Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 120031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Casey doubted he’d go too far with her. No, he’d want to communicate his displeasure, but he wouldn’t leave any injuries that wouldn’t be healed by the morning—he wouldn’t want her pack mates seeing her marked for the same reason that no one messed with a mink shifter.
He let out a long sigh, like he was disappointed in her. “You confuse me, Casey,” he said, his voice pitched low and soft. “Why would you turn down the chance at paying off your brother’s debt in one hit? Why drag this out for yourself?”
“You’ll get your money,” she said.
“But now I’ll have to wait, and that is an issue for me.”
“That ponytail is an issue. This is just a hiccup.”
His mouth twitched in amusement. She’d been giving him shit about his ponytail from day one, refusing to show any fear, since he’d only exploit it. Ponytails might look good on some guys, but the look didn’t work for him.
“It is a shame your brother is not as strong as you. He would not be in this position if he were.” Ignacio crossed to her with slow, sure steps. “I think you will agree that I have been gentle with you, Casey.”
Gentle? Nope. He might not have physically hurt her, but he’d been playing with her like a cat with a mouse, finding amusement in making her dance to his tune.
“I respect your strength, I respect that you are so loyal to your brother,” he went on. “I have a sister your age; you remind me of her in many ways. This has made me reluctant to hurt you. Especially as I like to look upon that pretty face of yours—it would displease me to mar it. But I worry you are not grasping how bad this situation can get for you.” Those black eyes glittered for a moment. “I am not the kind of man you should fuck with.”
No, he wasn’t. But he also wasn’t the kind of man you let manipulate or rule you. She’d had to make a stand tonight.
He softly skimmed the tips of his fingers along her cheekbone. “Do you not grow tired of always cleaning up after Miles?”
Fuck, yes, but … “He’s my brother.”
“And so you will continue to protect him. Admirable. But who will protect you when I take a blade to your flesh as a message to him? Tell me that.”
Lightning fast, he whipped out a knife. She fluidly wrestled it from his hand and put it to his throat—a move she’d mastered at the age of sixteen.
His men edged closer, bodies tensed to spring. Ignacio? He chuckled, the weirdo. She had the sense that he’d simply been toying with her again. A little like a lion giving a gazelle a fighting chance because it made the killing all the sweeter.
“Balls of steel. Lower the knife, Casey.”
“You could back away and leave instead.” But she knew he wouldn’t. As an Alpha, he’d stand his ground.
“You’ve displeased me enough as it is. You don’t want to make this even harder on yourself. Oh, you could attempt to kill me right now, that is true. And I believe you would. But then my men would take you down.”
“They could try.”
He smiled. “Such strength and defiance. You know, if I were not already mated, I would take you as mine. You will give a man strong sons one day.” His smile faded, and his face hardened to stone. “Now, lower the fucking knife.”
There was a ripple of unease in the air as someone stalked out of the shadows to her left. She barely glimpsed the newcomer in her peripheral vision, unwilling to look away from the threat in front of her.
The corner of Ignacio’s mouth canted up just a little. “Eli,” he greeted simply.
Eli? Great. Just great.
The wolf hummed. “Five men against one woman,” he said, his voice so deep and gritty that it practically oozed testosterone. “I have to say, Ignacio, I don’t like what I’m seeing here.”
“Walk away,” Ignacio told him, his voice soft and lazy. “This female and I have a few things to settle.”
“Walk away? Hmm, that won’t work for me.”
Annoyance flickered across Ignacio’s face. “This is not your business.”
“I’m making it my business. Tell your cats to back off and give the female her space. You know I can take them down, Ignacio, so it would be stupid to test me. Really, you should know better than to try trapping a mink anyway. Especially this one. I have the feeling she can kill you easier than she can breathe—blade or no blade.”
Ignacio clenched his jaw. “You do not want to interfere here,” he warned silkily.
“I don’t hear you calling off your cats, Ignacio. This confuses me.”
“As I said before, this is none of your—”
“I heard you the first time. Now call. Them. Off. The only thing stopping that female from slitting your throat is that your cats would attack her. If I take them down, there’s not a damn thing to stop her from ending you right now.”