Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 92941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
“We couldn’t get any privacy at home!” Erik yelled.
“Now you know their embarrassing secrets,” Beau said, leaning back. “Feel better?”
“I’m wondering how you even knew the car thing happened.”
“They had to call me to come pick them up,” Ambrose called from the kitchen.
I let out a laugh, and Beau smiled, the shadows in his eyes lightening a bit.
We sat in the chair quietly, and by the time Chance and Danny came back downstairs with bags slung over their shoulders, I’d managed to turn sideways and was resting my head beneath Beau’s chin. The guys said goodbye to their parents before striding back into the living room.
“We’ll call you as soon as we know anything,” Chance promised.
“Ignore everything he says, and you two should be fine,” Danny advised me with a small smile.
“It was nice to meet you, Reese,” Ambrose said, coming in behind them. “I hope we can have more time to get to know each other next time I’m home.”
“I’d like that,” I replied.
“Love you,” Beau called out as his brothers headed toward the door.
“Love you, too,” they called back one by one as they stepped outside.
I was a bit stunned as Beau let out a long breath and rested his head against the back of the chair. Rena and I said I love you all the time, but I honestly couldn’t remember if I’d ever heard men do it. Even Mr. Miranda and Noah hadn’t ever said it in my presence.
Shit.
“I need to get my phone!” I shot up from the chair and lost my balance.
“What’s wrong?” Beau asked as I raced for the stairs.
“I’m supposed to be at work!”
I was winded by the time I reached Beau’s rooms, and when the receptionist picked up the phone at the bank, she could barely understand me because I was breathing so loudly. I had to repeat myself twice.
“Reese?” Noah answered just seconds later. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I gasped.
“You don’t sound fine.”
“I just ran up an assload of stairs.”
“Why?”
“I just remembered I was supposed to be at work like an hour ago.”
“I just figured you were late again,” he replied drolly.
“I am never this late, and you know it.”
“There’s a first time for everything.”
“What if I was just dead in my apartment or something, and no one even came to look because you just assumed I didn’t show up?” I asked indignantly.
“Well, if you were already dead, would it really matter how long it took for someone to find you? You don’t have any cats, right? Because that could create a problem.”
“You’re the anti-Christ,” I muttered, dropping onto Beau’s bed.
“Does that make you an acolyte?”
“You’re not as funny as you think you are.”
“I assumed you were with Mr. Boucher,” Noah said seriously. “Was I wrong in that assumption?”
“You weren’t wrong,” I grumbled. “But for all you know, he’s an axe murderer.”
“I’ve met his father—”
“You know Erik?”
“Meeting the family already, huh?” Noah mused. “Yes, we’ve met a few times. Pete and I both liked him.”
“Pedro.” I corrected.
“Is everything all right?” Noah asked. “You’re okay?”
“This whole mate thing is a complete mindfuck,” I confessed, falling back onto the comforter.
Chapter 8
Beau
The last two days had been so overwhelming that I was beginning to get a headache behind my left eye. Between that and the heat urging me to go into the bedroom and interrupt Reese’s conversation, my mood was somewhere between punching a wall and pulling the blankets over my head just to drown everything out.
It was hard to imagine my baby brother with a mate. The thin thread of guilt over finding my mate twice while the others still waited felt a little thinner because Zeke had also found his. However, it was now wrapped in the guilt over being alive to enjoy it while Zeke wasn’t. I couldn’t believe he’d been so stupid as to continue on a mission when he knew the other half of his soul was back wherever he’d left him, waiting for him to return. I honestly didn’t even understand how it had been possible for the two to part. Unless they hadn’t completed the bond, which meant that my mother’s heart would break all over again when she realized that the last piece she had of my brother would grow old and die long before any of us were ready for it.
I wondered what Zeke’s mate was like. I’d always known that his mate would be male—all of us had. My little brother had never seen the appeal of women. He’d appreciated their differences, and he’d adored my mother, but he’d never been attracted to the fairer sex. Was his mate outgoing like Zeke or more reserved? Did he enjoy video games the way my younger brother had? How old was he? How had they met? How had he reacted when Zeke told him that he was a Vampire? I hoped that my brother’s bond had started out less chaotic and messy than mine had.