Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 77309 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77309 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
With that, and with not a bit of delicacy - because this was Pagan - he lifted one of my arms, moved himself under, and started dragging me up.
"Suck it up for a few, and we'll get you some Percocet," Pagan offered as Cy moved under my other arm.
"Where are they?" I asked, looking around, eyes landing on Roan.
"They must have had lookouts," he told me, shaking his head. "There wasn't a trace of anyone long before we got here."
"How'd you find me?" I asked as I sort-of walked with them out toward the front.
"Janie got the SUV on the videos at Chaz's. Then a few minutes later, it drove past Quin's place. Didn't take too much work after that."
"Where's Rey?" I asked as we met up with Sugar outside.
"Had her locked up in the glass room," Sugar explained. "Then got Lo on it. We haven't had a chance to check-in since then. But you know Lo has it handled."
I did.
But I needed to know she was okay.
Not just physically.
This was too much for her.
I just wanted to make sure she wasn't losing her shit.
"She has my cell," Sugar explained as I was loaded into the SUV, and everyone else piled in. "Take your brother's and call," he instructed as he took the driver's seat, and turned the car toward our part of town.
Cy handed me the phone when I reached my hand toward him, and my fingers - caked in dry blood - swiped down to Sugar's number, hitting call, and waiting.
"Yo," a male voice answered, one I didn't know. But that didn't mean anything. Lo had a shitton of men working for her. It could be anyone.
"Who the fuck is this?" I asked, voice rough.
"Smith. Who is this?"
"Smith?" I asked, watching as Roan's brows creased.
"I work for Quin."
"Why are you answering this phone?" I asked, impatient as I saw the compound getting closer.
"Take my instructions from Lo today," was his only answer.
"Is she okay?" I asked, hoping he would at least give me that.
"Who is that?" Rey's voice called, sounding far away. "Do they have any updates?"
She was okay.
Safe, at least.
The weight on my chest lifted somewhat.
"She's packing up her creatures," Smith supplied. "As per orders."
"You're not going to give me more than that?"
"Figure if you are someone who needs to know, you will know soon enough."
With that, he hung up.
And we were pulling into the compound where Lo was waiting fearlessly for us in the middle of the yard, her men and women at various points on the perimeter. It didn't matter to her that she was as vulnerable as all the other wives were. She wasn't one to cower away.
"Oh, damn," she said, shaking her hand when I was half-pulled out of the SUV by Sugar. "That's got to be feeling good," she added, wincing for me.
"Who is Smith, and why is he with my woman?"
My woman.
Shit.
I needed to rein that in.
"Okay, breathe," she demanded. "My people were busy securing the wives and kids. Shoot and Breaker are out of town. I called in Smith because a bunch of my people have done ops with him. He's solid. He has training. She's in good hands. I already told him to have her pack up and head back over here. Everyone else is at Hailstorm, but I figured she would prefer to be around you since she is so new. And since she has about a thousand pets apparently," she added with a smirk. "The dogs up at Hailstorm might not appreciate new additions."
"Come on, let's get inside," Cy urged, going under my arm again. "You can wait for Rey in there."
"Yeah, probably better to get out of the open," Lo agreed, moving in with us. "We've been in touch with Reign," she started, in full-on debriefing mode, ever the professional. "Since the women are secured - and now that you are as well - he is going to finish this drop. He wanted to come home. But we've been keeping an eye on this syndicate you guys are dealing with, and they won't take it lying down if you guys back out last minute. With V on the loose again, the last thing you need is more laser sights on you guys."
Cy dropped me down on the couch in the common room, walking off to grab me a bottle off the bar. "Until someone scrounges up some painkillers," he said.
And, well, I tipped that fucker up and took a long swig.
I wouldn't lie about it; I was fucking hurting.
A little pain relief was necessary just to be able to think clearly again.
"Alright," Lo said when I brought the bottle down on the leg of my slacks. "We need to know what went down in there."
With no choice, I gave it to them all.
"You were fucking asking for that ass-kicking," Sugar said, looking pleased with that idea.