Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 149641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 748(@200wpm)___ 599(@250wpm)___ 499(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 748(@200wpm)___ 599(@250wpm)___ 499(@300wpm)
Every word felt like a dagger. This was not what Dare had talked about. What Cooper had warned him was coming. There was supposed to be a ton of dad advice and calling him son, which he would reject because he wasn’t this man’s son. The truth of the matter was he wasn’t anyone’s son.
“Stay away from her and we’ll be fine. I’ll have her out of this in a couple of days and once this op is done, I’ll make certain we don’t come into your orbit again,” Tag promised. “You can work however you like, and one day you’ll find that bullet with your name on it and you and Huisman can be together again. You know she never doubted you. Huisman tried his best, but he couldn’t get her to turn on you. I guess he then remembered who the weak link was. Good luck, Ben.”
He stood there as the door closed, and Ben wondered if it hadn’t closed forever.
Chapter Fifteen
Kenzie stared at the screen in front of her. She’d said good-bye to Lucy that morning as she and Sami headed back to France. She’d thought about going with them, but her mother had let her in on Dad’s plan and she’d reluctantly agreed that taking a sabbatical was for the best.
Removing herself from the equation would let her father handle things in whatever way he felt served the mission. It also took her twin out of harm’s way.
They’d sat up with her last night, obviously expecting her to cry and wail her pain like she normally would. She would hang with her girls and say everything she needed to say, and they would hype her up so she could move forward and find the right one.
“You heard me, Gabe.” Her twin walked into the office in the basement, but she paced toward the front of the big space, so Kala hadn’t seen her. Probably thought she was still in bed since her usual routine after a breakup was to lie around for a week or so crying and listening to sad songs, and then on the seventh or eighth day she would rise like a phoenix, put on her sluttiest clothes, declare she was ready to live again, and that looking hot as fuck was the best revenge. “I want a top-tier Dom. What do you mean what does that mean? Do you not understand words? Why would the fact that it’s three in the morning affect your ability to speak English? We both know you’re awake.”
Kenzie sat back and watched Kala pace. Why was she looking for a Dom? It must be some weird project she had going because the last person in the world who would cheat on her spouse was Kala. Cooper was it for her.
Like Ben seemed to be for her.
It was different this time. The ache felt more…permanent.
Somehow she hadn’t cried as much. Like if she cried, she might get him out of her system and he would be gone.
This. This was why she wasn’t going to fight her parents. They were going to discuss the situation with Drake and Taylor Radcliffe, but her parents were fairly certain they would be okay with it. She’d placed her father in a position where he had to ask his boss to change plans because his dumbass daughter slept with another operative and now needed space.
Kala sighed, still pacing. She was dressed for a workout in yoga pants and a tank top that showed off toned muscles. “I want a Dom who is looking for something permanent, not a fuck boy. I’m talking someone late-twenties to mid-thirties with a solid career and enough self-worth that he wouldn’t ever let a sociopath dictate his life.”
Fuck. Now Kenzie sat up because her twin was obviously talking about her.
“I don’t know. Buy one if you have to.” Kala huffed, the sound she made when she was impatient. “Don’t tell me that’s not possible. You are Julian Lodge’s son, and when that man farts a million dollars falls out of his ass.”
It wouldn’t work. She’d finally decided that she would need time to deal with this, and getting into another relationship wouldn’t solve things. She needed to be with herself for a while. Besides, they had no idea how long they would be in Bliss. Was Kala planning on having this stud she was trying to get Gabe to buy shipped to Colorado?
She might go into the woods with them. It would be okay. Sure, she would be the fifth wheel, but she could hang with Zach’s mom and stare at the stars and breathe clean air and figure out what her future looked like without Ben Parker.
“Yes, you can use that on your Christmas cards this year. Find me that Dom.” Kala hung up and then sighed when she caught sight of Kenzie. “Hey. I didn’t think you would be up.”