Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 34282 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 171(@200wpm)___ 137(@250wpm)___ 114(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34282 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 171(@200wpm)___ 137(@250wpm)___ 114(@300wpm)
Daisy stopped, moving closer to me. “No.” Her voice was soft now. Like she’d been chastised.
“Look, I get it.” Atlas continued to turn in his seat. We couldn’t see his face, but his voice was pitched low. I suspected he was trying to be soothing, but he wasn’t built for it. Honestly, I wasn’t sure the girls needed soothing. They needed to know they had strong protectors. “You don’t know us. Right now, though, we’re the best chance you’ve got. You can’t go back to the group home, and you can’t be out on the streets. You give the men and women at Black Reign twenty-four hours. They don’t earn your trust, I’ll personally take you anywhere you want to go. No questions asked.”
“We ain’t got nowhere to go.” Monica’s voice was little more than a whisper.
“You don’t like it at Black Reign, I’ll take you back with us to Iron Tzars.” Sting’s voice was as soft as Atlas’s. It surprised me he made that offer. Which told me he was probably counting on the people at Black Reign to make things so good for them the kids didn’t want to leave. It would be easy to do. They had children of their own in the compound, and they made a tight community who welcomed others willingly.
“I want to stay wherever Iris is.” Monica hugged my middle tightly. “I promise I won’t be no trouble. Can you adopt me like you’re gonna do Jerrica?”
Sting interrupted before I could answer. I was thankful, because I had no idea what to say to the girl. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Right now, the important thing is to get you inside the Black Reign compound where it’s safe. Just hang on a little longer.”
The girls didn’t say anything, but I felt Monica nod even as she tightened her arms again. Clover didn’t even whimper. I could feel her warm breath against my neck. She had something close to a stranglehold on me, but I wasn’t about to tell her to ease up. The girl needed me. Same as the other two. Same as Jerrica.
There was no putting on seat belts, but Atlas was careful. Once we rolled inside the gates to Black Reign, he seemed to breathe easier. I know I did, and I had no idea why. Apparently, I’d come to recognize this place as a haven. The girls noticed too, because Daisy eased away from me and looked out the window. There were several men outside the building, but even more women. The wives and girlfriends of the members were out in force. They all looked anxious but waited until their men gave them the OK before surrounding the vehicle and helping the girls out.
“You ready, hellcat?” Sting helped me out of the vehicle. Jezebel took Clover who, surprisingly, went with her without a fuss. El Diablo wrapped another blanket around the little girl in his wife’s arms and brushed one big hand down her tangled hair. I looked up at Sting, tears in my eyes, and nodded.
“Did you take care of those fuckers?” I didn’t really want to know, but I needed to know. I needed to know what kind of man I was dealing with. If he’d let them go, it would break the attraction I felt for him. If he hadn’t? Well, I wasn’t sure what I’d do with that.
“We’ll talk about it later. Your sister will need you once Brick has her.”
“I thought he’d rescued her already.” My heart rate skyrocketed. “I thought she was safe.”
“By the time we get there, she will be. Let’s go.”
He led me to a motorcycle and handed me a helmet. “Put it on. When we get there you can ride with your sister. I’m sure she’ll need you as much as you need her.”
“I’m scared.” Sting would never know what that admission cost me. I wasn’t even sure why I blurted it out.
“I know, hellcat. This is where I earn your trust.” He pulled me into his arms, and I stiffened. I wasn’t used to affection, even from Jerrica. She thought she was too old for it, and maybe she was. But I craved it. I inhaled sharply. The sharp, masculine scent of sweat and gasoline should have been off-putting, but it wasn’t. It was comforting in a way it never should have been. This was a man who worked. He did what he said. He got the girls away from the warehouse, and he had men he trusted getting Jerrica. When I looked up at him, he leaned down and brushed a kiss across my lips. Just like before, it sent butterflies loose in my stomach. He didn’t do more than press his mouth to mine, but it was enough to make me crave more. The sensation was as unsettling as it was exhilarating.