Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 146666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 733(@200wpm)___ 587(@250wpm)___ 489(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 146666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 733(@200wpm)___ 587(@250wpm)___ 489(@300wpm)
Alike?
Was she blind?
“Overprotective idiots,” she muttered.
“Well, you’re a smart-mouthed brat,” Cash countered.
What was happening here? And why did it feel like the tension between Cash and Greer was easing?
“Jerk,” she said.
“Ass,” he countered.
Suddenly, they grinned at each other.
“I’m glad you’re back, little brother,” she whispered. “I missed you.”
Hack watched as a mask came down over Cash’s face. Greer’s shoulders dropped. The sheer disappointment and sadness he could feel radiating off her nearly did him in.
Anger filled him. What right did her brother have to hurt her?
Cash just nodded. “We should go inside.” Turning, he moved into the house.
“Come on, Sugar Pie,” he said. “Let’s get you inside so I can check your arm and these other scrapes.”
“I’m fine. They’re just scratches.”
“We’ll see. I’d like to hear how you tripped and fell.” As they walked to the front door, he spotted a large bag of fast food next to the door. “That your dinner?”
“Yes. It’ll be cold by now.” She reached down to grab it, but he swooped in first.
“Uh-uh. No using that hand until I’ve checked it. And I’m sure this can all be heated up. I want you to go sit in the living room. I need to get my bag.”
“Your magical medicine bag?” she asked with a smile.
Why did she look so tired? Hadn’t she been sleeping? Had she been having nightmares?
He cleared his throat instead. “Yep, I’ve got it on the back of my bike. If you’re a good girl, you might get some more treasure.”
She smiled up at him.
Fuck.
“Go sit on the sofa, Pumpkin.” He turned away, heading toward the door. Cash appeared beside him.
“Don’t flirt with my sister,” he snarled.
He knew about Cash returning from the dead on Christmas Day, but this was the first time he’d met the guy in person. He was in his midtwenties with darker hair than his siblings. A slimmer build than Sav, but still muscular.
There was something in his eyes . . . something cold and dark.
This guy had been through a lot despite his young age.
Hack raised his eyebrows. “You call that flirting?”
“My sister is fragile. And she doesn’t need you sniffing around her like a dog in heat.”
Hack glanced back to ensure that Greer couldn’t see or hear them.
“Now, you listen to me. I turned up here to find her injured and upset. Likely because of you. You went for a gun in her presence! You’re either in trouble or you are trouble. But you are not bringing any of your shit down on her.”
“You barely know her.”
“Sav is my friend. I know that Greer is vulnerable. I am not here to hurt her. But I will protect her.”
Cash’s eyes flared open. “I’d never harm her.”
“Good. Then we’ll get on fine. Now, I need to go and get my bag so I can clean her scrapes.”
Was that guilt on Cash’s face? It was difficult to tell.
“Are you going to let me pass or do we have a problem?” Hack asked in a low voice.
Because brother or not, he wouldn’t allow him to harm his girl.
Fuck.
The claim had started from the moment he met her. He just needed to remember not to scare her. She was skittish when it came to some things.
And surprisingly brave when it came to others.
Cash moved to the side.
Thank fuck. It wasn’t that Hack was scared of him. But he wasn’t interested in getting into anything physical with Sav’s younger brother, either.
26
“Are you really hurt?”
Greer glanced up at Cash as he entered the room, staring down at the scrapes on her hands and her swollen wrist.
“I’ll be fine.”
“I wouldn’t have grabbed you if I had realized. I’m so sorry.”
“Hey, it’s all right. You didn’t know. And you’re right. I am always hurting myself.”
“No.” He shook his head. “I shouldn’t have said that. I was being an asshole.”
She sighed. “I’ll be fine. I could use a donut, though.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “I can go see if Aidan’s got any.”
“I doubt it. He’s probably into veggies and hummus. Ugh. Why would I want to eat chickpeas? They don’t even sound that nice. There is pea in the title.” She stood and shuffled toward the kitchen, glancing around. “Surely Livvy has an emergency stash.”
“She’d need it to put up with Aidan’s bossiness,” Cash agreed.
They shared a look.
“He’s only got worse over the years, hasn’t he?” Cash mused.
“Oh, yes.” She nodded, opening up a cupboard with her good hand. Cash’s phone rang.
“Fuck. I have to go take this.” He disappeared out the back of the house. Why did it feel like there was this vast chasm between them? It wasn’t like she’d thought they would instantly be like they had been before, but things felt so weird. There were so many secrets. So much had happened.
It was hard for her to breathe.
You just need some sugar.