Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 119011 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 595(@200wpm)___ 476(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119011 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 595(@200wpm)___ 476(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Then again, it wasn’t as if Leo was an open book himself. There were family secrets he needed to keep, and thoughts about his sexuality that he didn’t want to share for fear that they might affect the balance they’d established.
Zolt exhaled and glanced at the fish gracefully gliding in the water. “There’s two males in here, you know. Most people don’t do that with this species, because they can be territorial. But I made it work. And now I get to watch them when I can’t sleep, or when I just need to wind down.”
Leo snorted and approached the aquarium. “I can see how two males could be butting heads in an enclosed space,” he said and nudged Zolt with his elbow.
Zolt smirked. “It’s all smooth sailing once they work out who’s the alpha.”
Leo cocked his head and met Zolt’s gaze. “Who is the alpha?”
Zolt rested his thick arms across his chest and continued watching him with a smile that made him irresistibly hot. “Why don’t you tell me, Leo?”
Leo’s lips parted, and his stomach clenched, because if it wasn’t him, there was only one other candidate for the title. This was, technically, Zolt’s territory, but he was also bigger, hairier, and more often than not the one with initiative in sex. Leo wasn’t sure how he felt about this conclusion, but he’d never been in such a position with a woman, a partner, a person he was fucking.
He didn’t have to answer, because the sound of several motorcycles arriving in front of the store and parking with the squeak of tyres made him freeze. “Jackals?” he whispered to Zolt, who cleared his throat, gesturing for Leo to hide. There was steel embedded in the wooden counter, so in case of a shootout, it could serve as a temporary cover.
“Who’s there?” Zolt shouted, but before Leo could have retreated into the backrooms, Jack’s voice made him stop.
“It’s the Smokeys. Open up!”
Why wouldn’t they have called to tell him they were coming? A part of Leo was getting cold sweat just thinking that he could have had his mouth full of dick right now, but on the other hand, the shop was locked, so his brothers wouldn’t have caught him in the act.
Zolt stood still, his hands on the counter, close to the place where he kept his rifle. “Why didn’t you call?” he shouted back, voicing Leo’s worries.
Jack let out a frustrated growl. “Leo, could you open the fucking door? Jeff’s been shot!”
Leo was plunged into icy water. His little brother. His little brother was hurt.
“What? What the fuck’s going on?” Leo scowled at Zolt. He was already pulling open the bar blocking the main entrance to the shop, but he’d need keys for the locks. “Is he there with you? Is he okay?”
“He’ll live. The Jackal didn’t,” Kane said grimly on the other side.
Zolt joined Leo in a hurry and opened the two fat locks without a word. The moment he pulled on the door, a massive fist collided with his jaw and sent him staggering back. He’d only stayed on his feet by sheer willpower, but Kane was on him again, delivering a punch to Zolt’s solar plexus.
“On your knees, bitch!” Kane yelled, and to Leo’s petrification, Mike entered next, pointing a gun at Zolt’s head.
This couldn’t be happening.
Leo raised his hands and bolted from his place by the door to stand in between, already covered in cold sweat. “What the fuck, Mike? Jack? What is this? He’s our associate! Stop it!”
Jack’s tattooed arms were tense. He hadn’t drawn his own weapon but was on board with the violence. “Is he?”
Kane kicked Zolt’s side, toppling him over when he hadn’t immediately followed the order to get to his knees. His spiky hair had been newly dyed and looked as if it was on fire as he paced around Zolt, only waiting for another excuse to strike.
Leo watched Zolt scramble to his knees, gaze lowered, hands up. “I literally keep cargo for you,” was the first sound he’d made since Kane’s entry. There was a red tint to his teeth when he spoke, but his gaze remained steady, bordering on confrontational.
“You also sell to the Jackals,” Mike said in a cool voice Leo hardly ever heard from him. It sent frost down his back and made him shudder.
“What?” he asked, turning around to stare at Zolt’s hunched form.
Mike scowled and shook the weapon he’d been pointing at Zolt. “This is the gun Jeff got shot with. And funnily enough, it’s the exact gun we didn’t buy off you, Zolt, so please fucking explain why you’re keeping our drugs but selling guns to our enemies, huh? My little brother’s shoulder is in pieces, you dickwad!”
Leo went silent in disbelief. He wasn’t at the shop 24/7, but he and Zolt had been so close. He couldn’t believe Zolt would do something like this under his nose. He despised the Jackals, had protected Leo when Joe had shown up and hadn’t batted an eyelash at the bastard’s death. Why would he do business with them?