Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 133975 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 670(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 447(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133975 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 670(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 447(@300wpm)
He drew in a deep breath. “Put your phone on speaker. Is Seychelle in the room with you? Savage wants a word.”
Lyric went back to the main room and handed the phone to Seychelle. “Apparently, Savage wants a word with you.”
Blythe and Anya burst out laughing. Lyric didn’t understand what was so funny, so she gave the three women a tentative smile and waited.
“Seychelle, where did you get the car keys?”
“The car keys to my car? I’m always losing them, so I had a bunch made up. I keep them in safe places.”
There was a small silence. Savage blew out an exasperated breath. “You don’t lose the car keys, Seychelle. I take them so you won’t drive. You’re the worst driver on the planet. Even the man we hired to teach you ran for his life.”
Seychelle waved her hand dismissively. When she lifted her arm, Lyric noticed she winced and quickly put her arm down.
“I totally have my legal driver’s license. I don’t need lessons. He was ridiculous, and I told him so. I drove here, and there wasn’t a single incident. It isn’t like I drove off the road.”
Blythe and Anya exchanged a look that told Lyric maybe there had been an incident. Blythe coughed delicately behind her hand.
Seychelle sighed. “Well, maybe for one second, the car veered toward the side of the road, but Blythe and Anya were making me laugh. I very quickly corrected, and we were just fine.”
Savage groaned. “Seychelle, babe, you’re not supposed to be driving.”
“That is not in our agreement. I love my car and I need to feel independent. I’m a perfectly good driver.” Not only was there indignation on Seychelle’s face, but her determination was plain as well.
Blythe, however, exchanged a look of alarm with Anya. “There’s no need to get Savage riled up, Seychelle,” Blythe spoke in a soft voice, barely a thread of sound, clearly not intending to be overheard by the Torpedo Ink members. “I can drive the car to Sea Haven.”
Another male voice chimed on the phone. “I’ll give her lessons, Savage. Seychelle is used to me.”
“We can’t afford to lose you, Rock,” Czar said. “Blythe, what were you thinking?”
“I was thinking my car is still in the shop.” There was accusation in her answer. “And Reaper got Anya a tank to drive. She won’t even set foot in it. I’m also thinking the women of Torpedo Ink need to get together and decide how to lay down the law to their men who don’t listen to them.”
Lyric pressed her lips together. The women didn’t sound intimidated by their men. She was still a little intimidated by Keys, mostly because he was unpredictable. She didn’t know him well enough to know how he would react in any given situation. Truthfully, there was a part of her that liked not knowing how Keys would act, but only when it came to their very adventurous sex life. He could be wild, an untamed, feral predator there was no controlling. She loved that about him, even when the things he introduced to her were sometimes terrifying. He always managed to make her body explode with pleasure. Sometimes it was so intense, she didn’t know what to do with it.
“Now, sweetheart, we’re all trying our best to protect you,” Czar said to Blythe.
“There’s a fine line between protecting and controlling,” Blythe pointed out.
Lyric took a deep breath, deciding to intervene. “You know, Seychelle, you could be like me. I’m a good driver and I suspect you are as well. Clearly, you didn’t have trouble getting your license. When I decide to do something, I’m usually pretty good at it. But I do have problems at times with focus.”
The ensuing silence was long enough that it made Lyric wish she hadn’t said a word.
Seychelle’s entire face lit up. “Thank you for that. Now that you said it, I think you could be right. I’m a really good driver, and it’s upsetting that everyone thinks I’m not.”
“I can share some of the tips that have worked for me,” Lyric said, forgetting Blythe still held the phone and Keys was listening to every word. “Not that there aren’t occasional lapses. You have to really stay on it when you have a focus problem.”
“In the meantime,” Czar said, “Blythe, why don’t you drive Seychelle’s car to Sea Haven? That’s a good solution.”
Seychelle’s chin lifted, and she looked stubborn. Lyric wondered if she gave Keys that particular look when he was stepping outside the boundaries she tried to impose. He’d bitten her chin more than once.
“I think that’s an excellent idea,” Blythe said. “We’ll talk later.” She ended the call before Keys or anyone else could weigh in.
“Sheesh,” Seychelle exploded, throwing her arms into the air again and then quickly dropping them and hunching a little. “You’d think I ran off the road all the time. I’ve been driving for years. I know exactly what’s going to happen. Savage and I have clear rules in our home, what he can dictate and what he can’t. Driving was off his list. I had no idea the sneak was stealing my car keys. You can bet he’ll use this as an excuse to try to take away my car. He detests me going anywhere without him.”