Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
“Be still a while longer, honey. I promise you it will be worth it.”
I looked up at him. He winked at me “I know you love him. Don’t pretend to know why, but everyone in this whole place sees it.”
“Am I a fool?” I wasn’t sure I could take it if he said I was.
“Not at all, honey. He’s the fool for not being man enough to give you what you want. My advice?” I nodded at him. “Make the asshole work for it. Show him more of what you gave him the first day you met him.”
I ducked my head. “Despite what it looked like that day, I’m not a violent person.”
“You were taking him to task for not respecting you and the memory of a woman you loved.” Jekyll leaned down and kissed my forehead. When Warlock erupted behind me, I knew that kiss was for show. The man winked at me. “That makes you worth fighting for, Hope. Any woman who’d attack a man more than twice her size for those she loves is worth everything.”
The next thing I knew, I was snatched away from Jekyll and into Warlock’s arms. I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around him and cling to him so tightly I’d never be separated from him again. But there were too many issues separating us. The woman in the bathroom, for one thing.
I struggled, trying to get away from him when it was the last thing I wanted. I’d fought too hard for my self-respect to fall into his arms, no matter how much I wanted it. There had to be some reasonable expectations set for both of us.
“Let me go, Warlock.”
“I’m pretty sure I told you to fuckin’ call me Max.” His growl was as sexy as it was arrogant.
“At this point, I could give two shits what you want.” I tried to keep my voice calm, recognizing that I needed to keep my cool. Until I couldn’t. I glanced at Jekyll, which seemed to set Warlock off.
“Don’t look at him! You’re my woman. Not his!”
“I’m not yours either. You’ve made that abundantly clear. As of this moment, I’m done with anyone choosing who I let into my life. Not your mother. Not you. No one. I’ll choose for myself.”
“You already chose.” Warlock tightened his grip on me. Until I hiked my knee into his groin.
“Mother fuck!” He dropped me immediately and bent at the waist. I backed up several steps before confronting him.
“When I tell you to let me go, I mean it. You told me once I had to accept the consequences of my actions. These are yours.”
More than one of the men in the room laughed. Razor outright guffawed. Warlock tried to glare at the man, but there was still a grimace of pain on his face so he couldn’t pull it off very well.
“Now we’re getting somewhere.” That came from El Diablo, who’d sat in a comfortable-looking chair and pulled his wife into his lap. He snapped his fingers, and the man behind the bar poured him a glass of Woodford Reserve and brought it to him. Jezebel promptly took it from her husband and downed it, handing it back to the prospect. The man chuckled.
“What’d you do that for? You know I’m not gonna hurt you.” Warlock sounded genuinely perplexed. “I thought you liked what we do in private?”
“I do. But there are boundaries. Especially since I found out where you’ve been going at night after you leave me.” I couldn’t help the hurt in my voice. “How could you?”
He blinked, jerking back like I’d struck him again. “Honey, I’ve been going back to my room. Or sitting outside your door until daylight. Where did you think I’ve been goin’?”
“Don’t lie!” I shouted the command. “Do not lie to me, Maximilian. I know about the woman you’ve been going to.”
“What?” El Diablo barked. “Warlock!”
“I swear I have no idea what you’re talking about, Hope. I’ve only been with two women in the last seven years. Bev, my ol’ lady. And you.”
“You’ve not really been with me, though. Have you?” I looked him directly in the eyes. I needed to see the truth of it there. I couldn’t really tell if he was lying so much as I could tell when he was holding back from me. He’d been doing a lot of that lately.
He closed his eyes, obviously trying to get himself under control. “Come with me, Hope. We’ll talk this out and see where we go from here.”
“You said that last time,” I snapped. “Sure, I’ve been getting some pretty good orgasms out of the deal, but that’s all I’ve been getting! You’ve got one foot out the door! You don’t want me, but you don’t want anyone else to have me either!” Voicing the facts as I saw them made it abundantly clear I had been playing the fool. “I’ve been playing the part of lovesick teenager. Letting you do whatever you wanted and hoping you’d decide I was what you wanted. Or, at least, that you’d give me a chance to be what you needed. But you know what? It’s not fucking worth it!” I rarely ever swore, but if there was ever a time for it, it was now. “Fuck you, Warlock. I’m done.”