Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 112850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
It appeared I’d have no sex this morning either.
The haze of the relief and love we had unexpectedly stumbled into last night hit the brakes hard, a whiplash assault, as I quietly shut Mace inside the bedroom and went in search of Tommy. He wasn’t hard to find, sitting in Mace’s spot at the kitchen counter, dressed pristinely in what I guessed was Prada. In complete contrast to the environment where he currently sat, bouncing his head to an unheard melody inside his earphones. His fingers danced across his laptop’s keyboard.
I was able to walk up on him unnoticed as usual. When he finally caught a glimpse of me, I startled the shit out of him. His yelp was an added bonus, lightening the mood a bit.
“Why do you do that?” he asked, knocking one earphone free.
“Who could say? Why does it still scare you?” I asked, the chuckle escaping as I went for a cup of coffee.
“Do you know what time it is?” Tommy asked.
“Mace and I were up until about five this morning,” I said, coffeepot poised to pour as I glanced over my shoulder. “What time is it?”
“Ten-thirty. How did it go telling the parents?” he asked.
“Really good. Mace’s parents appeared to have known for a long time, only waiting for Mace to address it. Linda’s always comfortable and easy to be around.” I finally tipped the pot to fill my cup.
“You pretold them, correct?” I shoved the pot back on the burner and lifted a finger to my lips. That was a secret.
“Yeah. They were good to Mace. He needed the love,” I said, bringing the hot brew to my lips, blowing on the surface to keep from burning my lips.
“Boss, you’ve got to stop trying to control everything,” Tommy said, his fingers raised above the keyboard.
He knew me well, probably the only irreplaceable person on my team. I didn’t like his summation of my personality, but he also wasn’t wrong.
“This Mace’s stronger than you give him credit for,” Tommy continued. “But, as your personal assistant that handles all of your life, I think I’d be the first person you told that you’re gay.”
This was where Tommy shined. He could lay down the law while teasing the moment.
“You knew,” I said, taking another sip of the coffee. “How many men did you help out of my house over the years?”
“Hey, I don’t judge. They could have been there because you guys played poker the night before.” He couldn’t even hide the grin at his preposterous words. “Texas Hold ’em’s real. Is it hard on you that I’m straight? You can’t have all this?”
“You’re ridiculous,” I said, appreciative for the lift in my mood again. “Why’re you here?”
“A couple of reasons. One, you have to return to filming. They’ve handled whatever caused the delay and fines begin today. You were supposed to stay close,” he explained, his fingers still poised to type. Frozen in place.
“I have a family bereavement clause,” I said, trying my best to find a way to stay.
“You don’t need me to tell you that you’re full of shit. You know you are,” Tommy said. “My hope is, if I stay here, you’ll be more comfortable leaving.”
He wasn’t wrong, and my appreciation leaped forward. I managed to keep it inside. “Why else are you here?”
The truth came when he turned the laptop my direction. A picture of Mace took most of the screen. It wasn’t an incriminating shot, only him, standing with his hands on his hips, looking with concern at something outside the camera’s angle. Honestly it was a really good image. It captured his facial features well. He wore a ball cap backward and sunglasses. The guy was just handsome.
“They’re asking for a million in Bitcoin.”
What? My brain exploded, fragments launching every direction before zooming back together again. “For what? They’d likely get a few thousand dollars for the pictures on the market.” I discarded my coffee cup on the counter and tried to wrap my brain around a million in Bitcoin. “Hell, post the fucking pictures. Screw it. Let’s get ahead of this. Do it on my terms. And I want every motherfucker on this property investigated. This has to be an inside job.”
“Drones are a problem,” Tommy said. I’d thought about that option. A drone was likely used in many of these pictures, but the twelve to fifteen employees in my day-to-day life knew I was protective of Mace. Whoever caused this drama aimed their arrow at me. A million in Bitcoin. Hell, I’d shout it to the heavens and back that I was gay and Mace was my partner. Fuck them.
I went for one of the windows, staring out at the patio and the pasture beyond. My new herd roamed in the distance. Willow was out there with them. Sometimes I wondered if she thought she was one of the herd.