Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 159420 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 797(@200wpm)___ 638(@250wpm)___ 531(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 159420 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 797(@200wpm)___ 638(@250wpm)___ 531(@300wpm)
“Taught you everythin’ you know,” Mars rumbles. “So you ain’t the only one who knows how to do this.”
I grit my jaw.
“And I did think you could handle it, but that was before.”
“Before what?”
“Before she came along.”
I growl like the monster I am, instantly and instinctively, as if protecting my territory. And my body tightens. Heats up, becomes hard and hungry. Ready to attack.
It doesn’t go unnoticed to Mars as he prods, “Again, you wanna tell me somethin’?”
Yeah, stop talking about her.
But I know if I attempted to speak, only a growl would come out again, so I keep silent.
“You know, I don’t agree with what Arsen’s doing,” he continues, studying me carefully. “With his revenge plan. I don’t agree with draggin’ two innocent girls into whatever fuckery he’s come up with. But what I don’t agree with more is him draggin’ you into this. Gettin’ you tangled up in the whole Turner bullshit after everything.”
Eight years ago, Arsen’s life exploded, and the reason for it was the same man who upended my life when I was fifteen: Hank Turner. In anger, Arsen took it upon himself to end Hank Turner’s life. I remember finding out about it. Finding out what Arsen did after the fact, and my very first reaction was anger. It pissed me off, made me furious that it wasn’t me. That I didn’t get to lay my hands on that bastard. It didn’t matter that I couldn’t go after him. That my hands were—are—tied, roped by a promise I’d made a long time ago, I still wanted to be the one to take his life. To look him in the eyes and know he died because of what he had done to my family.
Arsen got put away and now that he’s back, he wants to pick up where he left off. He wants revenge, and he’s willing to go to any lengths to get it, including involving two innocent girls, as Mars put it. Not sure if I should let Mars know that he doesn’t really need to worry about it. Not about one of the girls, at least. Reverie. Ever since Arsen came home with her, he hasn’t been able to keep his eyes off her. I’m not privy to all his thoughts, but from the looks of it, he’s going to have a very hard time trying to hurt the girl he took in the name of revenge.
“I’m fine,” I say at last, my voice still more a growl than anything else.
“All right then.” He nods. “It’s just that if you want me or anyone else to believe that, I’d advise lookin’ at somethin’ else other than her from time to time when she’s in the room.”
I fist my hands at my sides, my knuckles throbbing with the anticipation of more. More violence. More bone splitting bone. “Fuck you.”
He hums. “Don’t blame you. She’s a pretty little thing, but—”
“I’d shut my mouth if I were you.”
His mouth twitches slightly. “That’s what I thought.”
I growl again.
“Down, boy. You’ve got nothin’ to worry about from me.”
To emphasize, he holds up his left hand, showing me his wedding ring. Not sure what he thinks this proves. Married men fuck around all the time. Not that Mars would. He’d kill a man without blinking an eye, but he would never cheat on Haven, despite their unusual marriage.
“We done?” I grunt.
He studies me one last time. “We’re done. If you give me your word you won’t kill this motherfucker.”
I inhale sharply but jerk my chin up at him, agreeing to curb my enthusiasm.
“Go on, then. Get,” Mars orders. “Gotta wrap up here and hit the sack. Got that meetin’ with the Andersons tomorrow.”
“You want me there?”
He shakes his head. “Don’t want you wastin’ your time on a bunch of city folk who think they can ride in and buy our land. To build a fuckin’ casino or condos. Or whatever it is folks from California do.”
The Andersons are businessmen from California who are looking to invest in real estate out here in Montana. Apparently, it’s all about the profit margin, and the Graysons have the most beautiful land there is. They’ve been trying to make a play for it since last year, but Mars isn’t budging. As he shouldn’t. This land has been in the Grayson family for generations. It isn’t up for sale.
Saying my goodbye to Mars, I stride out the door of the cabin and bound down the stairs, heading to Milly, my horse. She’s an American Albino, and I’ve had her for over sixteen years now. While still good for riding around the ranch, I know she’s getting old, and I should probably try to give her up. But she was a present from my parents for my fifteenth birthday. Because American Albinos come from a white Arabian stallion also known as the “Old King,” and they wanted to gift a king to a King. Well, at least that’s what my ma told me with a big smile while she took me to the stable blindfolded. Only she thought of shit like that; my daddy, however, just went along with her because he liked to make her happy.