Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 82112 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82112 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Trinity laughed, and Gypsi joined her.
“I’ve met her,” I admit.
Maddy sighed. “I hate that I missed that. She probably freaked out.”
I lifted one shoulder. “She wasn’t thrilled.”
They all started laughing then.
Maddy’s eyes seemed to dance with amusement. “You’re perfect for Sax.”
This was awkward. They clearly had the wrong idea.
“Oh, well, Saxon doesn’t like me much. We had a … bad end to things. He’s not happy about me being pregnant. I am only here because he feels like it’s his responsibility to help me. This isn’t a … I mean, we aren’t together.”
Trinity leaned forward. “So, he’s rude all the time? Or he runs hot and cold?”
I had to think about it. “He’s not rude. Just annoyed, but, no, not all the time.”
“I give it a month,” she said, leaning back in her seat.
“No way! Two weeks! Saxon is a softy,” Gypsi replied.
“I’m going with two months. He can be so serious,” Shiloh said.
Maddy smirked and put her drink to her lips. “One week. Tops.”
I looked at each one of them, trying to understand what they were talking about. I turned to Aspen. She smiled at me.
“When Saxon will crack,” she said.
“Crack?” I asked.
“Yeah, when he won’t be able to continue being annoyed and gives in to the fact that he wants you.”
The conversation moved to the upcoming wedding, and I was thankful the focus was off me. I enjoyed listening to them and watching their friendships. I’d never had something like this in my life, and I knew that this was only temporary for me too. Getting attached to them would be harder when it was time for me to go. But for the moment, I let myself pretend I could be a part of their world. Thinking about the fact that these women were married to men in the Mafia was odd. They were all so normal. Nothing dark or twisted in them.
“You enjoying yourself, baby?” a deep voice asked, and Aspen lifted her head to look up at Levi, who had come up behind her.
“Yes,” she replied, standing and stepping into his arms.
He didn’t seem so terrifying when he was holding Aspen with that look of complete devotion in his eyes. Still, my heart rate picked up, and I twisted my hands nervously in my lap.
Did he know I was here? Yes, of course he knew. These men told each other everything.
“How are you feeling, Haisley?” Levi asked me then, causing my head to snap back up and look at him.
I swallowed and managed a smile. “Good, thanks.” It sounded more like a squeak.
“What did you do to her, Levi? It’s normally Gage who terrifies people,” Trinity asked, sounding surprised.
“Nothing. It’s just all the … stuff that happened with Aspen. I feel guilty by association, I guess,” I told her.
I didn’t want to cause any issues. I knew my being here was something that Levi didn’t want, but was accepting for Aspen’s and possibly Saxon’s sake.
“No one blames you,” Aspen assured me.
My gaze flicked to Levi’s before dropping. If she only knew how wrong she was.
“If Levi gets to break up the girl party out here, then I get my woman too,” Gage announced as he walked outside.
Shiloh stood and made her way to him. The way he was looking at her with clear adoration in his eyes made me blush. These men with their females were intense. I’d never been around anything like this.
“Why don’t we all go inside? The fire is warmer in there,” Gypsi suggested, standing.
I followed behind Trinity as everyone made their way inside. Some stopping to get drinks, others laughing or making jokes about the way Gage was clearly groping Shiloh.
I stood, unsure of what to do as the rest of the party paired up. Saxon had a drink in his hand, standing over by the fire, talking to Trev, as Gypsi approached them. They appeared to be in a serious conversation until Trev saw her, and his expression turned into a pleased grin.
He reached out and tugged her to him, openly kissing her, forgetting whatever he had been saying to Saxon. I watched as Saxon’s gaze scanned the room until he found me, and then he left the couple and came in my direction. I still didn’t see the blond guy anywhere. Perhaps he wasn’t here. That would ease my mind if he wasn’t.
“Having a good time?” Saxon asked me, then took a drink from the glass in his hand.
His brown eyes, outlined by thick black lashes, distracted me for a moment, and I almost forgot the question.
Trying to snap myself out of the daze he’d suddenly put me in, I nodded. “Yes, everyone is really nice.”
He seemed uncomfortable for a moment, then glanced over toward the area where two massive caramel-colored leather sofas sat, facing each other, with a long marble table between them and wide cream-colored velvet chairs at each end. A man who looked like a Viking or perhaps a brick wall was lounging in one of those chairs. A cigar was between his teeth. He held out a hand to someone, and I watched as Trinity walked over and slipped her hand in his before he tugged her onto his lap.