Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 169013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 845(@200wpm)___ 676(@250wpm)___ 563(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 169013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 845(@200wpm)___ 676(@250wpm)___ 563(@300wpm)
I had half a mind to drag her out of there myself, except she was near the fire, sipping from a beer with that exuberance radiating from her.
Like she was maybe having the most fun she’d ever had.
Wearing jean shorts, a white top, and matching sneakers.
Looking so out of place it was almost comical.
She stood next to the same brute of a man who’d been in front of the autobody shop when I arrived yesterday afternoon.
His massive arms were crossed over his chest, and I could almost see the aggression oozing from his pores as he kept watch over her.
Clearly on guard duty.
One point Silas.
At least he wasn’t throwing his little sister to the wolves.
Sucking it all down, I lifted my chin and forced myself to move out into the fray.
My heart thundered at my chest. Anxiety woven in every walloping beat.
I’d almost convinced myself to turn around because it would be a whole lot safer to serve out my sentence hidden behind the fortitude of the walls of my room when Elena suddenly glanced in my direction.
Glee lit her face.
“Brinley! You came! I was about to storm up to your room and drag you out here.” She widened her arms in welcome.
The guy next to her swiveled my way as I approached.
A glower took to his brow, and his dark gaze drifted down me like I was a blight.
Clearly, he wasn’t as excited to see me as Elena.
I searched around inside myself for a good excuse for coming down here. “How was I supposed to resist the smell of that barbecue?”
She hiked a coy shoulder. “Why do you think I had Silas send up a boring, bland sandwich?”
“Diabolical.” I couldn’t help but grin.
“I told you I have my ways around here.”
“Where’s Kai?” Was it weird that I felt a little panic that he was nowhere in sight? But I couldn’t imagine Elena would leave him with someone who wouldn’t fully look out for him.
“With Meems.”
My brows lifted. “Meems?”
“Our grandmother.”
“Grandmother?” I didn’t know why it came out so uncertain.
Elena lowered her voice as she glanced around. “We don’t bring Kai to the clubhouse at night.”
She must have seen the spate of questions roll through my mind because she added, “We all live in a house on the backside of the property.”
“Silas, too?” It came out a demand.
Her brow arched. “Are you interested in where my brother sleeps at night?”
I curled my nose. It seemed the appropriate reaction.
She laughed again, then my attention was suddenly stolen by a surging energy that came from across the clearing.
Hot spikes of animosity that arrowed through the night.
Someplace inside me wanted to cower.
Instead, I lifted my chin in a challenge to meet the ferocity staring back.
I guess I shouldn’t have because the force of it nearly blew me back ten feet.
I could hardly make him out where he stood on the opposite side of the bonfire in the shadows.
Just the crude outline of an intimidating, overbearing silhouette.
It didn’t matter. I could still feel the cruel wickedness blazing from the green flames of his eyes.
I sent him my best scowl.
I didn’t know if he could see it since I couldn’t actually make out his expression, but I knew there was no humor ridging his arrogant demeanor tonight.
It was all power.
The president standing there in all his twisted, fucked up glory.
The King in full play.
Elena looped her arm through mine, jerking my attention from the thousand-ton magnet lurking on the far side of the lot.
“Come and meet the birthday boy.” She pulled me toward the guy she’d been standing beside.
Like he was a cinnamon roll and not some murderous beast.
“Brinley, meet Trevan. Crimson Crows’s vice president and Silas’s best friend and basically a giant pain in my ass.”
Her voice rolled with the tease.
Trevan grunted, though there was no missing the softness as he looked at her.
“That’s because you’re a giant pain in mine, having to keep after you.” His voice was a low rumble of affection.
She rolled her pretty eyes and released me so she could lean her shoulder into his side. “You know you love me.”
I wondered if I was the only one who noticed the way he minimally leaned into her and his hands twitched.
Like he wanted to touch her but couldn’t.
She lingered for a second like she was begging him to, but when he refrained, something came over her face before she popped off him and grabbed me by the hand.
“So, tell me you’re hungry because you are in for a treat.”
In theory, I shouldn’t be able to eat a bite with the way my stomach was in knots of apprehension, but that barbecue and I were so going to go down.
Apparently, I was a stress eater. “Starving,” I told her.
“Then let’s get that belly fed.” Her grin suddenly turned to a frown. “You do look a little peaked. Did Silas work you too hard today?”