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)
“It could be a prank. Maybe she’s bored.” Rivet raised his brows at Jester in challenge. “You got a better theory?”
“Any theory would be better than that,” Jester stated.
On the grass, Hustle stretched his legs out in front of him. “What if Ella’s sending the notes to herself?”
Jester did a long blink and then looked at Rivet. “Scrap what I said. It turns out there is a theory that ain’t better than yours.”
Hustle raised his hands. “People have done weirder shit for attention.”
“Hey, here’s a thought,” said Omen. “What if it’s Neta?”
Blackjack blinked. “Who?”
“Neta,” Omen repeated.
Darko tilted his head. “You mean the delivery company?”
Omen’s brow furrowed. “No. And you’re thinking of Letta.”
“Then what’s Neta?” asked Darko.
“Not a ‘what’,” Rivet cut in. “It’s a ‘who’. She sewed the patches on our jackets. How can you not remember her?”
Dice sighed. “That was Esta.”
Rivet lifted his shoulders. “Then I don’t get who you’re talking about.”
“Neta is from Maddox’s lair,” Omen reminded him. “She’s always hanging around the club, bar, and pool hall.” He paused, but Rivet still appeared confused, so Omen continued, “She’s blonde. Has an impressive rack. You fucked her in the parking lot.”
Rivet’s eyes went wide with realization. “Oh. Neta. Right. The hot petite one with the pixie haircut.”
Omen’s mouth tightened. “No.”
“Then I really have no clue who she is.”
“It won’t be Neta,” Dice said to Viper. “She didn’t like seeing you with Ella at the Red Rooms, but your woman was receiving notes before that. Neta would have had no reason to go after her back then.”
Sting raised an index finger. “Unless the descendant had noticed how often he watches Ella. The compulsion could be to pressure her to stay away from you, V.”
Personally, Viper doubted it. Neta’s interest in him wasn’t that profound. But he wouldn’t dismiss the idea.
“Are you going to tell Ella that the mugger is dead?” Blackjack asked him.
Viper dipped his chin. “I’ll have to. I’m not yet ready to go into specifics, but I’ll make it clear that he’s a goner. Right now, she has it in her head that he’s her note-sender. It’s blinding her to other possibilities. I don’t want her in the dark.” He rose to his feet. “But before I do that, there’s someone else I need to see.”
Fastening the tie of her towel robe, Ella exhaled a rough sigh. A hot bath never failed to calm her mind and sweep away any tension from her muscles. Tonight, it had done nothing. Her mind was too hyper over the little mystery of the note situation.
It made matters worse that her demon was all worked up. The entity’s need to hunt, nab, and avenge wound her even tighter.
Hearing the chiming of her cell phone, Ella padded out of her en suite bathroom, batting at one of the curls she’d gathered into an unruly ponytail to keep dry as she bathed.
Entering her bedroom, she jerked back as Viper came striding inside. Ella put a hand to her pounding heart. “I need to put a bell on you.”
He raked a searching gaze over her, his eyes darkening as pure need moved over his face.
Her muscles bunched. Damn, he could make her feel hyperaware of herself with just a look. She liked it, even though it made her ovaries do a damn jig.
“I told you I’d be coming,” he said as he erased the distance between them in purposeful strides.
“I didn’t think you’d be here so soon.”
He pressed a kiss to her mouth, sweeping a hand down her back. “I wanted to check on you.”
“I’m fine. All is well. Nothing to report. I think my bodyguards are having the desired effect.”
“Yeah, I heard that Belinsky put guards on you. Good.”
“Heard it from who?”
“Ghost and Rebel. I had them watching over you.” Viper anchored his palm on her hip, the heavy warm weight of it nothing short of proprietary. “I like that Belinsky’s so protective of you. Yet, I don’t.”
Her brow knitted. “You do, and you don’t?”
“The more protection you have the better. But I don’t like that another man has those rights to you.” Viper moved his face closer to hers, his voice lowering as he added, “Especially when I know you’ve been in his bed.”
“I never said I’d been in his bed.”
“You didn’t have to. It was obvious by how you were spluttering and rambling and avoiding the question when I asked about it.”
She wasn’t touching that subject. “I didn’t tell him you’re having me guarded, by the way. He’d freak and ask the kind of questions I’m not feeling inclined to answer truthfully.” She frowned at the odd look on Viper’s face. “What is it?”
He drew in a breath through his nose. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
She tilted her head. “What?”
He hesitated, his eyes drifting intently over her face. “I was there the night that you interfered with that mugging.”