Total pages in book: 180
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
He’d stopped her from reading?
As long as Slade had known her, she’d loved reading. It was her escape from the world and all of her worries.
Although he was hoping that the four of them could be her safe haven. When she was with them she’d be able to forget all of her worries because they’d take care of them all.
The sooner they got her back into their penthouse, the better.
It was going to happen.
She would be theirs.
And everyone would just have to get with the fucking program or he would start knocking a few heads together.
Slade: Fucking bastard. We’re about to meet with Shepherd about finding him.
Spencer: When we do, I want a piece of him.
“That’s surprising,” Quaid said as he slid into the booth next to him, his phone in his hand.
“What is?” Slade asked as he tapped out a new message on the group chat.
“Spencer wanting a piece of someone.”
That was true.
Spencer was the least likely to lose his temper or to encourage violence. Some of the guys at boarding school thought that made him weak. They’d used that and the way he dressed as excuses to pick on him.
They’d had to teach those assholes the error of their ways. No one fucked with someone that Slade considered family.
And these three plus Indie . . . they were his.
Slade: How did she take you staying the night?
He glanced up as a well-dressed, dark-haired man slid into the booth next to him.
James Churchill had more money than God. Easily the richest guy at their school and people had fawned after him.
Which he’d hated.
Slade had hated him for the first three years of high school. He’d thought the other guy was a pompous jerk.
He kind of was.
But he was also loyal and a good fighter. One day, Slade and Spencer had been cornered by eight guys who’d taken exception to something, he couldn’t remember what. Church had been coming past and fought his way into the fray to help them. From that day on, Church and his two best friends, Ramsay and Angus had been their friends.
Spencer: She didn’t even argue. It’s . . . weird. She got all teary-eyed when I put fluffy socks on her feet and since then she’s barely spoken. Did I fuck up? Again? Maybe Rock should have stayed.
Fuck.
Why would that upset her?
Rock: She’s probably overwhelmed. It’s likely been a long time since someone took care of her.
Fuck.
Slade ran his hand over his face.
Slade: Just don’t leave her. And find out what the doctor has to say. If she has to stay any longer, she’s going to a private hospital.
He glanced over as Rock slid into the booth next to Quaid. They both nodded to him and he set his phone down as Ramsey and Angus joined them. They were twins. They had dark red hair and were built large.
The last one to slide in was Shepherd. He was quieter, built slimmer than the others. His clothes were always a bit rumpled as though he never folded anything, just threw it on the floor.
“What’s going on?” Shepherd asked. “Is this a meeting of the Famous Five? But wait, there’s six of you. Where’s number seven?”
Slade shot Shepherd a look. “Not in the mood for your mouth.”
Shepherd leaned back in the booth with a shit-eating grin on his face as Quaid groaned quietly.
Fuck.
If he was hoping to get Shepherd to shut up he’d just done the wrong thing.
Shepherd opened his mouth to stir more shit, but Quaid leaned forward and looked at him. “Not today.”
Shepherd raised his eyebrows. “Not today?”
Quaid shook his head and to Slade’s shock, Shepherd sat back and gave them all a serious look. “What is it?”
“Indie,” Quaid said.
“Indie?” Ramsay asked in his Scottish accent. “What about Indie? Isn’t she with that eejit Billy? Can’t stand that fuckin’ prick.”
“He beat her,” Slade told them.
The other men all stiffened, fury filling their faces.
“What?” Shepherd asked, his face serious now. “Beat her?”
“And she’s pregnant,” Slade added. “With his baby.”
“He what?” Ramsey asked hotly.
“He’s a manipulative, abusive bastard. And I want him found.”
“I’ll find him,” Shepherd promised darkly. “We’ll make sure that bastard pays.”
“Where is she?” Ramsey asked. “In the hospital? Does she need somewhere to stay after she’s released?”
“We have room at our place,” Angus added. Both of them on the same page as usual.
A rush of anger filled Slade. Why were they offering Indie a place to stay?
“She’s going to stay with us,” Quaid said coldly. There was no room for argument in his tone.
But he still noticed the way the twins glanced at each other.
“What?” Slade snapped.
“Thought you believed that the wee one betrayed you,” Ramsey said, crossing his arms over his massive chest. “Wasn’t that what ye said? That she’d sold you out to the enemy? Namely Billy.”
“That’s what we thought happened.” Slade didn’t like having to admit that he’d been wrong. But he also didn’t want these guys to think badly of Indie.