Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 106600 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 426(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106600 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 426(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
This will be interesting, I tell myself. Could this be his mate? If it is, I was right to walk away from Billy last night. Her confession of her attraction was the final straw. I had been ready to strip her bare and devour her.
If I hadn’t put an end to things when I did, I would have taken things too far and hurt her in the end. She may not be my mate, but I have more respect for her than to do something like that to her.
When I get closer to my brother the first thing to hit me is the woman’s scent. It’s so familiar. I can smell her human blood, but there is something else, like Kendrick’s mate Ray and … Billy. That’s what was different last night.
That hint of something other. I had ignored it because of the high from the joint and my hope to finally find my mate. There’s something sweeter about the way they smell, with a hint of something familiar.
Could I have been with my … no.
Billy
“Hello,” I groan into the phone as I snatch it up from the nightstand.
“Billy, we need to talk. Can we meet up?”
“Carson?”
“Yeah, I can come to you if you want.”
I palm my forehead as my head clears, and I begin to become alert. Last night comes back to me. I remember crying myself to sleep after letting Ardan out.
That’s so not like me. It had to be the weed. I don’t smoke often.
I’ve had a few smoke sessions with Carson and Eddy when we were younger, but I haven’t smoked much since. I thought it would help me get my mind off things last night.
Boy did it, but what the hell was the rest of that. I haven’t cried over someone leaving me behind in years. I shake it off and focus on what Carson has asked.
He wants to come by. Bile rises in my throat at the thought of him running into Ardan or Ardan seeing him entering or leaving my place. I don’t want to come off as petty—because he rejected me or worse as some slut—who jumps from guy to guy.
Not that it should matter. I just can’t get the feeling out of my head—Carson and Ardan should never meet. I grow protective of Carson and shake my head as if he can see me.
“No, no. I’ll come to you. I’m just waking up, so give me an hour or so to head your way.”
“I’m already up and on the move. I can be to you in twenty.”
“No. I’ll meet you at your place. I have errands to run anyway.”
“I can bring you coffee and breakfast. It’s no big deal. If I stop for breakfast, that will give you more time to get ready,” he pushes.
“Carson,” I huff. “I’ll be ready in thirty and we can go to breakfast together. How does that sound?”
“Perfect. I know this place you’ll love. The food is great. We can talk in the car on the way,” he says with way too much hope in his voice.
I frown. There’s something off about the way he sounds. It’s not just the eagerness. Something is different in his voice.
As my Spidey senses go off, I decide to use our secret code. Mack made us come up with it years ago so we’d be able to let the other know something was wrong. As runaways it was a necessary precaution.
“Car?”
“Yeah?”
“Not my blood …”
“But always my family,” he responds.
I blow out a relieved breath. Thank God. I have enough weird shit going on.
“Text me when you arrive, I’ll come down to meet you. See you in a bit,” I sigh into the phone.
Hanging up, I then flop back against my pillow and close my eyes to think. I don’t allow myself to think of last night or Ardan. I need to get my head together to figure out this mess I’ve gotten Carson and me into.
I growl and punch the bed as I kick my feet. This is why I never ask for help. The one time I do, I get Carson into some shit and we could both end up losing our badges.
“Fuck me,” I groan as I open my eyes and stare up at the ceiling.
I was so focused on nailing Candido I didn’t think about how this could blow up in my face. Yes, we saved that woman’s life, but how do we get out of this without me ending up in a straitjacket.
“Why me?” I mumble and force myself to get up and head for the shower.
I smile as I remember Ardan coming to fix the water pressure for me. Immediately, I frown and chide myself for my thoughts. I mean, I confessed that I was attracted to him.
I was expecting him to flirt back or something, not rush to leave. I’m not begging for anyone’s attention.