Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 129408 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 647(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 431(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129408 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 647(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 431(@300wpm)
“She’s never needed protecting. She does a pretty fucking good job of that herself,” Luke clipped. His eyes went to me. “Thought you said this shit was staying in Venezuela?”
I gave him my best wide-eyed puppy dog look. “Well I did think that. I don’t know everything. I’m not Beyoncé.”
“Someone needs to tell me what the fuck’s going on. Now,” Cade demanded, stepping forward.
“I’m gonna need to bounce,” Lucian said. “I’m runnin’ from one lot of guys with guns. Don’t need any more on my tail. Looks like you’re covered, Zee.”
Cade lifted his gun. “You’re not goin’ anywhere.”
Lucky moved swiftly to stand in front of the door, grinning and winking at Lucian. “Sorry, bro, that’s the way the cookie crumbles.”
Lucian kept his mask on. He didn’t scare easily and didn’t look perturbed by the sheer weight of hostile glances focused on him.
“Lucky, let him go. He has nothing to do with this,” I ordered.
“Do not fuckin’ move, Lucky,” Cade clipped.
Lucky moved his eyes from me to Cade. “Fuck,” he murmured. “I can’t figure out which one of you is less likely to kill me if I listen to the other one.”
“I’m the one with the gun, and I’m your fuckin’ president,” Cade ground out.
“But Rosie stabbed me once for telling her that I liked her better with bangs.”
I rolled my eyes. “It was a graze, harden up. And no one except J-Law looks good with bangs.” Then I moved my eyes to Cade. “You’re not going to get anything from him that you won’t get from me. I know you need to throw your power around in high-pressure situations but also, don’t be an asshole. Lucian was doing the right thing coming here. He risked his life for me, so how about you let him go on his way? We’ll take care of this.”
Cade gripped his gun. “Yeah, we fuckin’ will.”
There was a tense moment, and then Cade finally lowered his gun.
Lucky stepped back, looking relieved that he didn’t have to make the decision.
Lucian turned to me. “I’m disappearing. You’d do well to do the same.”
“I don’t disappear,” I told him. “I was kind of born to stand out. Plus, I don’t run. I fight.”
He didn’t look insulted. “Then you’re an idiot.”
Luke stiffened beside me. “You just got lucky when Cade lowered his gun. You call her an idiot again, you won’t be lucky anymore. And I won’t lower mine, not until after I’ve used it.” His voice was steel and full of promise.
“You can’t fight this shit,” Lucian said, speaking to the room. “Not even with a motorcycle gang at your back. They’re bigger than that. You can’t win.”
“Well we don’t lose, ever, so it looks like it’s going to be interesting,” I said.
Lucian shook his head. “Good luck.”
Then he was gone.
“Pussy,” Lucky muttered. “Running from a fight.” He looked at me. “So you’ve pissed off a couple of drug dealers. We’ve handled worse.”
I chewed my lip.
He regarded me. “It’s worse, isn’t it?”
I nodded. “Little bit.”
Cade stared at me. “How much worse?”
I looked to Luke. He looked back.
“I thought you said you were gonna protect me,” I whispered.
He laughed. “I will, but you don’t need protecting. Your brother isn’t going to hurt you.”
I rolled my eyes.
“How much worse, Rosie?” Cade demanded.
“Quite a bit, I’d say.”
Everyone swore.
“I knew you weren’t done with the drama,” Lucky said cheerfully.
And we weren’t.
Not by a long shot.
After I told Cade, it was immediately decided that I was to leave for Amber and the safety of the club.
I expected Luke to argue.
He did not.
I didn’t know who was more surprised, me or Cade.
“What? No spiel about how this is a job for the police or how you can look after me?” I demanded.
Luke regarded me. “Babe, you’ve never been a job for the police. And I’m not dumb. This is not somethin’ for cops who get paid shit and have worse hours to deal with. They’ll be bought off. The ones who aren’t bought can’t and won’t do shit. They know they can’t win.” He paused. “I can look after you, but I’m not fuckin’ stupid. This isn’t a job for just me. This is a job for your family. You know better than anyone that any battle you fight is theirs too. And a few extra guns isn’t gonna hurt. We’ve got a date.”
“Um, now is hardly a time for a trip to Olive Garden,” Lucky interjected. “Though those breadsticks are great.”
“No, our date night consists of killing everyone responsible for shooting me and my whole team,” I told him with a smile.
Lucky gaped at me. Then Luke. “Fuckin’ hell,” he muttered. “Me and Becky are going to have to do something crazy like rob a bank so you don’t steal our thunder.”
“We goin’, then?” Cade demanded, ignoring Lucky.
I sighed.
Which brought me to now, sitting in church, telling the remaining brothers who hadn’t come on the road trip and filling them on the extended version of “I pissed off some powerful Venezuelans.”