Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 37638 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 188(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 125(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37638 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 188(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 125(@300wpm)
“Serelda told me you’re with her now.” Winter smiled up at me. While her smile was bright, to me it was nothing like the one Serelda bestowed on me.
“She did, did she? You good with that?”
Winter rolled her eyes. “Like it matters. You’re just like the men from Black Reign. Once you make up your mind you want a woman, you have her.” She smiled brightly. “You need to know, though, if you break her heart, I will cut yours out.”
Sting burst out laughing. I shook my head, chuckling as I reached out a hand for Serelda. She came to me willingly, wrapping her arms around my middle and snuggling into my chest. “Noted. You can put away your rusty knives, though. I have no intention of ever hurting Serelda. What I will do is protect her with my life. Always.”
“Good. So. Since we’re all here, you know, together. Why don’t you give us the bad news.”
Roman met my gaze. “What can I say? My woman knows me.”
“It’s not exactly bad news. Just something we should have told you before we brought you into this world.”
“We’ve been with an MC for a long time, guys.” Winter narrowed her eyes as she looked up at Sting. He reached out and tucked an errant curl behind her ear, the breeze tugging it loose again. “What’s different about our lives here than when we were in Black Reign?”
“Well, for starters,” Sting said, “we ain’t got the fancy accommodations. Until we can get some things remodeled, it’s pretty basic around here.”
“No one said we needed fancy.” Serelda looked up at me, and I could see dread in her eyes. She knew there was something coming, and she was afraid. But she didn’t pull away. Instead, she clung tighter, her fists bunching in my vest at my back. “What’s going on?”
“Let’s go inside.” I leaned down to kiss Serelda lightly. “We’ll sit down and explain everything.”
She nodded, looking back at her sister. Winter frowned at Roman but said nothing. Once inside, Sting ushered everyone into his office. Roman sat on the couch and pulled Winter onto his lap. I did the same with Serelda on the love seat.
“Spill it, Sting.” Winter tried to get off Roman’s lap, but he turned her so she straddled him.
“Calm the hell down, woman.” Roman didn’t sound irritated or angry. “Waiting for Iris to join us is all.”
“So, this has to do with the women.” Serelda tucked her legs up so she was curled against me. “Me, Winter, and Iris.”
“Yes.” Sting nodded. “It’s something we should have explained before, but with the events of the last few weeks, it kind of fell to the side.”
Iris entered the room. “What’s going on?” She smiled in greeting, but I could tell she suspected there was trouble.
“Shut the door, honey.” Sting held out a hand to his woman, and Iris did as he asked, then went to him. Sting pulled her into his lap like me and Roman had done. “I’m sorry, baby. We’ve got trouble coming, and we need to make preparations.”
“This is because of what happened on the bus. Isn’t it?” Serelda’s voice was small as she looked up at me. “I’m sorry, Brick. I never meant to cause trouble.”
“You didn’t, Tinkerbell. None of that was your fault.”
“But if I hadn’t run --” I cut her off with a kiss.
“One thing had nothing to do with the other. You heard what the guy said. You’ve had people watching you for years. That was the first opportunity they’d had in over a decade to catch you by yourself. You’ve either had someone from Black Reign with you when you left their compound, or you stayed inside. I’m surprised it took someone this long to make a try for you.”
“Roman filled me in on some of what happened, but I get the feeling there are things we don’t know.” Winter was entering hellcat mode. I could see the cocky smirk on Roman’s face. The man loved his hellcat as much as I loved my warrior.
“Sting, what’s going on?” Iris looked like she suspected a trap. She’d be right.
“Winter and Serelda have someone after them. Turns out, the man who hurt them years ago wants them back.” Winter’s jaw tightened, but she stayed silent. Serelda whimpered a little but otherwise stayed quiet. “He’s called the Cannibal. Not a lot on him, but Wylde says our girls here are two of the very few who survived him. Since they escaped, he’s fixated on them. Didn’t take too kindly to Brick killin’ the man he sent after them. So Brick has a bounty on his head, and the two of you have a reward offered for your return to the bastard.”
Winter stuck her chin up. “I see him again, I’m killin’ him.” She didn’t look afraid. She looked supremely pissed. I believed every word she said. “Set up a meeting with him. Tell him you’re bringing us to him. I’ll take care of the rest.”