Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 150546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 753(@200wpm)___ 602(@250wpm)___ 502(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 150546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 753(@200wpm)___ 602(@250wpm)___ 502(@300wpm)
My hand instinctively moves to my mouth to suppress the bile in my throat.
After steadying my breath, I give up on my bra, leaning over the bathroom sink and squeezing the edge. My head hangs low as I try to block out the noise, and a bead of sweat rolls down the bridge of my nose.
I hadn’t realized how hard I was squeezing my eyes closed until I open them.
A hand grazes the base of my spine and I stiffen. Lifting my head, I meet War’s eyes in the oval mirror. His hair is a mess and all over the place, his neck tattoo obscured by blood. It’s a simple tattoo. The EKC skull logo beneath a city.
We both look like we just stepped off a Tarantino set.
My tongue’s tied.
Words aren’t enough to fill the space that has always been between us. Did we both hold an unspoken rule? Not possible… it couldn’t. He was always clear about how he felt, but then lately…
His knuckles graze my spine as he slowly unclasps my bra.
I wince.
Why is he touching me? And why the fuck is he in my room? All the questions I want to ask him, all of which I don’t.
I let my bra fall to the sink in front of me as he finds me once again in the mirror. His eyes are weak, his lips glistening as if he’d run his tongue over them one too many times. I lose myself in the abysmal cobalt eyes that are lined by ebony lashes. War is beautiful. Almost too pretty if it wasn’t for the fact that his soul had been touched by the Devil. In another life, he’d definitely be some cheesy Instagram model.
“Why’d you kill the stray?” The words leave my mouth in a whisper. I know I’m asking a question he has already answered, but I need to know. When it’s just us.
He removes his hand from my back and a cool shiver breaks out over my skin. “I already told you.”
I slowly turn and he makes no effort to pull away. Whatever he’s got going through his head tonight, it snorted his whole bag of coke. He’s always on edge, but tonight it has been something… more.
I lift my hand up to his chest to push him away slightly, but it rests there instead. I bend my head to scan his tattoos, before looking up into his eyes, mine crossing because he’s so close. With red splatter all over his white shirt and face, my hand continues up to touch his hair, feeling the brittle strands from dried blood.
“Halen?” His soft lips swell around the edges, and when he says the next words, they curve up slightly. “If you ask me to fuck you again, I’m not saying no.”
My heart skips a beat as my eyes fly straight back to his, but it’s hard with his height. “What?”
He strokes the side of my neck with his palm, drawing his finger down just below my ear. “Even with blood on my hands.”
Liquid metal touches my tongue and I release my lip from my teeth. “I forgot about that.”
He doesn’t move. “No, you didn’t.”
He steps back and I hate that the physical distance is minuscule compared to the one I feel inside. His touch burns but I’d turn to ash if it meant he didn’t leave.
His eyes glass over before he swipes the bottom of his lip with his thumb. “He won’t be the last, Halen.”
War
My finger beats against my thigh as I keep my eyes locked on the tarmac outside my window.
“Nah, because I know that y’all aren’t leaving without me!” Baylee announces, widening his arms and waltzing through the cabin doors.
I let out a deep chuckle, fighting an eye roll. “Who the fuck let you on?”
“Well.” He sits opposite me as Priest and Vaden shuffle in behind him. “The old man was talking with Uncle B, so I magically appeared in his car when he was too far to turn around—” His hand flies out to touch the stewardess as she pushes a cart of Dom Perignon. “Can we have two of those, please?” He tilts his head and bites down on his lower lip. “Well, damn. Aren’t you just cute.”
She blushes, pouring the bubbles into his glass and handing us one each. “You say that every time, Baylee. It still doesn’t work.” Alaina brushes past us both.
I chuckle into my champagne.
“One day she’s gonna break.” He adjusts his Rolex on his wrist, holding my stare. Baylee is Bishop’s nephew and Priest and Halen’s first cousin. His dad, Abel, lives outside of the EKC culture, but that doesn’t stop Baylee from making sure he’s on as many runs as possible with us. “What’s the damage this time?”
“Damage?” I ask, raising a brow. I shrug. “Same, same.”
“Well, don’t worry. Y’all know that you don’t have to tell me nothing. You do you and I’mma do me. Fuck, I love Perdita.”