Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 118780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
Only Ace chuckles at Talon’s joke.
“We know him?” Major asks.
“Tera’s ex,” I bark before marching to the table.
Jewls hops off her chair, the quick movement causing Collin to jolt. She rushes to us, putting a hand on Major’s chest. “I can explain.”
I don’t hear the rest because Rowan’s turned to me, the color in her face draining. “Ford?”
My name is almost a whisper as I lean in, kissing her cheek. “Rowan.”
“Are you kidding me? What nut jobs crash girls’ night?” Shayla spouts irately.
“A bunch of men-children who are jealous babies.” Carson shoots me a dirty glare.
I position Rowan in front of me, sweep her hair off her shoulders, and get a rush of satisfaction when his gaze goes to her neck. Instead of shying away, he stands, offering his hand.
“Collin Bates, mate.” The British accent has the group of women sighing.
His eyes shift to Shayla, sending me a message.
“Ford Whitman.” I shake his hand and then hook my arm around Rowan’s waist. “Are you having a nice time?”
“We were until you interrupted. Why in the hell are you here?” Shayla sneers.
“Just came to buy the drinks.” I motion to the bartender for another round.
Carson and Addie glower, but Shalya straightens her shoulders and tosses her hair. “Well, that is acceptable.”
“Need to have a chat with Rowan.” I lead her to the hallway and she spins so fast she wobbles.
“It’s not what you think.”
“You mean it’s not one of Harley and Jewls’ hair-brained schemes to scope out information on something they should leave alone? That something being Tera’s ex?”
Her blue eyes grow wide and she shakes her head, then pinches her thumb and finger. “Maybe partly like that.”
“What part am I missing?”
“Nothing important,” she squeaks, as if realizing she’s said too much.
“Rowan?”
“Would you believe it was a coincidence?”
Something in the way she says it nags low in my gut. I glance over my shoulder to find Carson and Addie creeping close. Like most of my life, I can read their faces.
My fucking sisters.
“You two get your asses over here,” I demand.
They stomp over, Carson’s mouth already open to argue.
“Shut it. What the hell are you two up to?”
“Nothing that concerns you,” Addie sasses and I suck in a breath, praying for patience.
“I’ll give you women three seconds to explain what I just walked in on.”
“If you respected the sanctity of girls' night out, you’d leave now.”
I slice my eyes at Carson. “Keep it up.”
“Tera’s a big fat phony,” Rowan blabs, slapping her hand over her mouth.
“Rowan may be slightly toasted,” Addie conveys.
“No shit.”
“Really, Ford, Tera is a fake—just like her breasts and her dye job.”
I glance back to Rowan, whose face is flushed and eyes glassy. Toasted my ass, she’s trashed.
“Baby, what are you talking about?”
“I knew from the first time I saw her no one has that perfect of a chest. So perky all the time.”
“I’m not referring to Tera’s tits.”
“Oh, well, she’s a sham. Collin told us all about their relationship. He never asked her to move here with him. She clung to him, and when he figured out what a shallow opportunist she is, he broke it off. Dumped her like a hot potato.”
Carson and Addie share a look. “Dropped her like a hot potato.”
“Potato, po-tah-to, same thing,” Rowan defends. “Point is, her sob story was fabricated to make her seem scorned and shamed. She got here and set her sights on you. That obviously didn’t go anywhere.”
“Obviously.” I fight my grin at her animation.
“Wait, how’d you know he was her ex?” Her gaze narrows as realization hits. “You looked into her, didn’t you? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Not in a position to be questioning me, babe.”
“Ford Whitman, don’t pull that macho-alpha I’m-a-badass with me.” She sways in the same direction as she jabs her finger. “You’ll be sleeping on the sofa.”
“Not sleeping on the sofa.”
“Then tell me what you know.”
“Same as you.”
“Bet you don’t know that Tera’s making her moves again. The new guy has money, too. But he’s super sketchy.”
I whip my head to my sisters and feel the anger simmering. “What did you say?”
Addie pales, taking a step back. “Nothing.”
“Nothing, my ass. How do you know Wallace?”
Silence hangs in the air, and I note the trepidation in her complexion.
“How do you know Wallace?” I ask again, this time slower.
“We met him tonight.”
“Where?”
“At dinner.”
“Here?”
She shakes her head.
“Please tell me you didn’t fucking seek them out.”
“We had good reason. She’s up to something.”
“Landing a sugar daddy isn’t illegal.”
“It’s something else.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know, but she was overly curious about Rowan’s business and your job. She asked a lot of questions.”
“She’s an amateur journalist.”
“Something’s off.”
“You keep saying this, Addie, but you’re not backing it up.”
“It’s a gut feeling, okay?”
“Gut feelings don’t count.”
“Really, Mr. Marine? You’re a cop and a soldier. Are you telling me you never relied on your gut?”