Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Alec looked thoughtful. “Perhaps. Or he might be arrogant enough to believe that no one can take him down, including his sister.”
Tanner straightened. “I will not allow her to go near him.”
Alec waved his hand in the air. “Of course not. She’s yours, therefore she’s under all of our protection. We don’t send our women into danger. I took the liberty of calling Devon and Peggy to let them know she wouldn’t be working for them anymore,” Alec told him.
“And I’ve informed Jake about everything,” Linc stated.
“Okay . . . okay,” Beau said, clapping his hands. “Can we talk about the elephant in the room?”
They all stared at him.
He pointed at Linc. “What the hell is he doing here? And talking to Jake? Since when do we involve the cops in family business?”
“Since this cop wants to feel up our baby sister, apparently,” Tanner said dryly.
Everyone in the room stilled.
Oh. Fuck.
He met Alec’s resigned look with one of surprise. “Uh, I take it you hadn’t told them yet?”
“You guessed correctly. I told them that there was a threat to your woman. That her brother was going to come for her. And that he’s an abusive asshole. That’s why she ran from you six months ago and why she came here now. But I haven’t had a chance to tell them the rest.”
“Then, surprise! We have a sister.” He held his arms up in the air.
Everyone started talking at once. Well, everyone except West and Alec.
“Everyone, quiet!” Alec ordered. He didn’t yell, but he didn’t need to.
Beau was up and pacing.
“A sister?” Jaret asked. “How?”
“Apparently, the old man wasn’t finished after me,” Tanner said. “Hey, there could be dozens more Malones and we wouldn’t know.”
“Shit. That’s a thought,” Clem said.
Not entirely pleasant one. Especially for Alec who was hugely protective of his family.
“Who?” West asked.
“Ryleigh, Lilac’s friend,” Alec explained. “Apparently, she grew up with her mother and our old man used to visit them regularly.”
“She seems to have had a different experience than us with him,” Tanner said. “He was semi-decent to her. At least up until he sold her.”
“He fucking what?” Beau snapped.
“Language,” West snarled.
Beau winced. “Sorry. But, come on, West. He sold our sister?”
“What the hell?” Alec asked in a low voice.
“Yeah, Ryleigh doesn’t know this, but he sold her to Stefan. That’s Lilac’s brother. The old man died of cancer not long after and Stefan moved her in with him. It wasn’t until Ryleigh saw what he’d done to Opal, his mistress, that her rose-colored glasses came off when it came to Stefan.”
“You’re sure she’s our sister?” Maddox asked, rubbing his hand up and down Scarlett’s back.
Alec sighed. “There’s a chance she’s not. But she said the old man told her about us. Also, her son, Kye, looks like Tanner when he was a baby. We can do some tests . . . but yeah, I think she belongs to us.”
“Wow. A sister,” Butch said. “Fuck. Is that asshole the father of her son?”
“I’ll fucking kill him if he raped her,” Raid snapped.
“No. He didn’t touch her,” Tanner said. “Lilac got them all out of there before he could. But they’ve been running a long time from him, and Lilac is worn through.”
“She’s protected them this long. It’s time for her to let someone else take over,” Alec said.
“We’re going to slaughter the bastard,” Maddox said.
“I’m still in the room,” Linc said.
“Then leave.” Beau shot him a grin.
“I’m not the enemy,” Linc said. “You guys have known me a while. I consider some of you friends.”
“That was before you started putting your filthy hands on our sister,” Maddox said darkly.
Linc put his hands in the air. “I didn’t know she was your sister! You didn’t know she was your sister. And I haven’t put my hands on her.”
“Good. Keep it that way if you want to keep your hands,” West told him.
Linc was fucked. He actually found himself feeling sorry for the big guy.
“Back to Stefan,” Jaret said. “Do we have a last name? Details? Who are we up against?”
“I managed to get some details from Lilac,” Alec said. “Her brother’s name is Stefan Weber. His father was Anselm Weber. Anselm owned an import business in San Diego. Stefan took over from his father when he died. That’s as far as I’ve got.”
“What are they importing?” Tanner asked.
“I’ve heard of them,” Linc said with a frown. “No one has found anything dirty on them, but it’s widely believed to be guns and women.”
“And our father sold our sister to this guy?” Butch asked. “Fuck.”
“Lilac has lived with him her entire life,” Tanner said. “She’s been emotionally and physically abused by him, and it got worse after her father died.”
“Opal was his mistress,” Alec added. “Seems it wasn’t by choice.”
“I have a question,” Lara said.
“Go for it.” Alec nodded to her.