen.
Even if it meant learning things about the man I was falling in love with that I never wanted to hear…
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Donovan
There were many things to love and appreciate about the club that I’d devoted my life to.
Not the least of which was how no one even hesitated.
Even though some had wives and children at home, even though they had responsibilities to them to stay safe and be smart.
They understood.
They would do the same.
They would ask the same of me if the roles were reversed.
And I wouldn’t hesitate either.
I mean, I was hoping that shit wasn’t going to go that south that fast, that the Russians weren’t going to want to risk a shootout.
Though, yeah, I didn’t have a lot of faith in my assumptions. Especially with the old boss dead. I really didn’t even know his grandson. He’d been new in town when I’d been working for them. Too young, then, to be a threat. But maybe he’d just been biding his time, waiting for the right moment. After he’d garnered some favor among other family members.
Maybe there was no love lost.
He hadn’t been raised around his grandfather, after all.
So while, to most, it would seem cold-blooded, even evil, to poison your own grandfather, to him it had likely just been… a smart business move.
“No time to tell us about this fuck now, huh?” Huck asked as he took one of the guns Cato supplied.
“His name is Rolan,” I said. “Rolan Sokolov. And, quite frankly, I don’t know dick about him,” I said, cocking my gun, and making my way toward the front door.
I had just made it to the top step when the door opened, and out walked Rolan Sokolov himself.
I hadn’t seen him much back in the day, but he’d been young then with those sort of forgettable good looks that a lot of guys in their early twenties had.
Time had matured him into them, though.
There was a rough, yet almost elegant, look to him.
His features were masculine, if maybe a hint aristocratic. Wide forehead, stern brows, a straight nose, wider, but not overly plump lips. He had a jaw sharp enough to cut glass and deep cheekbone hollows.
His eyes were the most dominant part of his face, though.
See, Rolan had black hair, black brows, and thick black lashes. But light, almost translucent blue eyes.
“I would say It is nice to see you, old friend,” he said, eyeing me. “But it is not nice to see you. And we are not old friends.”
“Where is she?” I growled, my hand gripping the gun a little too tightly.
“Where is who?” he asked, brow raising, not the least bit concerned about being out-manned and out-gunned.
Or was that just because men were moving in around us?
I couldn’t turn.
I had to keep my eye on Rolan.
But the other guys would be paying attention, would let me know if there was an ambush.
“Maeve. My woman,” I said, surprised at how easily those words came out, considering I’d never really said them before.
Rolan’s gaze moved down me, then back up, but whatever he was thinking was hidden behind his icy mask.
“I believe we need to talk,” he said, moving a step back, holding out an arm. “You can leave your… associates,” he said, letting the word slip out like an insult, “here.”
“Absolutely-fucking-not,” Huck said, sizing up Rolan.
“It’s fine,” I told him, giving him a look I hoped he knew me well enough to understand. That I knew the risks. That I was willing to take them. For her.
“Ten minutes,” Huck said, giving me a slight nod that said I knew what would happen if I didn’t show my face in that timeframe.
“Got it,” I said, nodding, then following Rolan inside.
The inside of the house was completely different than it had once been.