Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 62404 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62404 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
a smile so goddamn bright it could be blinding.
He hates to smile.
So I know he’s only doing it to piss me off.
“Brother,” he greets as he steps closer and offers me his hand. I don’t take it. That’s when he notices Oriana. His eyes trace her up and down before they stop on her face. She offers one of her kind smiles, and I grind my teeth and say nothing.
“We can take this to my office.”
My brother scans the place with narrowed eyes. “This is…” he flicks his gaze to Oriana, “cute.” Then his eyes come back to me. “But we know you can do better. I mean, I’ve done better,” he says. “You need to visit my playrooms, brother. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
When I say nothing, he turns back to Oriana again and his obvious interest is infuriating. “Do you work for Jake?” he asks, and she shakes her head. “So, a customer?” She shakes her head again. “Interesting.” He looks at me. “Very interesting.”
Then he’s smiling wider. “The Jake I know doesn’t do the same woman for long. Is she due to be traded in? If so, I would like a turn.” He turns back to her, his gaze traveling down her body. “I have a thing for redheads.”
Oriana stands from the stool, takes a step back, and meets my eyes. “It’s best you don’t call me. I made a mistake,” she states with a little more distaste in her voice as her hand goes to her hip.
I nod at Captain, and he guides Oriana out as I focus back on my brother. “What the fuck are you planning?” I ask.
He steps up to the bar, taps it, and nods to the whiskey before he answers, “I came to see my brother.”
“No, you didn’t. You came to shop.”
He shrugs, taking the drink that’s put in front of him. “And that.”
“You need to leave. Go back to where you came from. You are making a lot of people unhappy in this town,” I tell him.
“Oh, so they know I’m here. I guess they are as good as their reputation…” He pauses. “And in your pocket too?”
“No. Just business.”
He nods his head. “My intention wasn’t to come here to stir shit up. I came to see you.”
“Me? Since when have you ever chosen to come to see me?” I question.
“Women don’t want to work. They just want the money. And I heard you have a special way of getting women and keeping them loyal to you.”
“You came for information,” I say, and he nods.
“And, of course, to see you. What has it been…ten years, brother?” He pauses, swirling the liquor in his glass. “And to warn you… If you shop for women again in my sites, the hunters may just very well kill you, and no mafia will be able to stop them.”
The hunters are three brothers—if they even are brothers, that is—who do exactly as their title describes, they hunt. And they are known for always getting it right with a one hundred percent kill rate. Keir was going to hire them, but his connections outreached them. So he used his own. I didn’t realize he was connected to them.
“Warning received. You can leave now that you’ve seen me.”
“Maybe I might stay in town. It’s been a while.” Grayson smiles as he heads out the same way he came in. “I’ll drop by tomorrow, brother. I know where you live.”
Chapter 22
“Drugs are bad, kids!”
Oriana
My job is great.
After the first week, people got over the fact I was married to Kyler and now talk to me about me. It’s nice not to have to speak about Kyler all the time, considering most of my adult life has been about him and it’s tiring.
I signed the divorce papers and sent them in this week. He may not be happy about it, but it’s time to move on. I have to move on.
Jake helped me with that, and I was hoping to see him and thank him that night I went back to the club. But it was clear he didn’t want anything to do with me, and taking me to that house with those mafia people? Well, I don’t even know how to feel about that.
I liked them, but now knowing who they are, I’m not sure I want to see them anywhere again.
As I walk out to my car, Callie tells me about her plans for the holidays. She is going to Bali with her husband for their ten-year wedding anniversary. She shows me the new ring he got her, and I smile. It’s simple, with a lovely diamond in the middle.
Kyler insisted I wear the biggest ring. It annoyed me, all the time continuously rolling around when I typed. Something like Callie is wearing is perfect.
“Do you have plans?” she asks as she opens her car door and throws her bag inside. “Also, who is that fine specimen leaning on your car?” I spin around and see Jake’s brother standing there. How did I not see him when I walked out?