Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 43071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 215(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 215(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
Kevlar held the older one firmly in place, as I silently approached him. My gaze was icy calm and deadly. “That is unacceptable.”
Before he could form a word, I delivered a swift kick to his knee, feeling the satisfying crunch as his leg buckled and gave way. A strangled scream broke from his lips, and I smiled coldly. With a flick of my eyes, Kevlar let go of the jackass crying like a little pussy. He started to collapse, but I caught him by the throat and yanked him up before he hit the pavement. My fingers tightened, squeezing his windpipe until his eyes bulged.
“Tell your boss to back the fuck off,” I warned, every word laced with barely controlled rage. “Trust me, they don’t want the Hounds of Hellfire coming after them.”
His eyes widened further, panic flaring as his hands clawed weakly at my fingers.
I leaned closer, my voice dropping even lower. “And they really don’t want me coming after them if they even think about threatening my woman again.”
His face turned a mottled shade of red, and I felt him begin to lose consciousness. Finally, I loosened my grip just enough to let him gasp for air before his eyes rolled back and he sagged into oblivion. I dropped him like the garbage he was, letting his body crumple to the ground.
I turned back to the young one, his face pale and sweat beading on his forehead as Cross kept a firm grip on his arm. His eyes darted between Kevlar and me, clearly terrified. Good. He fucking should be.
Pulling my pistol from the waistband of my jeans, I racked it, then pressed the cold barrel against his forehead.
His eyes widened in panic, tears streaming down his face as he began to beg, his voice shaking uncontrollably. “Please, man. Don’t. We just—”
“Stay the fuck out of my perimeter,” I growled, cutting him off as I pressed the barrel harder into his skin. Before he could blink, I clocked him with the butt of my pistol, knocking him out cold. Cross released his grip, letting the guy drop to the pavement in a limp heap.
For a long moment, none of us moved or spoke. The silence was deafening, filled only by the harsh sound of our breathing. Kevlar finally broke the tension, nudging the younger guy’s body with his boot before he looked up at me.
“Think they’ll deliver your message?”
“They better.” My voice was tight, fury still simmering beneath the surface. “Otherwise, next time we won’t leave them breathing.”
Cross grunted his agreement, a humorless smirk twisting his lips. “I’m sure you’ll get the chance to feed them a bullet eventually.”
I shot him a dry look. “I’m counting on it.”
Kevlar snorted, glancing around at the deserted parking lot. “Gonna tell Echo to keep an eye on the building, just in case they decide to fuck around again.”
“Thanks.” I slipped my gun back into the waistband of my jeans, flexing my fingers slowly, the satisfaction of retribution not nearly enough to quell my rage completely. “Let’s get the fuck outta here.”
As we headed toward our bikes, adrenaline still coursed through my veins. But when my thoughts shifted to Poppy, the sharp edges to my emotions softened a little. She was safe—for now—but the threat was still there, lingering at the edges of my consciousness. And I wouldn’t rest until every last trace of it had been destroyed.
15
POPPY
Iwoke up feeling like I was on a boat rocking in choppy water, not in bed with Colter. One second, I was dreaming about his hands on me, and the next, I was bolting upright, my hand clamped over my mouth and scrambling off the mattress so fast the sheets tangled around my ankles. I barely made it to the bathroom before all my dinner from last night along with a good amount of bile came spewing out of my mouth.
Colter held my hair through the worst of it, his body warm against my back as I knelt on the cool tile floor.
When it was finally over, I collapsed against him in an exhausted heap. If he hadn’t been there, I would’ve sprawled on the floor with how heavy my body felt. “I’m so tired.”
Fatigue had been creeping in for days, but I’d blamed it on swapping sleep for sex too often.
“C’mon, baby. Let me help you get cleaned up and back to bed.”
Colter lifted me off the floor and set me on the counter. Feeling a little woozy, I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my cheek against his bare chest, right over his tattoo of the ace of spades.
With his help, I rinsed my mouth and brushed my teeth without gagging too much. Then he wiped my face with a damp washcloth and pulled my hair into a ponytail. “Better?”
“A little.” He set me on my feet, and I groaned when the room felt like it tilted. “Think I caught something. Stomach bug maybe.”