Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 157672 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 788(@200wpm)___ 631(@250wpm)___ 526(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 157672 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 788(@200wpm)___ 631(@250wpm)___ 526(@300wpm)
“Did you ever think there was a chance of anyone else getting this?” I whip the garter around my finger then crook it for Willow to join me.
She’s beet red, her eyes wide and mouth parted.
The music changes and the whole band has joined Declan and Blake on the stage.
Willow walks slowly, her blush deepening when I haul her to me.
“Did you plan this?”
“Even I can’t control the trajectory of flowers.”
She grins. “Something tells me it’s another of your superpowers.”
I sway her around the dance floor, aware of the eyes on us. “You give me too much credit. But there was no way any other man in this room was getting to dance with you.”
A squeak escapes before she presses her lips together in an adorable way.
“Love that sound, Princess.”
“You’re crazy.”
“I haven’t hidden that.”
Her laughter fills the space and I catch the approval of Sterling, Rosie, and Lynden watching us. My gaze drifts to Stacy standing close, her stare locked on Sterling’s profile.
“It hurts to see her agony,” Willow says softly.
“Who?”
“Stacy,” she pauses, “my mom. She looks at Dad with so much longing and love. It’s beautifully heartbreaking.”
Willow’s relationship with her mom has been on the mend, and to her credit, Stacy’s worked hard to heal the rift with all the Richards. Chase is tentative, stuck in his loyalty to Willow, but he’s slowly letting her back into his and Wyatt’s life.
“Your mom has to deal with the consequences.”
“She made a mistake, albeit a huge one. How long should she be punished? Dad still loves her. He won’t talk about it with me, but I sense it.”
“Make him talk to you.”
Her eyes and nose crinkle as if I’ve suggested something outrageous. “Have you met my dad? He isn’t very forthcoming when he doesn’t want to discuss something.”
“You’re his daughter and he loves you. If he knows it’s important to you, he’ll listen.”
She seems to think about this, her mouth splitting into a smile. “Manipulative mind. Use his affection for me to make him open up?”
“Not manipulation if you play it right.”
“You are exceptionally cunning, Mr. Simms. Even trying to help me reunite my parents.”
“No joke, Stacy isn’t my favorite person, but Sterling is growing on me. Or maybe it’s the wedding vibe going on.”
“Did you go with Ford today to get his tattoo?”
“We all did.”
“Do you think it hurt?”
“Babe, he didn’t even flinch.”
“Do you think that’s something you’d want?”
Her question is laced with apprehension. “You want me to wear a ring, not an issue, but your ink will be under it.”
Her gaze fills with excitement. “I like the ink.”
I hold back telling her I already spoke to our guy at the shop with a design in mind.
The song ends with another roar from the guests as Sayge gives the stage back to the band.
The hair on the back of my neck prickles and my eyes find Robbie and Finn across the room by an exit. My blood runs cold.
I steer Willow to Sterling. “Princess, now’s a good time for that talk.”
Her eyes glitter with amusement. “How about a dance, Dad?”
He glances between us, taking her hand.
“Be back in a few.” I kiss her quickly, taking off in the direction of the bar, and slip into the hall.
Robbie, Finn, James, Major, and Ace are all waiting.
Their grim expressions tell all.
All thoughts of the day vanish, knowing what this means.
“He made contact?”
Robbie gives a nod, his face sharp as stone.
Finn crosses his arms, his voice harsh. “They’re in Mexico, hostages taken. That was yesterday. He’s gone dark.”
Fuck!
Here we go again.
“What happened to fucking stepping back?” Dad lashes out.
“We’re going in as intelligence. Robbie’s working on a team for recovery,” I calmly reply, keeping a blank face.
He glares at me, doubt and suspicion scoring into my skin.
Major and Ace stand at my side, taking similar glares from their fathers.
“Do I need to remind you that things have changed since your renegade days?” Jim’s voice is strained, barely disguising his anger.
“No reminder necessary, Dad,” Major grouses.
“And you, Achilles? Maverick isn’t even a month old. You want to risk this?” Pete asks cautiously.
Ace growls, “There is no risk here. My son will always have me.”
Pete goes pale, the remark like a physical strike.
All of us feel the pain of the blow Ace delivered to the father who neglected him for years in favor of a bottle.
“Son, that was a cheap shot,” Rich intervenes, knowing more than anyone about the history between Pete and Ace.
Ace blows out a breath. “My family is the most important thing in the fucking world.”
“We’ve all gone through hell to get here. Do you think we’d ever jeopardize any of that?” Major asks diplomatically.
“What about Ford? You gonna read him in on this?” Doug looks through all of us.
“Shit no. We do this right, it’s over before he returns from his honeymoon,” I respond.