Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 125037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Leila believed that Marcy knew her well enough to know she would never leave her sister with Whitney. No one other than Diego’s team and Luther knew Bridget had a tracking device in her that Whitney wouldn’t be able to detect. The tracking device would lead them straight to Bridget’s location. There was no way Whitney wouldn’t be with her. He would want to “debrief” her. That was what he called his sadistic interrogations, according to Bridget.
Whitney had several laboratories, some hidden within the military system. Others were private labs he appeared not to have an association with until, after much digging, the connection was found. By that time, he was long gone. He moved from place to place, overseeing others doing his experiments. It sucked that he had her sister.
“I can’t wait to bring Bridget here,” Leila said. Her gaze swung to the play yard, where the little girls were helping her toddler on a small slide. There was a tall slide, but the three little girls had avoided it, directing Grace to the short one. Grace threw back her head and laughed, a baby sound of pure joy, holding out her arms to one of the girls, who picked her up.
“Ginger,” Nonny cautioned. “I know you’re very strong, but it would be best if you didn’t pick Grace up. Her weight might hurt your back.”
For a moment, Ginger looked mutinous, but then she kissed Grace on the forehead and gently deposited her on the ground. Both hands went to her hips, and she glared at Nonny. “I’m superstrong. She won’t hurt me.”
Thym and Cannelle spun around with shocked looks on their faces at the tone of their sister’s voice. They looked like exact replicas of Ginger, yet neither appeared to agree with the way Ginger spoke.
The screen door opened behind Leila, and the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen stepped outside. She was small but had real curves. Her hair was dark and glossy. She wore it in an intricate braid that was extremely thick. Strange dark patterns were stamped through the mass of blue-black hair. Her eyes were large, framed with very heavy black lashes. They had the same blue tint as her hair. Her eyes were even more unusual than her hair—nearly a purple violet but with a diamond starburst through the dark center.
“Ginger, do you think it’s okay to talk in a disrespectful manner to Nonny like that? Do you talk to anyone you love in that tone of voice?” Her voice was low and sultry. Enthralling. There was no hint of anger in it or in the energy she gave off. She gave the explanation patiently.
Oh my God, I’ve never seen anyone so beautiful. Who is she? Leila asked.
Pepper, Wyatt’s wife. She can’t be touched by anyone but Wyatt unless she’s pregnant. She recently gave birth to twins. An experiment was done on her, and she has some kind of biochemical that makes her very, very alluring.
Leila didn’t like the sound of that. She didn’t want to know Diego might find another woman beguiling, even if she couldn’t help it and neither could he.
She is not my warrior woman. She doesn’t meet a single one of my needs. I don’t look at other women. For one, she belongs with Wyatt, and he’s a good friend. I wouldn’t do that to a friend. Two, I am in love with the woman sitting right here. She’s all I can see.
Ginger raised her chin. Leila tried not to smile at the defiance written on the little girl’s face. She had a mop of dark wavy hair that fell in whorls and ringlets around her face.
How awful for Pepper that she has to worry all the time that someone will want her if she just touches them. That’s so isolating. His reassurance was very sincere. She felt his warmth surrounding her. That made her a little ashamed when the other woman had so much to contend with.
She and Wyatt are good together. He’s managed to find a way to live with men ogling his wife. Not so certain I’m going to be as tame.
“She was being disrespectful to me.” Ginger snapped it belligerently, but the moment the words came out of her mouth, she looked as if she wished she could take them back.
Her sisters gasped again and took a step back from her, shaking their dark spiraling curls. “Ginger,” one protested.
“I think it’s a good thing that your father is not here at the moment, young lady. In fact, not just your father, Uncle Zeke as well. You know what being disrespectful is. You don’t talk to Nonny like that. Not ever.” Now that sweet, soft voice had turned to pure steel. Pepper Fontenot was no pushover, and she clearly wasn’t going to rely on Wyatt or Ezekiel to deal with her errant daughter.