Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 115886 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115886 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Hurt flashed across Thea’s face. “After our shared experiences, you don’t think of me as family?”
“No. You could have been one of us, but you chose to go your own way. You built your own family, and if you want to keep that family safe—namely, Lane—you need to buck the fuck up and stop doing things that put him at risk. In other words, you need to keep a low profile as you were instructed to do. You should be putting your son’s safety before your apparent need to meddle in Keenan’s affairs.”
Thea’s hand balled up into a fist, but she took in a breath and blanked her expression. “You’re right,” she said with forced calm. “I was being selfish. It won’t happen again.”
“And you understand exactly what will happen if you do?”
“I understand.”
“Good. You’re dismissed.”
Thea pushed out of her chair and looked at Keenan. “Do you love her?”
Keenan felt his brow crease. Tired, he sighed. “You really want to know the answer to that question?”
“I wouldn’t have asked it if I didn’t. Do you?” she pushed.
Well, he wasn’t going to lie to spare her feelings. “Yeah, I love her.”
Thea flinched. “She makes you happy?”
“Yes.”
She swallowed hard. “Then I hope things work out for the two of you.”
“They will.” Keenan would do everything in his power to ensure that they did.
Keeping her chin up, Thea walked out of the boardroom and closed the door behind her. Glad she was gone, his inner demon rolled back its shoulders.
Tanner looked at Keenan. “It’s a good thing we had that talk with her, because my gut says she had plans to come between you and Khloé in whatever ways she could. She’ll back off now that she knows she has nothing to gain from it.”
“I don’t know about that.” Larkin braced her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her hand. “I mean, she had nothing to gain from fucking up the fling he was having all those years ago, but she did it anyway.”
Levi nodded. “Jealousy can make a person do the weirdest shit. But she’s more likely to bide her time and lure us into thinking she’s letting it go.”
“Either way, she won’t get near Khloé again,” said Keenan. “I won’t allow it.”
“None of us will allow it—she’s your mate; that means something to us.” Knox tilted his head. “How hard do you think it will be to convince Khloé to join our lair?”
Keenan grimaced. “I don’t know. She’d have Harper and Devon here, but she’s very close to Ciaran and Jolene; she wouldn’t easily agree to leave them.”
“I really don’t think Khloé would ask you to move to her lair—she knows you; knows how close you are to each of us and that it would take something out of you to give up your position here,” said Larkin. “But she’ll find it hard to leave her lair. Maybe you could come up with some kind of compromise.”
“Compromise?” echoed Keenan.
The harpy rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to say it with dread. Yes, a compromise. Maybe you could agree to move into her house so that she’s still close to her family. Then she won’t feel as though she’s truly leaving them if she switches to our lair. It’ll just be more like she’s answering to a different Prime.”
“It’s a good idea,” said Tanner. “You could tighten the security around her house, Keenan. A few of our lair members live in and around that neighborhood, so you wouldn’t feel all alone out there.”
“But I would be surrounded by imps,” said Keenan.
“The good thing about imps, though, is that they only cause trouble for outsiders,” Tanner pointed out. “If they consider you one of theirs, they’ll protect and defend you. Being Khloé’s mate, they’ll consider you one of them even though you answer to Knox.”
“That’s true,” conceded Keenan. If it was the only way to get her to agree to move to his lair, he’d do it. “I’ll talk with her about it later. Right now, my main worry is the infection that’s slowly killing her.”
Larkin leaned forward. “You’re not going to lose her, Keenan.”
“I know I’m not.” But he was living minute to minute in fear that he would.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Now that the studio was ready to be closed, Khloé began gathering her things together. She’d no sooner slipped on her jacket than Keenan stalked inside, oozing as much sex and smolder and sin as always. Her demon instantly perked up and, of course, her hormones let out dreamy sighs.
He exchanged greetings with everyone as he made a beeline for her. Pulling her into his arms, he pressed a soft kiss to her mouth. “How was your day?”
Khloé splayed her hands on his hard chest. “I almost drove Devon to tears, so very good—she’s a tough nut to crack, in an emotional sense.” She tilted her head. “What about you?”