Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 132097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 660(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 660(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
But Margot jabs her pointer finger in Cooper’s face, her nail glinting like a blade.
“In case that was too subtle, let me fill you in.” Her smile is pure malice, and I’ve never loved my little sister more. “There are a lot of stories floating around about certain star developers getting handsy with their wives’ yoga friends. I mean, really just one developer, but holy shit it’s juicy.”
That does it.
Daley morphs into a human tomato, deathly red, that short crop of hair on his head like blond leaves.
He lurches up with a rabid snarl.
I step in front of the girls, protecting them.
“Now who’s emotional, Daley?” I bite off, keeping my voice low so we don’t feed the baristas and other customers already watching us. “It’s not good to hold it in. Why don’t I help you let it out? Go on, I dare you.”
He wants to beat my face in, no question.
That feral spark in his eyes hides nothing—especially his outrage that it wasn’t supposed to go down like this.
It wasn’t supposed to be this hard.
I was easy pickings, weak and at my lowest.
Now? He’s face-to-face with a cornered wolverine, and this ferocious fucker is all razor teeth.
A small hand presses into my back, so unexpected I stiffen.
Hattie.
For a second, my blood heats. I forget where I am.
Then I remember.
I smile at Cooper Daley like the devil himself coming for his soul.
Their help was unexpected, but I’ve never been one to turn down a favor.
“Well?” I snap, watching his face go from tomato to Carolina reaper. “Damn shame it’s come down to this.”
“You don’t have anything on me.” His voice quivers.
“Oh, really?” Margot pipes up from behind me. “So you mean you wouldn’t mind if your wife found out? I bet she’ll be so interested in how many ladies from yoga you’ve tried to jump every time you’re in Portland.”
Cooper’s jaw tightens. Every muscle in his eye twitches.
If I wasn’t standing here, I’d think there’s a chance he might launch himself at her. Either that or go flying out the door.
Time to play the final card.
“What a mess,” I sneer. “Tell you what, Daley. To show you there are no hard feelings, I’ll let the land go. It’s yours.”
He steps back, surprise overtaking his anger, then suspicion.
“What? Why the hell would you do that?”
“Woodpeckers.” I shrug nonchalantly.
“Wood—what?”
I don’t want to bust his skull any less.
But it’s almost as satisfying when I say, “I had my team dig deep through Gramps’ old records. One thing you never knew about old surveys, they shut down several earlier projects. All thanks to the neighboring fifty acres of forest populated by a heavily protected species. The long-beaked pileated woodpecker. Ever heard of it? It’s about as big as a chicken and protected by more laws than there are ways to fry up chicken wings.”
Cooper’s face goes white.
“Woodpeckers,” he snorts, his tone dangerous. “That’s hardly a reason to forfeit—”
“Think again.” I cut him off. “Wildlife approvals for the resort will take years of studies, if it ever happens at all.” I smirk right back. “So, yeah, you can have your land. Enjoy it. Maybe you can run a few tours for birdwatchers.”
“Yeah! And if you come back and bother us again,” Margot adds from behind me, “I’ll show one of those big woodpeckers straight to your balls. You could use the attitude adjustment.”
“Margot,” I growl.
But I’m suppressing a grin as I push her back gently, urging her to back down.
As much as this animal deserves having his dick pecked off, we’ve won.
Daley knows it, too.
He’s gone from red to white to the color of old oatmeal.
Muttering, he pushes past us, stalking out, still reeking like the coffee Margot threw on him.
Damn.
I watch him bolt to his car for a second too long, the sense of victory slowly fading as I turn to the two women waiting behind me.
Margot wears a different expression now, almost like she’s ready to sic a giant woodpecker at my balls.
Hattie’s face is nervous but closed off. Damn near unreadable, no matter how much I want to see whatever thoughts are swirling in her brain.
Shit.
“I have a lot to say, but it can wait. You guys should talk first. I’ll show myself out,” Margot says, spinning on her heel and marching to the counter for a coffee.
As she passes Hattie, I swear I hear, “make him grovel like a sea slug.”
Fucking lovely.
And frankly, I deserve it, just for the right to Hattie’s ear.
If only I could find a way to explain how much I screwed up, how much I regret hurting her.
I gesture to the door.
“The coffee here is underwhelming. Care to escape before we’re obligated to buy another one?”
She hesitates.
I can almost see her wondering if any of this is worth it.
Weighing her options in her head, deciding whether to follow me or let me walk out on my own with my head hanging.