Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 76736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
“Don't you fucking dare,” I say in a steady voice.
He stops halfway down and stands back up. The light goes out of his eyes just as fast when he sees my glare. Maybe he's not the smartest, but even he has survival instinct.
A moment later, Jupiter comes tootling over, looking for attention, and him I pick up happily. He snuggles right into my lap while Wild Child gives him a sour look. I stick my tongue out at him while I scratch the boxer pup behind the ear.
When King comes in with a beer, I try to glare him off too, but while he obviously sees it, he doesn't give a fuck. He drops down next to me, then focuses on the screen, where someone's racing a motorcycle along a narrow cliff road.
“Whatever,” I grumble. For some reason, it's harder to be mad at him. He's got enough nightmares to worry about to add me to the list, I guess.
Why are we all sitting around like there isn't a bomb just waiting to drop on us? Dad could be back with his task force at any moment. Meanwhile, I'm stuck here, fighting to be the top bitch with a bunch of sluts.
What on earth has my life become?
“I need a way to fight back.”
“Huh?” King looks down at me as I realize I spoke out loud.
But now that I guess the conversation's rolling, I might as well go with it. “Fight back. Against Dad. He's called me dead. Written me off. There's got to be something I can do against that, instead of just waiting here for him to attack again, and this time with actual guns.”
“Eagle-eye's on it. A lot has happened while you've been distracted. Guns, bulletproof vests, the water cannons are still there, we've electrified the fence… they're not getting in here easy.”
“You're not getting it. Dad's going to freaking nuke the whole site from orbit. He'll call in the army if he has to. You guys managed to hit him right in the pride, and he'll never forgive that.” These guys are amazing in so many ways, but they're also too cocky for their own good.
“He was coming anyway. Taking you was our hope to push him back. We just didn't realize how fucked up he was, and coming from a bunch of bloodeds, that's saying something.”
Jupiter twists in my lap, and I lift my hands a moment until he's found a new comfortable position. His snout is nudged into my side, but it's all good. “King?”
“What?”
“You sent those pictures to the press, right, so you've got contact points with them.”
“Yeah.”
“I want to hold a press conference. Tell them to come to the compound, and I'll do it through the gate. What a scoop for them, if they come in to find me alive and well and speaking for your cause. It's going to undermine dad's whole position. Instead of being dead, I'm safe and sound, and his bullshit story about evidence would be exposed as a lie.” The more I think about it, the better it sounds. “I might not bring him down, but that'll sure as heck throw a wrench in his works. We need to do it.”
“No.”
He doesn't even look away from the screen, just takes a sip from his bottle. Like that's it.
“Why not.”
“It's too dangerous. You'd be exposed, and I don't trust your Dad not to try something. There's no way we can announce a scoop like that and him not hear about it.”
“There's no way he can take me with you guys there.”
“No.” Then he raises his voice. “That goes for the rest of you, too. If Emily comes talking about making a press conference, shut that shit down. We're not letting her risk herself.” Hero nods, who probably overheard us, and Wild Child, while looking a little more confused, gives King a thumbs up. And the way he announced it, pretty much every biker in the room heard it.
“Seriously?” I'm not going to let him overrule me like that. “Think about it. How else will we stop him? If he comes in here and guns all of you down… maybe me too, then what? What will we have gained?”
“If he comes in guns blazing, we'll be ready for him.”
“You don't freaking look ready.”
“Discussion over.” He crosses his massive arms over his chest.
And here I thought we'd built some kind of rapport. Maybe I don't want him in our little relationship group anyway.
Except he's doing it because he's worried about me.
Crap.
“Fine. I'll go read. Or fuck Hero, or something.”
Hero stands up immediately at that, a grin spreading on his face.
“Forget it.” I give him a shove so he sits back down, then retreat to the storeroom, where my cot still is and the pile of books Wild Child lent me. I can't stand the thought of being in any of their rooms right now. Maybe some science fiction hero killing deadly aliens and rescuing barely dressed damsels is what I need to distract myself.