Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 143382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 717(@200wpm)___ 574(@250wpm)___ 478(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 143382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 717(@200wpm)___ 574(@250wpm)___ 478(@300wpm)
Though, this guy had bulk Mace did not have, all of it muscle, which Mace did have, just not as much of it.
He was also spectacularly good looking. Like, take your breath away. There was maybe some Latino in him; his hair was dark, his skin was olive, and his eyes were a crystalline amber that almost didn’t seem real.
If I wasn’t saving my nighties for Eric, I’d so totally go there.
“I take it you’re Mountain,” I sniped.
He grinned, big and white, and no one but me would ever know, because I was never going to breathe a word, but that grin was so good, no matter the shitty mood I was in, my clitoris tingled.
“My friends call me Javi,” he shared.
So I was right about the Latino.
“I have a bone to pick with you,” I declared.
Jeff stepped between us and stated, “No, you don’t.”
I looked to my brother. “I know you’re not hiding anything from him, so you can just step aside while I have a few words with Generalissimo Hot Guy here.”
Javi chuckled.
Hang on a second.
He thought I was amusing?
I glared at him.
“I’m fine, Jess,” Jeff asserted, and my attention shifted back to him. “So you don’t have to worry.”
“Well, thanks so much for sharing that info after I searched high and low for you for six months, talked to the police, badgered your friends, forged a friendship with Homer, the King of the Homeless Camp, and yeah…” I saved the best for last. “I was forced to have several conversations with Mom and Dad.”
He knew how much that sucked, but he didn’t even flinch.
He just said, “I’m not five. I can look after myself.”
Here we go.
“And you’re here because I have a few things to say to you,” Jeff went on.
“Lay it on me,” I invited, but I wasn’t done. “So you can get over it, and I can share the not-so-few things I have to say to you.”
“You have to stop with the Angels business,” he decreed.
“Oh yeah? I’ll one up you. You have to stop with this Shadow Soldier business,” I retorted.
Jeff shook his head. “I’ve been trained. I know what I’m doing. I have men around me who know what they’re doing. You have none of that shit,” he shot back.
“No offense,” I said to Javi, then to Jeff, “but my concern remains unassuaged that some vigilante street gang trained you in their vigilante street law missions.”
“No offense taken,” Javi murmured, still sounding amused.
I shot him another glare.
I moved it to Jeff when he started talking.
“We know what we’re doing,” Jeff retorted.
“I’ve heard. Mad respect,” I aimed that last at Javi, then I went back to Jeff. “But lest we forget, you have a certain issue that makes this kind of shit dangerous for you. Or, more dangerous than it already just is.”
“It’s managed.”
Could a head actually explode?
“Managed?” I whispered. “Managed?” I shouted.
“Keep your voice down,” Jeff hissed.
“Fuck that, fuck this, and fuck your hood and zip ties. I mean, what the hell was that?” I demanded.
“I asked Javi to do that so you’d see how vulnerable you are.”
“Sorry to disappoint you, but it didn’t make me feel vulnerable. It pissed me off.”
“Only you could get pissed when someone kidnaps you from a parking lot,” Jeff muttered.
“Jeff, let’s try to focus here,” I suggested impatiently.
“I am focused, Jess. I got your message.” He put his hands out to his sides. “As you can see, I’m fine. Stop worrying. Stop trawling homeless camps in the middle of the fucking night. Stop hanging with hookers—”
Boy, they’d been watching us, for certain.
“Sex workers,” I corrected.
“Whatever,” he replied.
“Not whatever. They’re my friends. And I’m older than you, and all grown up, so you can’t tell me what I can and can’t do.”
“I’m all grown up too, Jessie, not that you ever noticed.”
I snapped my mouth shut, wounded.
My brother didn’t seem to realize he’d cut me.
He asked, “Can you imagine what it feels like to have everyone fucking taking care of you all the fucking time? Especially you. Your whole life, all you seemed to be about is getting in my shit. You live and breathe to take care of me like I’m still a kid, and you need to get the fuck over it.”
I swayed back at the power of that blow.
“Brother,” Javi said in a low, dude, uncool voice.
Jeff visibly reined it in.
But the damage was done.
Because, I’ll remind you, I was stubborn and could hold a grudge.
And this grudge was fixing to last the rest of my days.
I looked beyond him to Javi. “Am I free to leave?”
“They’re comin’ for you,” he replied, and to Jeff. “Means we gotta bounce, man.”
“Who’s coming for me?” I asked.
“The Nightingale men,” Javi said. “They track your car. They also track your phone.”
My phone?
“It’s a good neighborhood, they’ll find you in here, but you can wait on the sidewalk,” Javi continued as he and Jeff made a move toward the door.