Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 151097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 504(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 504(@300wpm)
He was in an impressive back bend that lifted his shirt a little, showing off his Adonis belt and the dark trail of hair that disappeared inside his jeans. If I hadn’t already seen the dark hair peeking through his roots, I’d be shocked to learn that Kellan wasn’t a true blond.
He kept muttering about losing his hands and feet over a childish game. The laugh I was holding in broke free and nearly sent me to my ass when Coby spun the spinner and called for him to put his left foot on red. I was already straining to hold this impossible position, but thanks to Ocean, I hadn’t been eliminated yet. After a season of sexual gymnastics, my body was now accustomed to being twisted into a pretzel for an extended period.
Cursing, Kellan moved his bare foot to the red circle above my head, widening his legs and putting his crotch in my face.
“Why, Kellz, so soon? We hardly know each other,” I teased.
Coby and I laughed uncontrollably while Kellan groaned.
Coby took pity on him and flicked the spinner again, calling for me to move my right hand to yellow. I fell on my face, and Coco barked before running over with a click of his nails on the hardwood floor. I lay still while he sniffed my hair to make sure I wasn’t dead and then bossily barked for me to get my ass up and stop faking. Some of his black fur was already giving way to the brown, but he still looked like an asshole.
“Thank fucking fuck,” Kellan huffed as he straightened and stood. He held out his hand to help me up.
“What’s so scary about a harmless game of Twister?” Coby asked as she stood from the couch with a wary glance thrown at the barely three-pound puppy. She tossed the spinner into the box, grumbling about sharp teeth and rabies.
“Your fiancé,” Kellan retorted. “Do we have a deal? I played your dumb game. Now, you two agree not to sneak out again and give me a heart attack.”
Coby pouted. “We were bored.”
Last night, Coby, Deborah, and I had snuck out for a test drive that ended way too short once Kellan caught up to us and dragged us back here.
“What’s the big deal anyway?” I griped. “We’re out here in the middle of nowhere.”
There was also a lot of land and a long, private road between the rest of the human population and us.
After Roshaun had been executed, the three of us left Glainne and retreated here when Ocean decided to take the offensive. Apparently, he had this six-thousand-square-foot ranch house just waiting on standby.
This house was half the size of Glamis, which suited me perfectly. There were enough rooms to retreat when one of us needed space, but not so big that you could hide for long.
The only problem? Ocean was gone most of the time.
The war against his father had gotten ugly, and Ocean had wanted us as far away from it as possible.
I hated that.
I hated sitting here wringing my hands like a damsel.
I hated not being there to watch his back.
I hated that tomorrow I might wake up to another morning without Ocean between us.
And I knew Coby hated it all, too.
He’d kept his promise and checked in regularly, but it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t him.
“Malcom’s power reaches further than you think,” Kellan warned. “He has eyes and ears everywhere. What happened to Roshaun should have told you as much. If you were captured or killed during your frolic through town, what happened to your brother would look like a kiss on the fucking cheek compared to what Ocean would do to me.”
“He wouldn’t hurt you,” Coby denied. “You’re his friend.”
Kellan shook his head, but his voice held no bitterness when he spoke. There was only respect. “In another life, maybe. In this life, Ocean is my boss. He’s…” Kellan trailed off before abandoning that train of thought with a shake of his head. “Let’s just say I grew up with someone just like him. Someone I called a brother, and when I had to walk away, it was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I’d rather not form attachments this time.”
“It sounds like you have no intention of sticking around,” I said, letting suspicion ride my tone.
Kellan merely shrugged. “I’m a drifter,” he explained simply. “It’s what we do.”
“Hmm.”
An hour later, Kellan surprised us with dinner. Afterward, Coby disappeared to make a few phone calls. She’s been doing that a lot lately. I frowned at her retreating back as I wondered what she was up to.
She and Ocean were both little schemers.
Kellan got bored enough to ask if I wanted to play cards, so I agreed. After winning the first hand, I decided that I was entitled to a truth. “How did you and Ocean meet?” I asked while we took turns drawing a card.