Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 132657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 663(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 663(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
He tried not to let his surprise show. “I thought they used McKay-Taggart when they needed bodyguards.”
He knew way too much about Harlow’s business and her practices. At first he’d researched them to be able to put Jensen’s mind at rest. Then he simply wanted to know everything about her. He wanted to put his own mind at rest.
Gabe sighed. “Uncle Chase has been on edge since their brand-new receptionist managed to make herself a material witness in a drug trafficking ring trial. To say it went poorly is understating the word poorly. Chase lost his cool, but then something happened to Harlow a few years back.”
Niall was so curious about who knew the truth about what happened that day. He only knew what Jensen told him. “Do you know anything about it? All I’ve heard is a case went bad, and she ended up in jail.”
“She doesn’t talk about it,” Gabe replied. “At least not to anyone who will tell the tale. I suspect there was a man involved, and he hurt her. Not physically. She would have defended herself and told everyone what a fucker he was. I think he broke her heart. She would keep that private. She would think that was at least partly her fault.”
It made his gut tighten. “If some asshole hurt her, it wasn’t her fault.”
The closer he got to really knowing her, the more he thought Jensen might be said asshole. But his best friend had his own issues. It was hard for Jensen to trust anyone. It was definitely hard for him to trust that anything in his world would work out for the best.
“I agree, and I genuinely think she’s starting to get over it,” Gabe said. “I think watching our friends finally find the right woman for them has her thinking.”
“You’re talking about the cowboys?” Josh Barnes-Fleetwood and his best friend Grim didn’t play often at The Hideout. They were closer to Austin than Dallas, but he knew Harlow had recently attended their engagement party.
“Yes. Josh and Grim and Nicole. You know she almost asked you to be her plus one.” Gabe sat back.
It was a night for news. “She did?”
Gabe gave him a nod. “Yeah, and then you mentioned you were going out of town that weekend.”
“I would have changed my plans.” He had met Jensen in Fort Worth to give him some research he’d found. And to check on him. To make sure he wasn’t too far gone.
They’d talked about Harlow when they weren’t discussing the case. Jensen wanted every story, every detail about her life without him.
“I might have mentioned that you should have the choice, but she needed more time,” Gabe replied. “So are you going to say yes?”
He shouldn’t. They were in a perfect position right now. He could watch over her. Club gossip would reveal anything serious. He didn’t have to put himself in temptation’s way. Going undercover with her… It was a bad idea.
Or maybe it was time to think about what the world looked like on the other side of Jensen’s revenge.
He only saw two possibilities. One—he does what he meant to do and kills Hamilton and gets away with it and tries to get Harlow back. Two—Hamilton kills him.
There was a third. Jensen kills Hamilton and doesn’t get away with it. He goes to jail.
Two out of three of those possibilities left Harlow alone. And the other he wasn’t sure would work. Jensen loved her but he wasn’t good at groveling, and that is what she would need. She wouldn’t melt for him and forgive what he’d done.
Since they met in the second grade, Niall had softened Jensen. He calmed his friend and smoothed things over. Jensen made sure anyone who fucked with them never did it twice. It had been an excellent partnership.
But partnerships changed. “I’m going to say yes, but I worry she’ll want a family like her own.”
A brow rose over Gabe’s eyes. “You hiding a brother?”
“I might have a friend I’m close to.” It was the first time he’d even come close to saying the words out loud. To tiptoeing around them out loud. What he wanted.
At first he’d thought he was completely fucked because he’d fallen hard for his best friend’s girl. Then he’d called himself an asshole since she was her own person and Jensen had been an asshole to her, so she didn’t belong to him. He’d spent a couple of weeks mentally justifying running away with the woman his best friend was hopelessly in love with because only one of them could have her.
Then he watched a threesome work their magic on the dungeon floor one night. Two men. One woman. Best friends and the woman they loved all of their lives. They were married now and happy. Just recently some of Harlow’s friends had come into town. Again, two best friends and the woman they shared. Half the damn members had two dads and a mom.