Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 99381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
“Tell your friend not to speak of this, or I might not be so kind next time,” I say emotionlessly, and the fear sparks back to life in her light-brown eyes.
She nods, tears springing to her eyes as she runs out the door.
I assess the carnage as I approach Hawke, who’s now shaking Laurence Tate back and forth. “Hey!” He slaps Laurence across the face, but the man doesn’t react. “Fuck. I accidentally killed him too soon.”
Hawke’s gloves are wet and sticky with blood, and it’s splattered across his face and clothes, much like my own. I scan the room, looking for cameras and any evidence for the cleanup crew to discard of.
Part of me thinks this is the exact reason Eli elevated us to his seconds. We’re ruthless and obedient, much like well-trained dogs. But it’s familiar. And it’s what we’re good at.
“Seven,” I say to Hawke, who’s coming down from the high.
“Huh?” He blinks rapidly as the more human side of him comes back to the forefront.
“I killed seven, and you only killed five. I win.”
Hawke drops the dead man and looks around. He’s on his knees, and despite his size, he looks like a child of destruction right now. He runs his bloody glove through his black hair.
“Fucker!” He realizes that I’ve once again beaten him in body count. I smirk.
“The women?” he asks a little more quietly as he stands.
“I let them go,” I confess.
He nods agreeably. Even monsters sometimes have rules.
Hawke fishes around in Laurence’s pocket and finds a set of keys. “Right. Let’s see what treasure is behind that door.” He smiles mischievously just as Eli’s cleanup crew arrives.
We step toward the room that better have this fucking ring our mother’s fixated on. If not, hell’s really going to come down on this city until we find it.
CHAPTER 8
Billie
It’s been four weeks since I’ve seen Ford, and I’ve been craving having his hands on me. The more time I go without him, the edgier I get. It’s as if the moment my flight touches down, a spark hits my brain with the promise of pleasure. But it’s impossible for us to be together right now, not while so much is happening with me moving back and my brother, the biggest cock block in the world, is still here before he flies to Italy for business.
Ivy and I graduated. We found a three-bedroom apartment that we adore, and my parents helped me move my things in. Naturally, Dutton assessed the property to ensure it met his approval before we signed the lease, and I had him swear he wouldn’t buy the entire fucking building so I could at least have some kind of separation from him. I’m certain the only reason he agreed is because I silently begged Posie to intervene. So she swore him to allow me my independence.
I now nervously sit in my aunty Rya’s law office, waiting for an interview. Two men are also seated in the reception area, holding folders, and waiting patiently. One has the audacity to give me the once-over and sneer. Fucker.
I rein in my bubbling temper that has me wanting to tell him to shove his ignorance up his ass.
I’m not nervous about the interview itself; it’s because I haven’t told my aunt that I’m applying to her law firm, and I hope she’s not seriously pissed. I want to get this position on my own, and the reality is hers is the most prestigious firm in all of New York.
Rya should be revered as the best criminal lawyer in all of Manhattan, which is ironic since her family is part of the Italian mafia, including my mother, who is her sister. And although for years she’s been talking about semi-retirement, it seems she oversees all of the hiring.
“Billie, come through, please,” my aunt’s assistant calls out. I’ve seen her before, but was never officially introduced.
I can’t help myself as I purposely drop my pen in front of the man who sneered at me, then bend over, making sure to give him a good cleavage shot. When I glance up, he’s staring right down my top. I smirk. “You fucking wish,” I mouth, and he immediately turns a dark red.
“How dare y—”
“Is there a problem?” Rya’s assistant asks, and he seems mortified. I stand back up and toss my hair over my shoulder.
“No problem. I just dropped my pen. Sorry,” I say, then follow her, smirking over my shoulder at the asshole who looks like he’s about to explode. I can’t help but poke my tongue out, and I swear I see his eyes glaze over. He’s totally about to fucking snap.
It puts a pep in my step as I walk into my aunt’s office, where I see two men sitting beside her, looking at what I’m assuming is my resume. My aunt looks hot as fuck in a black pantsuit, and her silvery eyes dance with mischief when they meet mine. Though I doubt anyone else would notice it if they didn’t know her well enough. Because right now she’s strictly business, with her hands clasped in front of her.