Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80957 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80957 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Holt thrust deeper inside me, and as I tightened around him, he let out a growl and then quickened his pace. His control shattered, and unable to restrain himself any longer, he drove into me with hard, steady strokes. I fought to catch my breath as I felt my climax approaching. My entire body jolted and shook as my orgasm crashed through me.
I continued to tighten around his throbbing cock until he found his own release. His body collapsed on top of mine, exhausted and sweaty. I loved how Holt felt pressed against my bare skin, buried deep inside me. He took a moment to catch his breath and then rolled over to settle next to me on the bed.
Neither of us spoke. Instead, we just lay there, listening to the sounds of our breathing slow, and it wasn’t long before Holt whispered, “Ford was worried about you.”
“I figured he was.” I rolled over and placed my head on Holt’s chest. “What did you tell him?”
“Not to worry, that I was going to bring you home.”
“And you did.”
“Yeah, but you’re still gonna need to talk to him and make sure he’s good.”
“I will. I think it’s time we told him about you, too.”
“I agree. Need to tell him about moving, too.”
“So, you meant that, huh?”
“Absolutely.”
“What about my pottery shop?”
“You can keep it.” Holt toyed with my hair as he said, “I’ll have a couple of the girls help you out so you can spend more time at home with Ford.”
“That would be nice, but what girls are you talking about?”
“A couple of the hang-arounds or a few from the Vault. Most of them have more than one job and would be open to having a little quiet time in a pottery shop.”
“The Vault. Hang-arounds?”
“Yeah, we have a lot of catching up to do.”
“We most certainly do, and we will. But first, let’s go check on Ford. Once we know he’s okay, we have some other things to discuss.”
“Other things?”
“Like I said before,” his tone became firm as he said, “There are things we have to talk about.”
“Yeah.” I grimaced. “It’s going to be bad, isn’t it?”
“Some of it, but it’s a means to an end.” He leaned over and kissed me on the forehead. “Get dressed.”
With that, he tossed the covers back and got out of bed. I didn’t want to move. I was happy and content in his bed, and I knew what waited for us outside of this room would change things. But I had Holt, and as long as I had him, I could make it through anything.
23
SEVEN
“But how could you just leave him there?” I could still hear her voice, the sharp edge of betrayal cutting through every word. “He’s my brother, and I know you’ve had your differences, but there was a time when he was your best friend?”
“It wasn’t my choice to make.”
She’d looked at me like I was someone she didn’t recognize, like I was some kind of monster, and she could barely stand to breathe the same air as me. And maybe she was right.
Maybe I was a monster.
But I’d done what I had to do.
Rooks was a dead man the second he tried to steal from the Volkovs. The club lived by the same code. So, I got it. I understood why they wouldn’t let him get away with it. They had to set an example so no one else would think they could get away with doing the same.
Still feeling the weight of Tallie’s glare, I ran my hand down my face and sighed. I hated seeing her so upset with me. Hell, her entire body trembled with anger and heartbreak. I hadn’t even tried to defend myself. There was no point. Nothing I could say would’ve taken her hurt away. She had to process it on her own, and once she did, she’d see that I’d had no other choice.
“He had consequences to face.”
“Consequences for what?” she gasped. “He didn’t have anything to do with any of this.”
“But he did.” I tried to keep my tone calm as I told her, “He tried to steal their money, but that was only after he’d tried to steal your father’s.”
“What?” she gasped. “But why?”
I should’ve broken it to her gently.
I should’ve found a way to soften the blow, but she needed to know the facts. And there was no gentle way to say, “His business had gone south, and he was looking for a way out.”
She didn’t respond, but I could see the wheels turning in her head. She was starting to piece it together. “So, he asked Dad for money, and he wouldn’t give it to him?”
“That’s right, so Rooks decided to take it.”
The realization hit her all at once. Her face went pale as she muttered, “Oh, God. Please tell me he didn’t have something to do with Dad’s death.”