Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 37111 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 186(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37111 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 186(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
“Fuck,” Cain muttered as he turned and looked toward the back of the room where Magenta had exited. “Deadeye, bring Chloe to my office. Sword, you get your ass in there too. Data. Zora. I want every scrap of information you’ve gathered on Chloe in my office in five minutes. Start working on her mother’s background. And Sword.” He walked to the big man and punched him in the gut. He didn’t telegraph the punch, just walked up to the other man and delivered the punishment. Sword grunted and bent double, staggering back a couple steps before bracing himself on a nearby chair. When Sword tried to stand fully upright, Cain snagged his head and yanked sharply down while hiking his knee up so that Sword’s face smashed into the president’s leg. Cain bent at the waist close to Sword, placing his hands on his knees and speaking very distinctly to his enforcer. “If you treat a woman like you did that girl ever again -- inside this clubhouse or out of it -- I’ll cut off your fuckin’ balls and apologize to Magenta later.”
Sword looked after Cain as the other man straightened, then turned and left the room. Deadeye put an arm around me gently before guiding me after Cain. I stopped in my tracks, suddenly terrified of what was about to happen.
“I know we got off to a rocky start, girl, but I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Really? Where were you when Sword was choking the life out of me?” I turned to glare at him just in time to see him wince. “You told me you were a killer before. I believe you.”
“Sword’s one of our enforcers. He’s the man who’s supposed to be preventing shit like he pulled.” Deadeye glanced at Sword’s retreating form. Sword was following his president as ordered but looked back over his shoulder at us. Was that shame on his face? Regret? “I helped the others try to pull him off you. Wasn’t expecting him to do anything like what he did. He’s a big bastard, and I was afraid we were going to hurt you in the process.”
I shrugged, one tear finally escaping. I was afraid I couldn’t stem the flow once they got started, so I wiped this one away with an angry swipe of my hand. “If he’s an enforcer in your club, I imagine it’s bad form to second-guess his actions with an outsider.” With a sigh, I continued on, following the president. “Let’s just get this over with. I need to get out of here and keep moving.”
“Give us a chance to work this out. Cain’s a fair man, and regardless of how we got started with you, Bones does not turn away anyone in trouble. Especially not a woman alone.”
“I can take care of myself,” I snapped. My anger was making me braver than I really was.
“You look like you walked all the way from Indiana, so I have no doubt you can take care of yourself. But why be on your own when you could have friends helping and looking out for you?”
“Friends. Right.” I lifted my chin so he could see my neck. I had no doubt it was red and bruising. “With friends like these…”
Deadeye winced. “Point taken. Just try to open your mind again. You came here for help. Give us one more chance.”
When I gave him a slight nod -- after all, I didn’t really have any other options -- Deadeye guided me to Cain’s office. I honestly didn’t think I had one more chance inside me. Not after what Sword had done. I just wanted to avoid another altercation.
Once inside, Cain indicated a leather couch across from his desk. “Have a seat.” I sat on one end. Deadeye sat in the middle. Right beside me. So close, his thigh was mashed against mine. He put his arm on the back of the couch behind me, and I found myself wanting him to put it around my shoulders. It was stupid really. He’d been a little crude when he’d found me naked by the stream, but he hadn’t touched me. Hadn’t said anything overtly harassing. He’d let me dress, then taken me to the clubhouse, expressing concern about me being out in the weather. Of all the men I’d met thus far, Deadeye gave me a calm feeling. Maybe it was the way he could stand perfectly still. I didn’t know, but I felt a pull toward him I’d never felt with anyone. My gut was telling me to trust him.
“Now,” Cain began as he leaned his forearms on his desk and laced his fingers together. “Tell me what the fuck’s going on.”
Chapter Two
Deadeye
This girl was cutting out my fucking heart. Her face was heartbreakingly beautiful, her big brown eyes glassy with unshed tears. There were still leaves and twigs in her wildly curling hair, but I’d never seen a more beautiful woman in all my days. The girl was a fighter, too. Strong and stubborn. Sword would probably beat the shit outta me for saying so, but she reminded me a lot of him.