Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 46081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
She froze. Holy shit. She was sitting in a car with three huge, rough men whom she knew were capable of violence and destruction, and she didn’t have an ounce of fear.
Looks like all it took to get her over her fear of men were some bullets and a car chase.
Or it took men willing to show her she was safe in their presence no matter how large or tough they were. As a teenager, she’d learned the opposite lesson in a horrific and mentally scarring way. To be around men who could easily harm her—but not only had no desire to but instead seemed to want to protect her—was overwhelming in the best way possible. It didn’t cure her fear of certain men in certain situations that might never happen, but it gave her a place she felt safe enough to let her guard down.
She didn’t need to be on alert at all times.
And that was the best Christmas gift she could have ever received.
Instead of letting herself get bogged down by the events of the night, she decided to take a page from their book. “You three are certifiable,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Now, someone else needs to drive. I was promised ornaments and mulled wine, not a shootout and car chase. You guys better get me a damn good Christmas gift to make up for this shit.”
For a split-second, all three men froze. They’d probably been waiting for her to freak out. But then they all burst out laughing. Even Frost, who had to brace a hand against his ribs.
Rachel found herself laughing as well, which confirmed this had been the craziest night of her life.
CHAPTER NINE
BUSTED RIBS HURT like nothing else. It didn’t matter if he was sitting, standing, or lying down, he had to breathe, and breathing fucking sucked with a ribcage full of bruises.
He’d been home for about an hour, sitting off and on with a frozen bag of corn on his face while sipping whiskey and watching a random movie. He couldn’t even say what it was as he’d given it less than thirty seconds of his attention. Pulse had checked him over when they’d arrived back on Handlers’ property, giving him the green light after applying a butterfly bandage to his cheek and poking and prodding his sore ribs. He’d recommended an x-ray to be on the safe side, but fuck that, Frost hated hospitals.
He’d had broken ribs before. These were just dinged, not broken.
A soft knock on the door had him groaning. No way was he getting up from the couch to find out who’d decided to pay him a visit. Most likely, it was Pulse, checking to make sure he wasn’t drinking with the pain meds he’d taken.
Whoops.
“It’s open,” he called out.
The door opened a fraction, and Rachel’s face appeared. She gave him a soft smile.
Damn, she was a much more welcome visitor than Pulse.
“Hi. I hope I’m not waking you. I couldn’t sleep and thought you might still be awake.”
“Yeah, I’m up. Come on in.”
She stepped into the apartment. Immediately blood rushed to his cock, filling it painfully fast. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, showing off the long lines of her neck and jaw. It was like a bullseye, just beckoning him to nip and lick. She wore a pair of soft-looking sweatpants and a fitted T-shirt. It might be the tightest piece of clothing he’d seen on her, hugging her tits most appealingly. She was on the smaller side, but what the fuck did he care. They were tits, and they were beautiful.
Her gaze went straight to his face, and she winced.
“I look that shitty, huh?”
“Sorry. I shouldn’t have reacted like that. It just looks painful.”
“Pulse hooked me up with some pain meds, and I’ve been icing it off and on since we got back. My face doesn’t feel bad. Ribs, on the other hand… they fucking kill.”
“Is there anything I can do?” she asked, wringing her hands at her waist. She was this adorable combination of nervous and eager.
“Yeah.” He managed to shift to the right with only a small grunt of discomfort. Then he lifted his left arm. “You can sit with me.”
Her eyes widened. “What if I hurt you?”
“It’s the other side. Besides, I’d take the pain any day to feel you all snuggled up to me.”
Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink that went nicely with her purple top. “Promise me you’ll let me know if it’s too much.”
No way. “I promise.”
She arched an eyebrow like she didn’t believe him but came and sat on the couch. With slow movements, she nestled into his side.
“Okay if I put my arm around you?”
“Yes. Thank you for asking.”
He could hear the smile in her voice and settled his arm around her shoulder as she rested her head against his chest.