Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
The diamond ring he shows me is enormous, over the top, and gives off an aura of wealth, but I hate it on sight.
Even more so when Knox announces, “Your mom helped me pick it.”
“My mom?” I ask, shocked I can speak through the fury burning my throat.
First, he made me jealous. Then he brought my mother into our conversation like she spent our childhood baking us cookies and going to boy scout meetings.
This conversation couldn’t get worse.
Knox grimaces before he nods. “She’s been spending some time with River over the past six weeks.” Before I can warn him about his stupidity, he adds, “Not alone. I’m not that stupid.” He laughs at himself. “Says the guy panicked he got a hooker pregnant.” He stores away the hideous ring, places his hand on my shoulder, then squeezes it. “That’s why I need you here, watching my girl when I can’t. It is the only way I can ensure your mother doesn’t get her hooks into River again. If she goes for custody, and the judge is forced to pick between us, I’m reasonably sure he’ll go for the guardian with no criminal convictions.”
“She served time for driving under the influence.” I can’t believe I’m defending my mother. I just loathe that he’s making out her charges were as immoral as mine, so I spoke before thinking. “And what do you mean ‘us’? You said your father would sign over guardianship the instant I was paroled.”
“That was the—”
A singsong voice interrupts us. “Knox…”
It’s Nicole, and although she sounds as ball-breaking now as she did in the jet when she ripped him a new asshole, Knox acts oblivious. “I’ll be right with you, baby cakes.” He shifts his eyes back to me, waggles his brows like our conversation is nowhere near as serious as it is, and then asks, “We good?”
“I—”
“Are you really asking me to keep her waiting?” When he nudges his head to Nicole, who is leaning against the doorjamb of her room, wearing a nightie identical to the one she wore last night, my jaw tightens. “You’d never be so cruel.”
I get cut off again. “Knox.”
“She’s impatient.” While raking his teeth over his lower lip, he waggles his brows again. “Can you blame her?” He drags his hand down his body, his smile picking up. “I’m like a fine wine. Only getting—”
“More obnoxious with age.” River grins about Knox’s apparent heartbreak before aligning his eyes with me. “I thought I recognized your voice. It just took me a bit since you sound a little envious.” After almost knocking me over with a welcoming hug, he takes a second swipe at Knox’s massive attitude. “That never happens when it comes to him.” After gesturing his head to Knox, he nods it in the direction he came from. “I set the DVD player up. Do you want popcorn?”
“What kind of question is that? Of course he wants popcorn. It is a movie marathon. Only a psychopath wouldn’t want popcorn during a movie marathon.” Knox messes up River’s recently combed hair before heading toward Nicole’s room, to which the door is now closed. “And make sure you keep the volume up. Things are about to get rowdy.” He cups the doorhandle before spinning to face us. “Although you should probably have an early night. Rehearsals start at five.”
“In the morning?” River and I stammer out in sync.
Knox nods before cracking open Nicole’s bedroom door. “The alarm in your room has been pre-set.” He preempts my question before I can ask it. “It is the third door back from the room River will be snoring in before the second section of credits roll.”
“I’m staying here? With you?” I try to keep my tone neutral during my last question. I fail.
A groan rumbles in my chest when Knox fans his arms out wide before saying in a showy tone, “Welcome to life in the fast lane, baby. I sure fucking hope you can keep up.”
If it isn’t bad enough I have to sleep in the same hotel as the couple I’d rather destroy than help guide toward marital bliss, I have to share a suite with them as well.
This is as fucked as it gets.
14
NICOLE
“I knew you wouldn’t stay away for long.” Bonnie places down her brush kit before digging through her makeup cart for my favorite lipstick. “All smart career women buy the testers of discontinued stock.” She laughs at my ick expression. “Let’s see who’s grossed out when you win best dressed at the Grammys next year.”
I love her optimism, but it is a little too soon to be hedging bets like that. “Are we doing a full dress rehearsal again today? I thought yesterday was a one-off.”
“It was,” Bonnie agrees. “But since the gallery is about to be brimming with music buffs dying to sample all you have to offer, Knox figured we should give them the full shebang.” She peers down at her makeup chair. “So get your cute little ass over here and tell me all the goss while we make you as glamorous as that hunk of man meat you’re hogging to yourself.”