Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 65066 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65066 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
“Oh, that’s what I’m helping him with,” I blurt, before I can stop myself.
“Ya sure? He’s a great big grizzly bear, and you’re a wee little thing. Aren’t ya afraid of him?” Declan says it in his jaunty manner, but his dark eyes search my face carefully.
“No. I’m not afraid of Grizz. He’s big and scary, but not to me. Never to me.”
“Declan, shut up.” Parker pulls Declan’s hat over his eyes and turns to me. “I apologize for his rudeness.” He’s so formal I can’t help but smile at him through my blushing.
“It’s okay. I’m okay with it.” I wave a hand in the air.
“See, she likes it,” Declan tugs up the hat and swats Parker back. “Obviously has the right stuff, if she’s taking Grizz on.”
“Don’t tell him, though,” I bluster on. My face is probably cherry Kool-aid red. “It’s a surprise.”
“A surprise?” Declan’s thick brows creep up into his cap, then he flashes a white-toothed smile and pats me on the back so hard I stagger forward. “I luv it. You’ve got more guts than I gave ya credit for, but I like your spunk and no mistake.”
“Ok. Thank you.”
“Glad this is all settled,” Parker rolls his eyes. “Didn’t realize you were so concerned with the sex lives of bears.”
“Not just any bear. Our prize fighter.”
“P-prize fighter?” the tall, thin man asks with a stammer. When I look at him he doesn’t meet my eyes, so he’s even more submissive than I am. A weak shifter—probably a bird. That would explain the feather smell.
“Yep,” Declan declares cheerfully.
“Oh bother,” Parker grunts, grabbing Declan’s hat and setting it on his head at a rakish angle. “Not another big bet on a crazy fighter.”
“That’s right. We’re all in. We just gotta keep the Tucson pack from killing our investment.”
I stiffen. “They want to kill him?”
“Oh yes. Ever since he sided with the vampires.”
“He’s not siding with the vampires,” I say and bite my lip. I don’t know how much information I can give out.
“Whelp, then we just gotta convince the wolves that. Otherwise, they could try to take him out before the fight. They wouldn’t win—you saw him against all those cats. But they could wound him, and the odds of the fight get worse.”
“Tell me you didn’t make this bet,” Parker groans and tugs the hat over his eyes.
“Oh, I made it,” Declan pronounces. “Friday night, we’ll be rich.”
“As long as Grizz doesn’t lose,” Parker says.
“You saw him fight,” Declan picks up a burger and waves it. “What was that? Ten, fifteen to one?”
Parker raises the hat but doesn’t look happy. “‘Cause there’s no other reason Grizz could lose. Like, perhaps, throwing the match for the vampires.”
Declan unwraps the burger and scarfs it in three bites. “That would be bad. Do not pass go, do not collect three million dollars.”
Parker groans again. “Don’t tell me you borrowed money to make this bet.”
“It’s a sure thing,” Declan licks ketchup from his fingers.
“Famous last words,” Parker mutters and goes to sit inside the car, cranking down the driver’s seat and laying out with the hat over his face.
“So,” Declan turns to me. “Where d’you meet our Grizzly?”
“Um,” my skin heats, toasting my freckles. “A club.”
“Which club, luv? The Fight Club, or the club of kinky vampires?
“The…um,” I stammer, “vampire one.”
Declan leans forward to say to the third, quietest Stooge, “She’s cute when she blushes. Sets off her red hair.”
“L-l-leave her alone,” the tall, thin one replies.
I smile at him gratefully. “It’s all right.”
“What was a nice girl doing in a place like that?”
“I was there with my vampire master.”
Declan blinks rapidly and I meet his gaze head on.
“You’re a s-s-s-sweetblood?” the tall shifter stammers.
“I am. Well, I was.” I don’t know what Grizz will do with me when he’s done, but I doubt he’ll let me go back to a vampire master.
“You’re not anymore? Did the vampire give ya away?” Declan asks.
I bite my lip and shake my head.
“Then how are you with Grizz?”
“Grizz broke into his house and, um, took me.”
Declan sags. “Jay-sus.” He hops off the car hood and paces back and forth. Inside the car, Parker sits up.
“What’s wrong? Laurie, tell me.”
Laurie points to me. “Grizz s-s-s-stole her from a vampire.”
“Aw, fates,” Parker swears and scrambles out of the car.
Declan continues pacing back and forth in front of the car, head down, mumbling an occasional curse word.
“You bet on a fighter who’s crossed a vampire. Who took from a vampire.” Parker whirls on me. “Which vampire did you say you belonged to?”
“Augustine.”
Declan stops to frown at me. “Tall guy? Looks like a male model? Wears suits all the time?”
Parker nudges the Irishman in the ribs. “You just described every vampire ever.”
“I did not!”
“Oh really? What vampire doesn’t look like a male model?”
Declan ponders this. “There was that small, skinny one. Remember? Ben something.”