Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 77980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“Jasper.” Thomas entered the dining room, where I was enjoying my breakfast. In peace.
“What?”
Thomas dismissed my tone and said, “We need to talk.”
I shoveled another forkful of eggs into my mouth. “About what?”
He let out a long-suffering sigh as if his breakfast had been interrupted. “Lucky Lopez, obviously.”
His tone pissed me off, and I dropped my fork with a loud clang. “It’s way too early for your bullshit, Thomas. Say what you need to say and get the fuck out.”
“There’s too much security at the club. That’s fine for the tourists, the weekend warriors who like to feel like they’re in a bit of danger. But the big money guys, the gangsters, they feel antsy. They’ll stop coming if we don’t scale back.”
He was right. I just had the same fucking conversation with Provo, but dammit, I just wanted to enjoy my fucking breakfast. I smacked a hand against the table, angry as hell.
“Just because you’re fucking Sadie doesn’t mean you’re in charge. Stay in your goddamn lane.”
The motherfucker laughed at me. “It’s more than that, and we both know it, but if it makes you feel better to minimize things between me and your mother, fine. I’m talking about business, Jasper, not personal shit.”
“This business isn’t yours to talk about.”
“No?” He folded his arms and arched a brow. “Then why even let me manage the club in her absence? Because you’re already spread too fucking thin, and you need the help, even if you are too fucking stubborn to admit it.”
“I don’t need help.”
“Right, I forgot, you’re a fucking magician. At all places, at all times. Then I hope you’re not too tired to take tonight’s shift since I’m not in charge.”
“Cut the shit, Thomas.” I pushed away from the table and went to the bar. Yeah, it was early, and I was about to down three more fingers of Velvet Fire before I even finished my eggs.
“Shit? I’m trying my best to abide by Sadie’s wishes. That’s all. We want the same thing, Jasper. When she’s out of the hospital, she’ll be happy to see Lucky Lopez exactly how she wants it.”
“If she gets out,” I growled, realizing what had me on edge. What if Sadie didn’t wake up?
What if she never woke up but instead drifted off into a permanent fucking sleep, never to rise, to talk shit, never to drink a Bloody Mary in her salon ever again?
Thomas gave me one of his looks of steel while still a badass gentleman. “She will. Sadie is stronger than even she knows underneath all that bluster and steel. And when that happens, you will have wasted your time trying to change things that she’ll only change back.”
Thomas raked his fingers through his hair and sighed. “Just listen. You used to be able to do that pretty well.”
“I’m not a kid anymore, Thomas,” I snarled at him, pissed off that he reminded me of the kid I was before I found myself. My strength.
Thomas smiled, but it wasn’t filled with amusement or pride. “You’re all grown up, but lately, you’ve been acting like a petulant fucking brat.”
“A brat?” I snort-laughed. “A brat, Thomas?” I stood and threw my glass at his head, deliberately missing and it shattered against the wall. “Yeah? And what are you going to do about it, old man?”
Thomas smiled back. “Happy to remind you who taught you to hand out a good ass-whipping.”
Hell, yes. This was what I needed. Killing those bikers didn’t do shit to satisfy my bloodlust.
“I’m happy to let you try,” I told him as I removed my cufflinks and rolled up my sleeves.
Thomas did the same, slowly removing his vest like this was another one of our lessons. His shoulders squared with a slight hunch, fists protecting his face. “Let’s see what you got. Brat.”
I lunged forward, sneaking a jab between his arms. It landed on his nose. “Too slow, old man.”
The old fucker put his right fist forward and landed a body hit and a hook to my jaw with his left. “Who you calling old?” He flashed a confident smile that just pissed me off.
“The only old man in the fucking room,” I growled and landed two hammer fists on his jaw. Thomas stumbled back but only a step before he recovered and came back at me. “Yeah, come and get some more.”
He ducked my next jab and landed two in my gut and one in my side, smiling the whole fucking time.
Time to stop fucking around, son.
Colm’s voice came to me at that moment, and all I could see was red. Anger, hurt, and disgust rose to the surface, and I had the perfect fucking target in front of me. I landed a hook to the jaw, an uppercut to his chin, and another to his side.
Thomas spat and pushed me backward, not hard enough to fall, just enough to let me know he wasn’t fucking around anymore, either.