Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 144908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 483(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 483(@300wpm)
Her stomach clenched. She knew what that meant. He had to know she knew what that meant. She’d known the moment she entered the house and all of Torpedo Ink was there. She had a premonition that Czar would be sending him to another prison.
He wasn’t going back to that prison in order to assassinate that horrible woman’s main go-to team, or whatever Master wanted to call them. She knew what that did to him. Czar should know. He seemed able to read everyone in the room. Why couldn’t he read Master? See that he was right on that edge? If he went back to that place, he wouldn’t be returning, not as the man they all knew. Not as the man she had already fallen in love with.
The realization hit her hard—so hard she could barely catch her breath. How had it happened and when? She wasn’t a woman to ever get emotionally involved with a man. She didn’t like them touching her as a rule. Kissing was out—until Master. She couldn’t get enough of him. She would never get enough of him. But it wasn’t the sex.
She had looked into Master’s eyes on her supposed wedding day to Walker Thompson. There were dead bodies all around them. There was blood on her wedding dress. Thompson had gotten away, but she wanted to know that Master would find him for her so she could see him dead. She had looked into Master’s eyes and she saw exactly what she needed. He could hunt and kill for her. She also knew he was a man of honor. She had recognized certain qualities in him immediately. He had been her chosen weapon.
She’d made a bargain with him. She would marry him, be his wife and never take that vow back if he would hunt down Thompson and the Russians who killed her parents. She meant every word she said. But. There was a big but in her mind. She no longer wanted Master to be the one to kill Thompson, Gleb and Denis. There were two others, Stas and Simon, she wouldn’t mind including in her vengeful plot, but . . . There was that word again. The hesitation in her mind. She was certain Master would hunt them down and find them, but she absolutely no longer wanted him so he could kill them.
Unforeseen circumstances changed everything. Master was far more than the killing machine everyone seemed to see and expect. He was the most unexpected, sweetest, even most loving man, and she didn’t deserve him. But—that word again—she wanted to be his wife for the rest of her days. She wanted to be able to have a family with him. Children. Watch them grow just as Czar and Blythe were doing. She wanted that same thing with Master.
“Reese, thank you for the information. It will help quite a bit. We may be able to figure out just who this woman is and why she’s fixated on my family. In the meantime, now that you know she coerced your stepfather, mother and brother into cooperating with her, you know you aren’t safe. I can offer your family the protection of our guesthouse. You’re already staying in it and know it’s large enough if you want to continue to stay here until the situation is resolved. I’m certain that will happen very quickly.”
Reese and Tyra looked to Master as if he were the person to answer the question. Master nodded his head slowly. “It’s best just to make certain you’re safe. We can make it right with your landscaping clients if that’s your worry. You’ll still have Ink when you need him. Any groceries can be delivered. Call the Caspar store or even the one in Sea Haven.”
“Thank you, Czar, we accept the offer.” Reese looked relieved.
“As you’re aware, Blythe stocked the guesthouse with food for you, but if you need anything else, just call one of us.”
Czar stood, forcing Reese and Tyra to do the same when he offered his hand, clearly dismissing them. Ambrielle admired the way he was able to maneuver the pair into doing what he wanted. He wanted them out of the room while the rest of the discussion took place.
The members of Torpedo Ink went to the buffet Blythe and Czar had laid out on the sideboard. The silver warmers were full. Beans, rice, shredded steak, avocado, cheese, olives, even grilled tofu were laid out with hot tortillas. They talked quietly while they ate, trying to remember a girl who had grown into a monster of a woman, willing to sacrifice lives in order to get her revenge on a man who didn’t even know what he’d done.
Once Reese and Tyra had collected their little girl and gone to the guesthouse, Torpedo Ink pulled the chairs into a circle. Ambrielle could tell by the easy way they did it that they were used to talking together in Czar and Blythe’s home. Master made her a part of the circle by simply wrapping his arm around her and guiding her to the buffet table and then to the chairs. He selected one and pulled her down with him into the comfortable love seat.