Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 103665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
Brock led her to the door. “Let’s go down to the station so I can get your statement, and then we’ll figure out where to go from there. We’re a couple days away from having the right helicopter to get his body to Anchorage for an autopsy.”
She exhaled. “I don’t have to, um, identify, um, him?”
“We can use a picture for that,” Brock said, escorting her out.
Amka’s heart hurt for the woman.
Steve moved up, his brow wrinkled as he placed his phone on the bar. His blue eyes had darkened. “I have bad news.”
She looked down to see a video identifying both Christian and her at the storage building fire along with news of the shooting the other night as well as Eli Warner’s death. The flirty influencer, a brunette Amka had only seen once, mentioned that Christian was currently unattached and had three just as sexy Alaskan badass brothers. Oh, they weren’t going to like that. At all. She peered closer. “This already has five hundred thousand views.”
Steve pressed his lips together. “And thousands of comments. Many proposing marriage to Christian, or to any brother he may have. Or any cousin or even young grandpa.” He reclaimed his phone. “Are you going to tell them?”
“No,” she breathed. “Are you?”
“Oh, hell no. I like my head on my shoulders and not rolling across the floor.”
Good point. Although there was one Osprey brother she was going to find after work. They needed to talk.
Chapter 28
Amka took a drink of water around midnight, scanning the tavern to make sure everyone was good. She’d managed by herself the entire night and was suddenly grateful for both Daisy and Nixi. She didn’t want to go back to doing everything herself, but she’d just mortgaged both of her assets. Although, now that Jarod had died, she could change that and just use the insurance money and part of the equity in the tavern only…if she didn’t go to prison.
They were doing a good job keeping Jarod’s death a secret, but she didn’t know how long that would last. This was Knife’s Edge, after all.
The door opened and fresh rain blew in, followed by Christian.
His black hair curled around his ears from the rain, and his dark green T-shirt showed spots from the downpour. In the dim light, the brutally carved planes of his face made him look dangerous. Wilder than the storm outside.
Her heartbeat increased rapidly, and her lungs felt like they’d turned inside out and heated. Liquid dampened her thighs, and her nipples sharpened. Thank goodness she’d worn a bra today. Sometimes she just slapped a couple of nip covers on, but those weren’t a match for Christian Osprey.
The bar had quieted when he’d walked in. Yeah, he had presence.
Dutch pivoted off his stool, clapped Christian on the arm, and headed outside. He’d been on protective detail all night and had entertained her with stories about his time with the AWT. The door slowly swung shut.
Christian looked over at her, scanning her face. A muscle ticked in his jaw. She must appear as exhausted as she felt.
“Everybody out. Tavern’s closed.” He set his stance but didn’t raise his voice.
The people around the two remaining tables instantly stood, with the influencers downing their drinks quickly.
Amka’s mouth gaped open, and her brain scrambled. What the heck was he doing? Finally, she shook herself out of the odd daze. “Christian—”
One look from him froze the words in her throat. Just a flicker of that gaze with no expression on his face. No real movement from his body. But she stopped talking and just stared. She might’ve short-circuited a little. Her body flushed hot and not just from temper, but she watched as everyone left cash on their tables and then edged around Christian to exit. He kept his focus on her, but she had no doubt if anybody made a wrong move, he’d see it. Take them out.
Silence fell. Somehow charged.
She cleared her throat and walked to the other side of the bar to bus the tables.
“Leave them.”
“No.” Finally, with her back turned toward him, she found her voice as she collected the empty beer mugs on her tray. She’d never leave a mess in the bar.
To her surprise, he moved to the other table and collected the various glasses to take into the kitchen.
She followed and then loaded the dishwasher as he took a dishrag and cleanser out without saying a word. What in the world was happening right now? Starting the washer, she emerged in the bar to see him finish wiping down the last table. “What are you doing?”
He returned to the bar and barely had to lean over it to drape the rag over the faucet. “Helping.”
She was almost too tired to get angry. Almost. “You can’t just come in here and order everyone to leave.”