Total pages in book: 150
Estimated words: 148434 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 742(@200wpm)___ 594(@250wpm)___ 495(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 148434 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 742(@200wpm)___ 594(@250wpm)___ 495(@300wpm)
Last I heard, they were still up in the air.
Maximoff rotates his stiff shoulder. “Farrow has always wanted a winter wedding, so we’re thinking a couple years from now. It gives us time for this.” He gestures to the binder.
I tell him, “I can simplify for you.”
“He’ll need that,” Farrow teases.
Maximoff groans. “You’ll need that more than me.”
He smiles with the tilt of his head. “You can think that all you want, wolf scout.”
Before I close the binder, we talk a little more about vendors, and then we land on the topic of the upcoming trip to scout a wedding location.
“Hawaii?” I repeat the fake destination as Maximoff stealthily shows me his phone screen with the real location.
Scotland.
Behind me, Thatcher and Banks lean forward and see the country’s name too. A winter retreat in the Scottish Highlands with my boyfriend—I take a breath and smile. Brimming with excitement, I rock back on my heels and collide into Thatcher’s hard chest with a thud.
I freeze.
This is all allowed, Jane. We’re together, and the security team doesn’t have to sign off on our public interactions as part of a ploy anymore.
He clutches my hips, and my lungs expand. While I lean against his body, I weave my arms behind him and slide my hand down his back pocket.
His peach-perfect ass is all mine.
Maximoff sends me a confused look. “I thought you were sad about leaving him during the trip.”
I crane my neck up at the Moretti brothers. “Do you want to tell them or shall I?”
“You,” they say.
Banks curses under his breath as they speak at the same time again. And quietly, I unleash the twin swap plan. By the end, Farrow is grinning so wide that his smile reaches cheek-to-cheek.
“Just say it,” Thatcher cuts in.
“You like breaking the rules for her,” Farrow tells him matter-of-factly.
Thatcher looks only at me, and my heart swells. No man has ever made me feel like a rare beauty worthy of sacrifice. He’s never sought after my fame or fortune.
He’s just sought after me.
I open my mouth to speak. “I—”
A drunken fool plows into my boyfriend’s back.
“Merde,” I curse.
Thatcher hardly sways. He’s quick to take my hand out of his pocket, to pull my arms safely in front of me, and just as the fool barrels into him with purpose again, Thatcher swerves onto this twenty-something man and shoves his chest. Like the violent rip of caution tape, the packed bodies explode with rowdy, hostile force.
Pushing.
Yelling all at once. “Get outta here!” can be heard above the jumbled, slurred mess.
My heartbeat spikes.
Banks is suddenly facing me and back-to-back with Thatcher. My boyfriend’s brother is guarding me.
I see Tony out of the corner of my eye. Squeezing through the mosh pit of a crowd. “HEY!” he yells. “Knock it off, Gio!”
He knows one of these assholes?
“Morettis can’t come in here actin’ like they own the place!” Gio yells back.
Male voices from all directions drown out his complaint. Thatcher and Banks included, shouting over him.
Curiosity nearly goads me to stay and watch. Thatcher is more willing to argue here than if we were somewhere else. He outwardly blazes, and he glances back and communicates with his brother.
I swallow my speeding pulse. “We need to leave!” I shout to Moffy, and I grab my fur coat off the stool. Once I look up at my best friend, I pale.
His red-hot fixated glare is all too familiar. He’s hyper-focused on three young guys in green Eagles merch. They berate Farrow, who’s as cool as can be. He couldn’t care less, only a hand outstretched to keep them from shoving. But he shoots Moffy a warning look to stay back.
And then they spit on Farrow.
“Moffy, no.”
He launches forward. I drop my coat and clasp his waist.
“MOFFY!” He barely even notices me pulling him, and so I leap onto his back.
“Janie?” He stops in place.
Someone hollers, “Look, cousins screwing cousins!” My stomach lurches, but I try not to listen because if I let go of him, he’ll—
Tony suddenly tears me off of Maximoff.
“No!” I scream and kick my feet out.
I’ve been ripped off my best friend plenty before; it’s protocol—and every time, I yell about not leaving him behind. But in this moment, only one word escapes my lips.
No.
I yell it again.
Tony cages me to his chest. I squirm against his stronghold, and my panicked eyes land on Thatcher.
He’s already coming towards me.
He heard me scream.
Moffy sees me struggling. “Let her go!” he shouts at Tony.
I flail my feet, and my heel makes contact with my bodyguard’s crotch. Tony grunts, “Fuck.” He sets me down and doubles over.
“Moffy!” I bolt to catch his arm. Now that I’m fine, he’s already leaving for Farrow, who does a fantastic job restraining the pushing crowd.
“Jane!” Thatcher cuts off my path and shields me. “Jane!”
I lose sight of Moffy. “I can’t leave him!” I put my hands on his chest to push him backwards. But my strength doesn’t outmatch his, so I use all my weight and jump on my boyfriend.