Total pages in book: 9
Estimated words: 8854 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 44(@200wpm)___ 35(@250wpm)___ 30(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 8854 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 44(@200wpm)___ 35(@250wpm)___ 30(@300wpm)
“A limp?” James reaches for the bottom of his T-shirt and pulls it up. “Try being burned alive.”
Guilt gets me, and it gets me good. There’s no denying it, I’ve let my imagination get the better of me in one way or another for each and every one of my alphas. But I also gave them each a happy ever after with the woman of their dreams. And if any of them throw the “You made me like this” card, I might scream. Throw things. I know what I’ve done, and in this moment, I’m seriously regretting it.
I peek at Danny. His scar glows, and I flinch away from it.
“Look, guys, it’s Christmas Eve.” I place my wine down. “I just finished a book. I wanted to unwind with a glass of wine and decorate my tree, not deal with all your alpha egos.”
“You know who you have to thank for that,” Miller muses quietly, almost too quietly to hear. Almost. All eyes are suddenly on Jesse.
“What the fuck is the countdown?” Becker asks.
“Oh,” Jesse grins, smug. “It’s this thing I do to get my way.”
“The countdown,” Danny rolls the idea around. Then pulls the drawer open and retrieves his gun. “I think this is way more efficient.”
“No, no, you’ve got the wrong end of the . . .” Jesse shakes his head, giving up. “Never mind. Are you saying I should put a gun to Jodi’s head?”
My eyes widen, and I look at Danny with an expression that dares him. And he catches it, stowing away his weapon. “Of course not.”
“Right answer,” I grate. “Look, this is all getting a little out of hand.”
“Did you expect anything less?” Jake asks.
“Back to the new alpha.” Ty is suddenly interested. “On a level of one to obscene, how alpha are we talking?”
“An alpha isn’t measured by dominance and ego.” I’m so fucking exhausted.
“Correct.” Dec backs me up.
“Sometimes the most alpha man in the room is the one who says nothing.” I go to the table and scan my beautiful baubles.
Jesse laughs. Miller raises his brows. Drew isn’t impressed. Danny looks like he wants to take me to see a psychiatrist. Jude shakes his head like he feels sorry for me. Good. I feel sorry for myself in this moment.
“What’s this?” Johnny asks, pointing to my Alexa, distracting all of us. He dips and puts his ear close, full of wonder. God, I seriously don’t have the bandwidth right now to explain. “A speaker,” I say. “Kind of. She can turn the lights on too. Keep my shopping lists, order me things, tell me what the weather’s like.”
Johnny jerks in surprise. “My god.”
“Wait.” Ryan turns a frown Johnny’s way. “If you’re from 1816, how the hell did you get here?”
“Horse.”
“Yee-haw,” Josh drawls.
“I sense you are mocking me, Mr Jameson.” Johnny’s face takes on an edge of darkness. “I allegedly murdered my parents, but, I must advise you, the rumours are unfounded. Alas, however false those allegations may be, I implore you not to be lulled into a false sense of security and believe for a moment that I may not be capable of such a heinous crime such as murder.”
“Fuck . . . me,” Josh breathes, blinking. “What did he just say?”
“He’s capable,” I clarify in simple terms.
“We should talk.” Danny’s suddenly interested in Johnny’s credentials. “If you feel like staying in 2025.”
“I don’t.”
“Your loss.”
“And yours.”
“Can we get back to the tree?” Jesse thrusts a hand impatiently at my beautiful, lush Christmas tree that’s still bare except for the string lights.
“This has officially become a HR incident,” I breathe, at a loss.
“It doesn’t have to be. I told you, I came first. I made you, Jodi. Millions of women adore me.”
“And here you are arguing with a pine tree,” Ryan quips.
“Someone shut him up,” Miller mumbles.
“I think I need to lay down.” I move toward the couch, prompting Ty to shoot up and make room for me.
“She needs to lay down,” he yells. “Clear the couch.”
Dec moves in and helps Ty move the cushions, helpfully plumping one and putting it under my head when I’ve collapsed onto the couch. “Okay?” he asks.
“No, I’m not.”
“You need to be careful, Ward,” Jake says, joining Danny and helping himself to a drink. “She’s armed.”
“Am I?” I check down my horizontal body, as if I could have missed the gun I apparently have in my possession.
“With words,” Jake confirms. “Absolutely emotionally lethal.”
“Yes, I am.” I nod in approval. “All of you remember that. I will exact revenge if I have to.”
“We should evacuate,” Ty announces.
“Why?” they all ask collectively.
“Drew’s tying knots.”
All eyes turn to Drew, who’s now by the tree, and I lift my head to see too. “I’m fixing the lights,” he retorts.
“Jesus.” Josh drags a hand down his rough jaw. “You Brits argue like you’re auditioning for a period drama.”