Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 40524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
“Sting can do that for her. He’ll see this through.”
“But he’s not her best friend.” The stubborn look on Lemon’s face told me everything I needed to know. “I am.”
“Let her stay.” Curiously, it was Rocket who spoke. His gaze was firmly fixed on Lemon, studying her as intently as he might a bug under a microscope. “I’ll see to it she gets back to the clubhouse safely.”
“Like hell,” Wylde growled. “You couldn’t keep one of your own women safe. You expect me to trust you with one of ours?”
“I’d never have permitted Scarlet to leave the safety of our territory if I’d known she didn’t want to go. I know I have a lot to make up for because of Claw, but despite what it looks like, I take the safety of everyone in my club seriously. Especially our women and children.”
“I’ll keep an eye on them both, Wylde.” Sting spoke softly, gripping Wylde’s shoulder. “I’ll bring her back. If she wants to stay, let her. Trust her to know where her limit is.”
“Sting, I don’t want her to do this.” Danica was insistent, but I could see she was going to give in. “This is going to be brutal.”
“I got this, Dani. Go on.” Lemon actually reached out to her sister and squeezed her hand.
Surprisingly, it was Wylde who turned Danica, whispering softly to her and guiding her out of the barn. Lemon moved over to the table where Stitches had started a couple of IVs on Hammer. One in the bend of his left arm, the other in the right side of his neck.
“Looks like we’re gonna be here a while, Hammer.” Lemon grinned down at him. “I’m new to this whole death by torture bit, but I’m confident I can outlast you.”
“Fuckin’ hell.” Rocket scrubbed a hand over his mouth. “This might not be such a great idea after all.” He looked at Lemon with a strange expression on his face. It almost looked like… lust? But no. That couldn’t be right. God help him if it was. I could almost feel sorry for the bastard because I was pretty sure Lemon could run circles around him. And he’d better not go to sleep in her presence. He’d be minus his balls if he did.
Scarlet stood beside Lemon. Hammer gave her a look so filled with hate there was no way they could let the man live. He’d kill Scarlet the first chance he got.
“I’d say good luck, but I wouldn’t mean it. Maybe I should pity you. You lost the woman you loved. Claw said she betrayed the club, but it seems to me like you both did. Or at least you betrayed the vice president. She didn’t deserve to die and neither do you. At least not for that. But anyone who could do the things you did to me simply because you hated my dad? You’d do it again to someone just as innocent so I’m not going to lose a moment’s sleep over you, you son of a bitch.” She shook her head once. “I hope you rot in hell.”
Then Scarlet took my hand, and I led her out of the barn and to my bike. She tilted her face up to the night sky and inhaled deeply. “Let’s go home, Mars.”
“With pleasure, honey. With pleasure.”
Chapter Thirteen
Scarlet
I don’t remember much about the ride back to the clubhouse. The second we pulled into the parking lot, though, I hopped off the bike and pulled Mars along with me inside.
The second we went to our room, I was on him. I jumped into his arms and wrapped my legs around his waist. Mars didn’t hesitate to give me what I needed. He met my kiss with a hard, hungry one of his own.
I tugged at his shirt, needing to get to his deliciously hair-roughened skin.
I groaned in pleasure when his hands roamed beneath my shirt and against my back.
Mars was gentle and rough all at once. He kissed me deeply, holding me close enough for me to feel the beat of his heart pounding against my chest. His arms trembled and I knew he was fighting hard to control himself. I trusted him completely, but he didn’t trust himself not to get lost in a flashback.
Mars put us on the bed before whipping the shirt from my body. I got rid of my bra while he worked on my jeans and panties. The sensations of his warm lips, his strong hands, and his hard body all playing over my skin in an exotic slide brought all the pain of my earlier torment crashing down around me.
The betrayal of my father for nearly my entire life. His death right in front of me. The knowledge that Rocket had known but hadn’t warned me… I knew that last wasn’t really fair because I knew how Grim Road was about their secrets. Rocket was right. I was eighteen. He believed his vice president. But after seeing how Iron Tzars dealt with this situation, how they had my back through the whole thing and made sure I was good with everything they did, still made me a little bitter toward Rocket.