Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 94834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Unease rocks through me and my hands start to shake, even more so when a wicked smirk kicks up the corner of his lips, making him look like the devil. His friends talk quietly among themselves, and I watch as they slowly make their way around the bar, moving closer and closer with each step.
I swallow hard, the thought of them actually approaching me makes me want to hurl.
“Excuse me,” a girl calls from in front of me, demanding my attention. “My drink?”
“Shit, sorry,” I say, trying to focus on what I’m doing, placing her drink up on the bar and taking her money, though I’m not surprised to find the tip she leaves is piss poor. I deserve it, which makes me want to scold myself for allowing these strangers to get the best of me, again.
Turning to my next customer, I suck in a breath finding Dalton Eros smirking right back at me, those smoldering good looks making me want to die. “Well, hey there, Firefly.”
Oh dear God. Be cool, Oakley. Be cool.
“You stalking me, neighbor?” I chime, my lips pulling into a flirty grin.
“That depends,” he murmurs, that deep rumbly tone doing wicked things to me. His eyes sparkle, and I prepare myself for whatever’s about to come flying out of his mouth. “Does the fear get you hard like it does me?”
I lean forward onto the bar, letting him see the desire in my eyes, and the three disapproving stares from across the room only serve to spur me on. “Did you come here to remind me how much of a manwhore you are, or can I actually get you a drink?”
He shakes his head, his eyes practically dancing with laughter. “I came here to tell you I’m taking you out tonight,” he says. “And there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.”
“Oh really?” I question. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I’m kinda working tonight.”
“I’m a patient man,” he tells me, leaning against the bar and bringing himself dangerously close, his lips so near to mine I can feel his sweet breath brushing against my throat. “I’ll pick you up after closing.”
“Does that ego of yours ever get you in trouble?”
His grin widens, and it makes the butterflies flutter through my stomach. “Like you’ll never know,” he tells me before pushing back off the bar and gripping it between his strong fingers. “Don’t eat. I’ll feed you later.”
And with that, he slips away into the crowd, once again leaving me breathless.
Chapter 5
DALTON
“The fuck do you think you’re doing?” Zade demands, shoving his hands against my chest as I slip out the back of Danny’s Bar, Sawyer and Cross in tow. His dark eyes blaze, and for the first time in a long time, I feel like I’m staring down the barrel of a gun. “You’re getting too close. You know the fucking mission. She’s my sacrifice. In two months, I’ll be cutting her beating heart right out of her goddamn chest and you’re trying to tell me you want to get attached to the bitch first? Fuck off, man. You’re smarter than that.”
“Watch yourself,” I say, shoving him back. “You might be the fucking heir of Empire, but you’re not there yet.”
Sawyer scoffs, shaking his head. He’s one of my best friends, but I know exactly where he lies on this. “I warned you this was going to happen. You shouldn’t be getting close to this chick. Stop thinking with your dick, man. You’re gonna get us all in trouble, and worse, you’re gonna get attached. You need to cut it off with this chick.”
“What’s the big fucking deal?” I say, stepping out into the alley and lighting up a cigarette. “Apart from stalking her last night, have you even had a conversation with the girl?” Zade glances away. He knows I’m damn right. “She’s horny as fuck, and don’t pretend you haven’t noticed. If I’m not laying it down, she’ll find it somewhere else. This way, we can keep her close. She won’t be out there looking for dick if she’s got it right next door.”
Cross runs his hand through his hair, letting out a heavy breath before looking at Zade. “Fuck, man. He’s got a point. We can’t risk her slipping away.”
“She won’t slip away,” Zade argues, leveling Cross with a lethal glare. “There’s four of us and one of her. How fucking hard can it be to keep her in our sights? We live right across the hall from her. None of us need to be getting attached. Forty-one fucking days and she’ll be dead. Do you really want to get attached to that? Because I won’t fucking hesitate to take her out. I don’t give a shit if you fall for the bitch. I’m not risking it. If I don’t make this sacrifice on the sixtieth moon, I don’t claim leadership. I don’t need to explain this to you, man. You fucking know how important this is.”