Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55171 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 221(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55171 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 221(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Cal seemed confused. As if he didn’t know whether or not he’d been insulted.
Oh you have, buddy. Trust me. He doesn’t like you at all.
None of them did. It was obvious to Brady, but confusing. It wasn’t like they were low on whipping boys. Why had they let Cal join if they couldn’t stand him?
The fourth man set down his drink. “Look at what he was working for, Clive. That is a prime piece of real estate. The size of him alone gives one ideas. Any of us would have used the club’s amenities as roughly in the same situation. Once Vargas is finished with Cal’s favorite piece of equipment, he’ll see this strapping Marine and say the same. He’ll probably try to purchase him from you, Grimes, but don’t you let him.”
Cal frowned. “He’s… I didn’t know he liked that one.”
Clive/Pony Boy snorted and shared a laughing look with the others. “He doesn’t, really. He has his own toys. He’s just not that fond of you. He’ll come around to our way of thinking. You’ve already been invaluable.”
Brady knew he could turn around and walk out. There was no doubt in his mind that none of the guards, armed or not, could stop him. Not if they wanted to remain intact. One word stopped him.
Vargas.
He has his own toys.
Ken wasn’t here. Brady was the only one who could salvage this shitstorm and finish the mission. He turned and looked down at Cal, raising his eyebrows expectantly and hoping his anger would come off as excitement instead. “Your favorite? That sounds promising.”
“Show him, Cal,” one of the men urged. “His reaction should be interesting. They’re in the back room.”
Cal hesitated, trying to read Brady’s expression. “You remember what I told you about keeping an open mind?”
Nodding as nonchalantly as he could, Brady used Ken’s trademark smile so he wouldn’t have to speak.
Cal’s shoulders relaxed. “Good. Come with me.”
Brady shoved his hands deep into his jean pockets so Cal wouldn’t take his hand. If he did Brady might break his bones. Slowly. One at a time. And then he might reset them and do it again.
Burke was a blackmailer who liked kink. These men were something else entirely. Brady wanted to laugh them off as stereotypical spoiled pricks but… They didn’t care. They didn’t care that Brady had been listening to them while they talked about his cousin. They didn’t care that he knew what they looked like or where this club was located. That wasn’t stupidity, and it wasn’t coming off as blatant overconfidence. It was knowledge.
That made them dangerous.
“I told you on our first date that everyone would want to take you home. Clive already does.”
Cal said it like Brady was supposed to be pleased. What happened to the man? He’d been Stephen’s assistant, for crying out loud. How could he think this was okay? That this was acceptable behavior? “How did you meet your friends?”
“They found me nearly three months ago,” Cal told him. “But they’d had their eye on me for a while. They said I had exactly the kind of ambition they were looking for, and that was more important than my pedigree.” He sounded so proud. “I’m the first man to gain membership without generations of money behind me. Do you know how impossible that is? And since then I’ve had more work than I know what to do with, more money than I’ve ever made and this. All of this, whenever I want it. Everything is finally working for me. That’s why I knew I could have you too. When you know these men, nothing is impossible.”
Aw, hell, the stupid bastard was a fall guy. Brady didn’t have proof, and he didn’t know when they would throw him to the wolves, but he knew it would happen. Greed and lust did strange things to people, and Cal had an overabundance of both. The men here would know exactly how to exploit it.
Brady might feel sorry for him if Cal hadn’t just paraded him in front of those men like a prize bull. It had been the worst sort of humiliation. Not purposeful, just matter-of-fact. They spoke about him, not at him, enumerating his traits and studying the goods for future reference.
He’d been an object. A thing. He wondered if they’d still feel that way if he took turns dangling them out a window by their ankles.
Focus. For Ken. For Terry. You made a promise.
“They didn’t treat you very well.” Damn it, Brady, shut up. “I mean, you deserve better.”
Cal stopped walking and whirled to face Brady, his hand coming up as if he thought he could slap him. Instinctively, Brady’s own hand shot up to grip Cal’s wrist lightly. Just enough pressure to stop him, and then he let him go.
“You say another word about them and I will get the guards to hold you down while I beat you.” Cal was whispering, quick and panicked. “I want you but I will be damned if I let you ruin this for me. They chose me. Me. Clive is jealous, because he’s not the young hotshot anymore. I am. This is what I deserve.”