Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
A gasp chokes from my lips, and my blood solidifies when he strokes the pad of his finger down my cheek. “Ronaldo’s?” he asks, holding up the digit, a smear of blood now coloring the tip.
“No.” The corners of my lips curl into a satisfied smile. “But they both bled the same color and cried for their life.” I’m antagonizing, but it’s the only weapon I have. This man is danger. It oozes off him. We fucked up at Flesh. There’s no going back in time to change it.
“What a dilemma you’ve created,” Aire tuts, strolling over to Leo, brushing his shoulders like he’s a friend, not the dead guy he butchered.
“The girl is off limits. You can do what you want with Zane,” Animal pipes in, Jameson ready to explode.
“No.” I pull at Rage’s arms restraining me but get nowhere. “Leave him alone. I’ll do whatever you want.”
“She intrigues me,” Aire says, aiming the statement at Jameson.
“You heard Prez,” Jameson grunts. Koyn moves from the stall he’s sitting on to stand beside Animal.
“The girl is one of us,” Loki adds, cutting his gaze to me and winking. It’s been a couple years since I’ve seen him, when we took out Fisher, but he hasn’t changed. Still gorgeous and deadly.
There’s a shift in the atmosphere. A tense fog builds, infecting everyone. If Aire wants to inflict pain on me, this will be war. I brought this on us. After everything this club has been through, I’ve been selfish and reckless.
“Why don’t we let her choose?” Aire offers, pointing to me as he surveys the room. In two strides, he’s back in my face, the scent of power shrouding me. “I’ll make you a deal. Give me a year.” My gaze snags on the movement of his mouth. “You can pay back your debt by working for me.”
“You’re not fucking taking her,” Jameson growls.
Rage shoves me behind him and juts his chin toward Zane. “Take the boy.”
“No, I’ll do it!” I call out.
“The fuck you will,” Jameson barks, waltzing over to where Aire is standing. “You get Zane. Make him work or kill him, I don’t care. It will be over my dead body you take Lily out of here.”
“I’d rather it not be,” Aires states, not showing an ounce of fear despite being outnumbered. This man is pure confidence, nothing like Ronaldo’s arrogance.
“I’ll give you a day to decide.” Aire pulls a cloth from the pocket of his slacks, wipes the blood from his cheek, then tosses it on Leo’s corpse.
“Zane goes free,” I call out, winding my body from behind Rage.
“Lily, no,” Jameson breathes, grabbing for my wrist. I twist out of his hold.
“You don’t get to tell me what I do. I’m an adult. I make my own decisions,” I tell him. Turning my attention back to Aire, I state, “No harm comes to Zane, and I’ll do it. One year.”
“One year.” He holds out his hand, and I slip mine into it, ignoring the electricity zapping through my palm. “I’ll be back for you in two hours. I think you’ll like New York.”
I pace my bedroom floor, staring at Zane as Monroe stitches the gash on his head. “Your brother is beside himself, Lily.” There’s a softness in her voice that comes from being a healer. I’m glad Jameson has her.
“It’s a year. He could use the break,” I scoff.
“Don’t ever say that.”
“At least I’m breathing. Aire could have killed me.”
“He would have had to go through every brother here.”
“Exactly. I’m not being the cause of that.”
She dabs around the stitches to clean the tiny dots of blood then throws her equipment back into her bag and gets to her feet. “He’s going to have one hell of a headache, but he’ll live.”
“That’s the least of his problems.” Seeing Leo murdered…it’s going to haunt him. He’ll want revenge and be entitled to it.
She pats my shoulder, and I cover her hand with mine.
“One year,” I whisper.
The door clicks closed with her exit, and I take up the space beside Zane, resting my head on his chest, absorbing his warmth, counting the soft beats of his heart. Movement shifts beneath me. A groan rumbles up his throat.
“Zane?” I murmur, sitting up.
He blinks his eyes, lines creasing his brow, tugging at the stitches. “Argh…” he hisses, raising his fingers.
“Don’t touch it.” I drag his hand away and keep hold of it.
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Leo—he killed Leo.”
“Shhh…it’s okay.”
Water wells in his eyes. His chest vibrates. Sitting up, he swings his legs off the bed and snatches his hand from mine, running it through his hair. “I need to bury my brother.”
In the next breath, he’s on his feet, slamming the door open so hard, it bounces off the wall, knocking a mirror to the floor. Shards of glass splinter like confetti.