Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 139088 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 695(@200wpm)___ 556(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139088 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 695(@200wpm)___ 556(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
“Knox should have never pulled that lunatic stunt. Nancy told me that Stella told her that Mace is beside himself. Knox broke the numero uno rule. Whether it’s personal shit that’s iffy or work shit that’s iffy, you do not go in alone.” (Jess.)
I felt so much pressure in my head, I was pretty certain it was going to explode.
He went in alone?
I thought…
No, I assumed since they knew who shot Knox, it was because he’d had someone with him.
I had no idea he went into whatever this nightmare was alone.
Alone!
Even the Angels, who were self-taught at this avenging stuff, knew better than to pull a stunt like that.
“Fortunately, he’s sidelined for the next six to eight weeks while he recovers. His penance for doing something that boneheaded.” (Raye.)
“But…why would he do it in the first place?” (Jess.)
Good question! (Me.)
“He said he was protecting them. I get it, he doesn’t want them on these people’s radar. He doesn’t want any beefs. I could see he thought this was his deal and he had to handle it himself. It was still a faulty play.” (Raye.)
“You got that right, sister.” (Jess.)
And she did have it right! (Me.)
I felt eyes on me, turned and saw Lucia, our supremely talented chef, staring at me with brows raised.
Lucia was quiet, kept to herself and her world of herbs, spices, salt, fat, acid and heat, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t speak, and I didn’t need her narcing about my eavesdropping.
So I put a finger to my lips, retreated a few steps, then called loudly, “Later, Lucia,” as I resumed my stroll to the staff room.
She rolled her eyes.
“Yo, bitches,” I said when I entered, totes proud of myself it came out calm and easy and not like I felt.
Like finding a certain hot guy and ripping him a new asshole for being so damned stupid.
“Hey, Loon. You heading out?” Jess asked, all calm and easy too.
Damn, we were getting good at prevarication.
I wasn’t sure that was a good thing.
I nodded. “Got a couple of hours to kill then I’m going over to Dream’s to babysit so she can go out and heal her chakras.”
I’d told them of my mission to sort things once and for all with my older sister.
The results of this sharing were as follows.
Raye: a huff and crossing her arms on her chest. No words. She let her actions share she thought I was wasting my time. This didn’t bode well seeing as she’d known Dream the longest and had spent a lot more time with her.
Harlow: a little clap with a bounce and “I think that’s really a good idea, Loon. I mean, she opened the door, I’m glad you’re not going to let her close it.”
Jess: “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Shanti: “Some psychologist needs to do a study on how hard we work to keep the family ties binding, even when it’s emotionally better to let them slip away. Oh wait. They have. And the buzzwords that came from that are avoiding toxicity.”
Hmph.
Willow: “I guess we all have our breaking point. You just haven’t reached yours yet.”
Joey and Gemma weren’t around when I’d shared.
In other words, the majority weren’t fired up about my mission, and I figured Gemma would be in Harlow’s (and my) camp, and Joey would be wondering, like Shanti, if I needed my head examined.
But now, I had two hours.
Two hours I knew what I was going to do with.
And it wasn’t killing time.
It was verbally slaying a wounded badass.
I stowed my server apron, got my bag, said goodbye to the chicks and headed to my Prius.
And although one part of my brain was stating plain this was not a sterling idea, the other part heard Knox’s voice in that hospital bed, all fragile, his real family in the waiting room, worried like hell about him, and he may have made the decision about us…
But that didn’t mean there wasn’t an us that if he wasn’t a stubborn, chauvinistic ass, right now, he’d be relationship-bound to listen to me ream him.
I decided I was going to live in that alternate universe for a while, so he was too.
I drove home first so I could take Jacques on a quick walk. I then contemplated taking Jacques with me because Jacques was almost always with Knox and me when we were together. He adored Knox, Knox adored him. It would be a treat for both of them.
But I decided I needed focus, therefore, that meant no Jacques (my poor boy).
So next, I drove to Knox’s condo, which was a non-descript two-story townhouse in a small development that had decent security (in other words, it was gated) and no personality.
I used to tease him about this.
Another thing about Knox that I’d fallen in love with.
He was Teflon when it came to someone giving him shit.