Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 125248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
God released him. “So, how’s the Ravens treating you?”
“Intensely,” Steele rumbled.
Day’s brows rose. “That sounds ominous.”
“It is,” Steele said, but there was something that sounded almost satisfying in his rough voice. “The Ravens program is doing a lot of good, man. The kind of good I’ve always wanted to do. The kind I was trained for in the Marines. The kind of ethics I worked with on your task force…just with less restrictions.”
“What they got you doing?” Ro asked.
“I’m heading up the Blacks’ shadow division.”
Micheals frowned. “Which means…”
Steele grinned wickedly. “Means if I told you, I’d have to kill ya.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Ro shoved him.
God studied him, before he gripped his shoulder. “As long as you’re good.”
Steele held his gaze. “I’m good.”
That was all God needed to hear.
If his brothers were all right, he was better than all right.
He wasn’t their leader anymore, but he’d always feel a sense of responsibility for their welfare. That habit would forever be too hard to break.
Meridian approached with the rest of his men, and God met him halfway. “Lieutenant.”
God gave him a dry look. “You came to a ranch wedding in a private helicopter.”
“It was quicker.”
“It was dramatic.”
Day came up beside God, gaze moving over Meridian and Ex. “So what’s the plan, boys? You gonna mingle, or should we warn the regular folk not to make direct eye contact?”
Meridian gave an indifferent shrug. “We know how to blend in.”
God turned and went back to the group with the Ravens trailing behind him.
Meridian already knew Fox, and Hart.
Hart shook Meridian’s hand in an extra firm grip, probably remembering the fight they’d had when Meridian had broken into his and Free’s home to steal some classified case information.
Meridan introduced his men to the large crowd that’d inched closer.
“I’m Meridian, this is my partner, Ex.”
Ex gave everyone a lazy salute before he motioned over the server walking around with a tray of shrimp puffs.
Next, he nodded towards the couple dressed in brown. “This is Grace and Mirage.”
Grace inclined his head, and Mirage offered an unusually friendly smile. They were both stunningly handsome, and God realized how few people were privileged enough to see their faces.
“This is Valor and Zorion,” Meridian pointed to the ones wearing the coolest fucking shades of sage and forest green suits he’d ever seen.
Valor’s gaze swept the ranch. “This is a nice spread you got here.”
“Impressive,” Zorion said, his pale green eyes fixed on the tree line. “Do you guys see a lot of hawk species out here? I know there’s like four or five breeds native to this area.”
A woman in a fitted ranch shirt, with Abby embroidered on the right side, drew closer. “We do. We have an aviary in the west pasture.”
Zorion’s attention shifted to her.
“We mostly keep rescues. Eagles and falcons. But we’ve got a red-tailed hawk and a broad-winged too,” she said, thumbing over her shoulder. “There’s still a little time before the ceremony. I’d be happy to show you.”
“Awesome,” Zorion said.
He leaned in and whispered something to his partner, his lips close enough to brush along his jaw, before he left, following Abby.
“And this is Scar, my protégé,” Meridian said. “And his husband, Saint.”
“Don’t hold it against us that we’re wearing white to a wedding,” Saint said with a blinding smile. “Wardrobe didn’t have time to fit us for anything else.”
Fox huffed a laugh. “Um, I guess we won’t then. Welcome to the ranch.”
Dale, nosy bastard that he was, wandered closer with Rid half behind him. “Those are some unique-ass names. So how do y’all know the grooms?”
A tiny silence opened. Fox’s head snapped toward Dale as if he’d wanted to take the question and shove it back into his mouth.
Meridian regarded Dale with a grim expression and a voice as relaxed as any natural-born killer.
“We brutally murdered the men who took Curtis hostage, and Genesis was most grateful.” Meridian lifted one shoulder in a disinterested shrug. “And so here we are.”
The silence that followed was long, weird, almost socially unrecoverable.
Day broke the painful quiet first. He laughed, sharp and sudden, bending forward with one hand braced on God’s arm. Fox went next, then Genesis, and Hart before a confused circle of awkward chuckles moved around them because nobody knew what the hell else to do with an explanation like that.
Dale blinked. “Well, um...”
Rid leaned into him. “I think I need another drink.”
Dale didn’t look away from Meridian. “Me too.”
No one else asked Meridian or his men any more questions.
Saint turned his head toward the distant sound of laughing kids. “Scar.”
“Hmm?” His husband shifted toward him.
“Take me to the animals.”
“Okay.” Scar offered his arm.
The rest of the Ravens drifted toward the bar, ordering drinks, and found a table no one seemed brave enough to approach.
“Curtis is gonna go crazy when he sees them.” Genesis’s face was bright, his nerves showing in the way he kept rubbing his palms against his pants.