Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 84635 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 423(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84635 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 423(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
I shot him a dirty look.
Undeterred, he continued. “In fact, someone might go so far as to say I was being a true friend.”
“It was a blow job not a bullet.”
Madison and Hailey hugged again. The impact knocked Hailey back a step and she tripped over her long gown. Greyson, who had been watching her closely, launched forward to catch her.
She cast him a shy smile as he kissed the top of her head. His hand lingered, caressing her back for a moment, before he returned to stand by me.
I raised an eyebrow. “So it’s like that?”
He crossed his arms again. “Shut up.”
I shrugged a shoulder. “I’m just saying…I never thought…”
He nodded toward Madison. “You’re one to talk.”
“She’s part of the plan.”
“So it’s part of the plan to watch her like she’s your last meal?”
I tilted my head to the side as my gaze traveled over Madison. Fuck, she looked stunning. It had been a chaotic two days to say nothing of the last few weeks. She was standing there in a borrowed dress ready to take part in a shotgun wedding and she was still easily the most beautiful woman in the room. I sighed. “No. You’re right. Nothing about her was part of the plan.”
Both women laughed.
It was such a pure sound. I’d never get tired of hearing it.
“So it’s like that,” he said.
“It’s like that.”
“Good.”
“Good?”
“If she’s anything like Hailey, she is precisely what you deserved.”
As if on cue, Hailey turned toward us.
The laughter stopped.
She lowered her head and gathered her skirt in her hands like a bull ready to charge. “You entitled piece of shit, twatwaffle, asshat, dumbass, twatwaffle…” Sweeping her arm out she snatched one of a pair of Murano glass bowls from a side table and raised it over her head as she stormed toward me.
Greyson swooped in. Arm around her waist, he wrenched the priceless piece of art from her hand. “I forgot to warn you. She likes to throw shit.” He pressed Hailey closer to his front as he nuzzled her ear. “You said twatwaffle twice, sweetheart.”
“He deserves it. How dare you!”
I glanced at Madison who stood behind her friend. “I know.”
“How dare you fuck with my friend’s life and now you’re using her as fucking bait? How dare you!”
“I know.”
Madison stepped forward and stroked Hailey’s arm. “Hailey, it’s all right.”
Hailey shrugged her off. “It’s not all right and it won’t be all right until I get you away from this dipshit, assgoblin, dickhead.”
I mouthed “assgoblin” to Madison.
She smiled and shrugged.
“Are you done? Because we’re late to start the wedding that will trap my dear brother who is at this moment actively trying to kill us all.”
Hailey swiped the matching Murano bowl and raised it high. “I swear to God, I’m going to save him the trouble and kill you myself.”
“Just make sure you don’t get blood splatter on that wedding dress. I haven’t given up hope of wearing it one day.”
We all turned to see Skylar standing at the end of the corridor.
CHAPTER 59
SKYLAR
Both men turned to block my view of the women.
It was a simple gesture, hardly worth noticing. And yet I did.
When had a man ever wanted to protect me?
My gaze moved from Pierce to Greyson. Both flawed but good men.
Perhaps it wasn’t all about the man.
Madison and her violent friend stared back at me from over the men’s shoulders.
Perhaps I needed to work harder to be the type of woman worth protecting.
I met Pierce’s glare. “You look well.”
Madison stepped around him. “No thanks to you, you psychopathic bitch.”
Pierce swept his arm out and pushed her behind him. Turning his back on me, he cupped her jaw and whispered in her ear before kissing her cheek. Whatever he said, she calmed before giving him a soft smile.
I wasn’t used to the emotion, but damn if I wasn’t feeling something close to jealousy.
Pierce turned his attention back to me. “Good evening, Skylar. I see you got our invitation.”
I reached into my purse and pulled it out. I smoothed the wrinkles and flipped it over in my hand as I looked between him and it. “The same invitations I chose for our wedding. Nice touch.”
“Well, you did try to kill me, so consider us even.”
“I didn’t try to kill you.”
Technically that wasn’t true. I had no idea Jameson had sent me in with a knockout drug and not straight-up poison. I thought I’d killed him, but he didn’t need to know that.
Madison stiffened behind Pierce. He reached behind him for her hand in yet another annoyingly sweet and protective gesture. “Come again?”
I cleared my throat as I broke his gaze. “I said I didn’t try to kill you. The poison was only meant to put you in a coma.”
Pierce glanced at Greyson who shrugged. “News to me. As far as I knew you were dead to rights.”