Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 131708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
“I figured that,” began Ghost, who was sitting on Dice’s left, “since I noticed you two leave the compound last night on your bike and she was wearing the vest you had made for her.”
From his stool near the bar, Razor slammed a glare on Ghost. “You didn’t tell us that.”
“What goes on between a man and a woman is their business,” said Ghost.
Pushing away from the wall, Omen shot him a hard look. “You know we’ve been standing around asking each other how we think Ella might’ve reacted to all he told her. You could have put our minds at rest.”
Ghost lifted his shoulders. “It was more entertaining watching you all sweat over it.”
Razor clenched his jaw. “There are times I tell myself, ‘You know, he’s not really that much of a prick; I’m hard on him.’ Then you do shit that reminds me you are, in fact, a total prick.”
Ghost put a hand to his chest, as if hurt. “I’m not the one slandering my brother’s good name.”
“It ain’t slander when it’s true.”
“It ain’t true, so it’s slander.”
Viper lifted a hand, palm out. “Stop.”
Razor moodily grunted. Ghost only smiled.
Sprawled on an armchair, Jester looked up at Viper. “How come you never gave us a heads-up that you meant to finally unload it all on Ella?”
“Because it wasn’t planned. I only told her because I didn’t really have much choice.” Viper paused. “She received another note. It said, ‘Everleigh’. Which means they’re definitely being sent to her by someone from the upper realm. My business decisions virtually led them straight to her. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”
It pissed Viper off something fierce that he hadn’t considered someone would do that. He should have been more careful for her sake. “She naturally wanted to know who the note referred to; she’d sensed from my reaction that I knew.”
Dice twisted his mouth. “They’d obviously guessed that you hadn’t told her everything; they were placing you in a position where you had to.”
“Yes,” Viper agreed. “They’ll want her dead. Not merely to punish me, but to make a point to any current or future member of the Seven: If you fall to be with your own personal Ella, such a move will only lead to that person’s death.”
Razor grunted in agreement. “Is there any way to lure this bastard out into the open?”
Hustle sat up straight on the other armchair. “We could ask Ella—”
“We are not using my woman as bait,” Viper snapped. His entity wanted to slap the angel for even suggesting it.
“It wouldn’t work anyway,” Omen remarked. “They’d know that Viper would never leave her unprotected; they’d guess it was a trap.”
“I don’t think we’ll need to lure them out,” said Dice. “Their last note basically announced their presence. They’re probably bored and want to go back home. It won’t be long before they step out of the shadows. We’ll be ready when they do.”
“Interesting choice of breakfast.”
Looking up from the clubhouse’s kitchen table, Ella cast her sister an unapologetic smile. “You want some. You know you do.”
Mia snorted at the bowl of ice-cream and then made her way to the coffee machine.
It wasn’t uncommon for them to see each other at the Black Saints’ compound, since both spent many nights here. On those occasions, they had breakfast together before heading off to work. Today, however, they’d get to laze around due to it being Sunday.
Shifting a little on the stool, Ella scooped up yet more ice-cream and all but shoved it into her mouth. “I had a massive talk with Viper last night.”
Mia’s brows lifted in interest. “Really?” she asked as the coffee machine came to life.
There was still a sense of surrealness to all he’d told and showed Ella. She’d barely fully absorbed it. It hurt to think of how they’d once had their chance at happiness stolen from them. But now, thanks to him, they had a second chance. That he’d searched for her, fallen from the upper realm for her, so shrewdly infiltrated her life in his determination to keep her … it made her love him all the more.
“Well, don’t leave me hanging. Elaborate.”
“He told me everything. And I mean, everything. His story … well, it’s a doozy. But I’m under a geas, so I can’t share it.” Ella gifted her with an apologetic look.
“Dice once hinted at it being kind of dark; he was worried you’d reject Viper because of it.” She took a moment to scrutinize Ella’s face. “As you look happy, I’m going to assume that you’re not here against your will.”
“Huh?”
“Well, I don’t for one moment think that Viper would let you leave him, so it struck me that if you had rejected him he could very well have trapped you here.”
Honestly, Ella wouldn’t put it past him to do such a thing. “I didn’t reject him. I’m here of my own free will. I … ”