Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 123672 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 618(@200wpm)___ 495(@250wpm)___ 412(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123672 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 618(@200wpm)___ 495(@250wpm)___ 412(@300wpm)
He thanks me before finally getting his ass out of the shop, and when I turn back around, I find Viper and Crew looking as though they’re about to tear each other to shreds. “Fucking hell,” I mutter under my breath.
Making my way back to my station, I shove my hand against Crew’s big shoulder, forcing him back a step, a deep ugliness in my tone. “Knock it off,” I tell him. “Your client’s waiting.”
Crew looks at me as though he wants to tear the flesh right off my body. “We’re not done with this conversation.”
“We were fucking done with it before it even started,” I hiss.
Viper steps closer into my back as though I need some kind of protection, and with that, Crew finally relents, clenching his jaw as he walks back to his station, muttering something under his breath.
“You good?” Viper asks from behind me, his hand falling to my waist.
I let out a heavy breath and turn back to face him, letting his hand fall away. “Fine,” I say. “Just trying to work out where we stand with each other.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asks as I cross my station to grab a new pair of gloves and a few supplies.
“It’s nothing,” I say, indicating for him to take a seat in my chair.
Viper does as I’ve asked, and as I lean over him to peel the bandage back, I feel his heavy gaze lingering on my face. “You fucked him, didn’t you?” he murmurs, keeping our conversation private.
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business,” I say.
“Ahh shit, babe,” he mutters as though I’d just made some horrible, life-changing mistake that I’ll never be able to come back from. “You know he’s no good for you.”
My brows furrow. Why would he think that? Apart from the fact I’m not ready for a relationship or that I want to skin him alive right now, Crew and I make the perfect match. But considering everything we talked about last night, I didn’t think a jealous Crew was something I was going to have to worry about.
“Funny,” I say, my gaze locked on Viper’s chest, suddenly very uncomfortable. “That’s exactly what he tells me about you.”
Viper laughs. “He’s right. I’m no fucking good for you. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t treat you like my fucking queen.” I don’t respond, and when his hand finds my waist again, my gaze lifts to his, not believing him for a second. “I’m serious.”
“About what?” I ask. “That Crew’s no good for me or that you’d treat me like a queen?”
“Both,” he says. “But I’m talking about Crew. You’ve always had blinders on when it came to him. You’ve been friends for years, but he’s only ever shown you the parts of himself he wanted you to see. You don’t know him like I do, and if you really want to get involved with him, that’s your call. I just want you to be careful.”
Unease pulses through my veins. What does he mean know him like I do? Outside of this shop, I wasn’t aware they knew each other at all. I mean, sure. Their lives might have crossed here and there, but Crew doesn’t involve himself with the Grim Reapers. “Care to elaborate?”
Viper shakes his head, his gaze flicking toward Crew for just a moment, the tension reaching the boiling point between them. “No. Just be careful.”
I let out a heavy breath. “Let me guess, this is one of those, you’ll kill him if he ever does something to hurt me scenarios.”
“That goes without saying, Ky,” he says. “I’ve told you from the start. I want you to be my old lady, but I know you’re not down for that, at least not yet. So I’ll let you play around with these little toys to keep you warm at night, and when it’s time, I’ll come and take you for myself, but if any of these little fuckers hurt you in the meantime, they’ll have me to deal with.”
“You make it sound as though I don’t even have a choice in the matter.”
“You don’t,” he says as though it’s already set in stone. “But when the time comes, you won’t need the choice. You’ll already know exactly where you belong and you won’t want anything else. I promise you that.”
I roll my eyes and focus on what I’m doing, knowing damn sure a life as his little motorcycle club wife who has to share him with a bunch of whores isn’t ever going to be a reality I’ll settle with. “You’re so damn sure of yourself.”
“You don’t get to where I am by being a little bitch,” he tells me.
I laugh because damn, he’s got one hell of a point, but in this particular case, he’s dead wrong.
Finally peeling the rest of the bandage off, I look over the massive tattoo and grin to myself. It’s fucking gorgeous. I really outdid myself with this one, but it’s still got quite a bit of healing to get through.