Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 149338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
And it took everything inside me not to tell her I loved her more than anything in this world at the same exact moment.
My phone rang, breaking through her plaguing thoughts. I grabbed it out of my suit pocket, putting a finger out in front of me before I turned to answer it.
“Habla,” I ordered, “Talk,” walking out onto the balcony, shutting the door behind me.
“Boss, there’s this girl at the strip club. She says she needs to talk to you. She won’t fucking leave. She’s adamant about seeing you, and only you.”
“Get rid of her.”
“I tried, she—”
“I don’t give a flying fuck, get rid of her, or I’ll get rid of you.”
“Her name is—”
I hung up, placing my vibrating phone back into my pocket. I walked back inside, ignoring the calls. Waiting not-so-patiently to hear the two words that would forever change my niece’s life, in ways I never expected, and would spend the rest of my life trying to make up for.
“I’m in.”
I nodded and left.
Getting into my limo, pouring myself a glass of whiskey to take the edge off what I had just done. We still had to make a few more stops on my way back to the strip club, lining everything up for the coming weeks. Needing to meet with some partners, to let them know Austin was taking over Briggs’ territory.
Effective immediately.
My head was fucking pounding by the time I walked through the back entrance of the club and into my office. I sank down into my leather chair, placing my elbows on the desk, instantly resting my head in the palms of my hands. Contemplating if I was doing the right thing by putting Austin in charge. My thoughts plagued my mind day and night, one right after the other. So unforgiving and malicious, punishing me for intervening in my niece’s life once again.
Power changed people, but I figured it might have been in Briggs’ best interest if she saw the truth beneath the fiction. Or at least that’s what I told myself.
The commotion from the hallway outside of my door broke my concentration, dissolving my conflicting thoughts. I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my fingers back and forth over my mouth. Trying to overhear the voices getting closer and closer to my door.
“I know he’s here! I saw him get out of his limo and sneak in through the back! This is bullshit! I’m talking to him whether he likes it or not. I’ve spent all day here, and I don’t have any more time to waste.”
The uproar came closer and closer.
“Ma’am!” Rick shouted after her.
“I told you to stop calling me that! My name is Lexi! L-e-x-i!”
I grinned, amused. Shaking my head, the fucking girl still had brass balls. I couldn’t help but wonder if she was here because she had grown a pair of tits and her ass filled out. It had been three years since I last saw the little spitfire and my cock was more than eager to see what waited behind the closed door.
My demeanor quickly changed as soon as I watched her barge into my office without a care in the world, especially for the pissed off man sitting behind the desk.
“Well, well, well, look at what we have here. Have you ever heard of a goddamn phone?” I asked, cocking my head to the side. Taking Lexi in.
Rick ran in after her, out of breath. “I’m sorry, boss. I—”
“Leave us,” I ordered in a harsh, demanding tone. Waving him away with my hand.
He apprehensively nodded, taking his sweet ass time to leave. I resisted the urge to tell him to move fucking faster. Shutting the door behind him, not a moment too soon.
Lexi swallowed hard as soon as he left, stepping further into my office. Looking from me over to the chair in between us, silently requesting permission to sit down. I didn’t grant her any leniency. She sure as hell didn’t deserve it. She should have known better than to barge into my office like an un-caged animal. She must have forgotten who she was dealing with, and I was fully prepared to fucking remind her.
But mostly, I just wanted to fuck with her. She made it so damn easy.
I glared at her with a predatory regard, placing my feet up on my desk one by one, and leaning back further into my chair, slowly, sensually rubbing my thumb over my lips. Visually making her extremely uncomfortable, as my eyes wandered over her body. It would take an idiot not to realize that Lexi didn’t like being admired, like most girls with her appearance would.
I didn’t give a fuck. I wanted to look at her, so I did. She was no longer a little girl, for damn sure. Her dark brown hair was longer, cascading all the way down the sides of her face and shoulders. Soft curls dwindling at the ends, accentuating the silky allure it still had to it. She was wearing thick, black eyeliner, emphasizing her intense green eyes that were trying to stare directly into my soul.