Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 119852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
“Do we get to meet them?”
“I don’t know. They’re not very happy with all of you right now. I told them about your intervention.” The threats Riggs and Maddox levied against my brothers are woven into the statement, and I can’t help but add an evil smile to amplify the menace.
“They’re willing to fight for you too,” he muses, sounding like he approves. “I did some reading about them. Teammates and best friends? I think they understand the concept of family first as well as we do.”
“Family first.” It means something more this time. I’m not only talking about Harringtons, or even Blue Lake, the way I always have before. I am beginning to consider me, Riggs, and Maddox a family too, exactly the way Cameron is implying.
It’s too fast. It’s utterly ridiculous. And I’m terrified down to my core. But I also can’t wait to tell them about my conversation with Cameron and take him off their shit list.
He grins, pointing at my mouth. “You’re doing it again.” Instantly, I touch my lips, feeling the smile lifting the corners. “Make sure you warn Mom and Dad before you show up with the two of them. And I do like Kyle’s idea of filming it. Might be funny later when things blow over, or you know, if we need it for the legal proceedings when Dad tries to kill them and Riggs accidentally gives him a heart attack. Self-defense and all.”
“You’re the worst,” I scold.
“Worse than Kyle?” he counters.
“Fuck Kyle.”
“Exactly.”
At least we’re of the same mind there.
RIGGS
“Does she know you’re here?” I ask, leaning against the door frame to block the unexpected visitor’s entry.
Usually, off-season around here consists of long stretches without a single person besides me and Maddox. Now, this place is relatively Grand Central Station between Kayla, a welcome visitor, and now this asshole, a very unwelcome one.
“Of course not. I like life on this side of the dirt,” Kyle Harrington replies, shaking his head emphatically. But he’s wearing a grin that says he wouldn’t really care whether Kayla knew or not. He’d enjoy the fireworks show, even if it resulted in his destruction. “She’s got that limited-edition, special mix, a little bit of kind and a whole lotta dangerous, you know? With an extra dash of cutthroat killer. She’d make my death torturously painful and slow, and nobody would ever find my body.” The words make it seem like he’s terrified of his sister, but it sounds more like he’s impressed by her, so maybe he’s trying to scare me?
“Exactly, which is why I’m not looking to piss her off. You’ve already done enough of that,” I snarl, the condemnation accompanied by a hate-filled glare. “So get the fuck out of here.”
I move to close the door, silently praising myself for not punching him in the face. Because nothing would feel better than punching this motherfucker square in his nose, make him bleed for the way he’s hurt Kayla. She’s hiding her pain with anger and bitchiness, but underneath it, there’s the sharp sting of betrayal, and it’s this asshole’s fault. He deserves a good ass-kicking.
He steps forward, sticking an arm out to stop me. I look at him in absolute shock. This man clearly wants to fucking die.
“Wait. Please.” The words are harsh, but with more of a plea than I expect from Kayla’s roughest-looking and most shit-stirring of brothers.
“What.” It’s not a question. It’s the barest hint of permission to say what he came to say, then he either leaves or I break his arm with this door.
“I want to apologize for the misunderstanding last week. I had permission to be in the back yard, but it was unprofessional of me to peek into the house. The movement drew my attention, and when I saw my sister, I… flipped out.” He nods like that’s the conclusion of his pre-planned script.
“Let me get this straight,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest. “You’re here to apologize… professionally? Like this is some customer service issue of you playing peekaboo in our back yard and you want to make sure we’re not gonna badmouth your business or ruin your reputation? Do I have that right?”
“No,” he argues. “I’m here to—” He stops, his jaw snapping closed and his eyes narrowing. But he gives me a quick head-to-toe glance like he’s taking my measure, and in that move, I see the real reason he’s here.
“I get it,” I huff. “That’s your in, but you’re here to check out me and Maddox, aren’t you?” Dropping my arms, I let him look his fill. “Whatcha think? Do I pass whatever test you’re running in your head? If it helps, I don’t want her money. I’ve got enough left guaranteed in my contract that I can live high on the hog for the rest of my life. I don’t give a shit about the rest of you,” I add as I return the favor, giving him a sneering up-and down, making it obvious I find him lacking as a brother, “and I’ll definitely treat her better than you do.”