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)
I didn’t expect the answer to come so readily.
“He saved my life. I had just left Chicago and was new in town. I didn’t know all the players yet and pissed off the wrong people. Ocean stepped in, threw his weight around, and I got to keep breathing.”
“That was nice of him.”
Kellan laughed and shook his head. “Not really. Nothing in this town comes without a price.”
“That’s when you started working for him, huh?” Kellan nodded and tossed seven of clubs on the table. I threw a nine of the same suit and scooped up the cards. “Why do you think he saved you?”
“My sparkling personality and devastating good looks?”
“Kellan.” I gave him a reproachful glance and threw down a king of hearts.
He blew out a breath and then tossed a two of spades down before taking the trick. “I think Ocean wanted someone in his camp who had no connections or shred of loyalty to his father. Who better than a stranger in his debt?”
“So you really don’t think he cares about you?”
“I didn’t say that. Ocean is a good man. I wouldn’t work for him if he wasn’t, but I don’t let things get personal anymore.”
“Ah, right. Because of your real friends waiting for you back home,” I teased.
“You know I knew a headstrong girl like you once.” A fond smile appeared on his lips before he said, “You’d like her. She had a knack for driving me up the wall, too.”
“You loved her?”
Kellan shook his head. “Only as a sister. I mentioned that the Fola isn’t the first family I’ve served and survived, but what I didn’t say was that Ocean isn’t the first heir I’ve known to burn down his entire world for the woman he loves. Or in Ocean’s case, the women he loves.” Kellan waggled his brows.
“So…how did it end?”
The knot in Kellan’s throat bobbed as he swallowed, and the cards crumbled a little in his fist. “He sacrificed himself for her.”
“Oh…” Well, that doesn’t sound promising. I placed my hand on Kellan’s arm. Considering how lean he appeared, I was surprised to feel so much muscle there. “He died?”
Kellan’s lips flattened as he pondered his cards. “Worse. Prison.”
I wanted to pry some more, but talking about it didn’t seem to be helping Kellan, so I forced myself to let it drop and tossed down three of spades. “So…he’s the friend you mentioned?”
“They both are.” It was Kellan’s turn to play a card, but he didn’t notice. His mind had already drifted off somewhere far away—to home.
“You miss them.”
He blinked as if startled and then answered hoarsely, “Yeah.”
“So why don’t you do something about it?” I gave him a gentle nudge. “I’m sure they miss you, too.”
“Because I left Chicago for a reason,” Kellan answered. “I’m not going back until I find what I’m looking for.”
“And what is it that?”
His green eyes turned hard as he stared down at his cards. “Revenge,” he answered coldly.
Whoa. Kellan’s blond-dyed hair swung in his face, so he cursed and ripped off the rubber band around his wrist. I watched him pull his hair, which had grown to a considerable length since I met him, into a messy top knot.
“The douchey man bun look suits you,” I remarked.
Kellan snorted and tossed down a card. “Thanks.”
We played another round before my eyes started to grow heavy. I told Kellan I was calling it a night and stood from the stool. He nodded, shrugged on his leather jacket, and then left the house to do his usual patrol around the grounds since it was just us.
No guards.
Ocean had been too paranoid after Roshaun to trust that any one of them wasn’t feeding information back to his father.
We weren’t completely helpless, though. I’ve been keeping up with my training with Abel, so if anything popped off, I’d be more than ready.
I heard the mudroom door slam behind Kellan as I left the kitchen—Coco weaving between my ankles—and walked down the gallery beneath the skylight and vaulted ceiling. The house was massive and all on one level, excluding the basement Ocean had deemed off-limits to Coby and me.
Searching for Coby, I headed to the master bedroom when I couldn’t find her anywhere else and stepped inside to find her without a stitch of clothing on. She was lying on her stomach across the four-poster bed with a sensual smile on her lips, and I knew without a doubt that she’d been waiting for me.
“I thought for dessert you could have me,” she invited sweetly.
Smiling, I reached for my shirt to pull it over my head as I took one eager step toward the bed.
Before I could reach her, though, the lights went out.
COBY
“What the hell?” I sat up when the room was suddenly plunged into darkness. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the pitch black. Hunter cursed as she yanked her shirt back down. “What’s going on?”