Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 34198 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 171(@200wpm)___ 137(@250wpm)___ 114(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34198 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 171(@200wpm)___ 137(@250wpm)___ 114(@300wpm)
Maybe if Natalia hadn’t said anything, he could go on pretending that he wasn’t slowly falling for Tamryn, but since she planted the poisoned seed, there was no denying her words hadn’t influenced him to cut things off with Tamryn. Now seeing the smug satisfaction in Natalia’s eyes he saw that she’d been waiting for him to do just that. He took a step away from her and glared. “Why does it bother you who I choose to be with? As long as I continue to fund this endeavor that should be it.”
She moved closer to him and placed her hand on his chest. “We’re old friends and as your friend, I’m just showing a little concern is all. You’ve never been with any of the other girls for so long and I didn’t want you to get too attached.”
He raised a brow. “Why would it matter if I did?”
“It’s bad for business. I don’t know why you’re getting so defensive. All these girls are nothing more than hookers, highly paid ones albeit but still whores, nonetheless. You’re not getting any younger, darling, and eventually, you’ll want an heir. You’ll need the right woman on your arm for your image. None of these girls can give you that, especially that thing you dragged off the street. When you first brought her to the Devil’s Den, I can’t tell you how disgusted I was. I never took you to be a bleeding heart, but I suppose we all have our lapses of judgment. Besides, nothing would have come of it anyway; she’s having the time of her life with a new client. You should have seen the way she was throwing herself at him. Guess you didn’t mean much to her either.”
Seamus pulled away from Natalia and gave her a long hard look, really seeing her for the first time. One of the reasons he had gotten along so well with Natalia in the past was because he believed that she understood him and they had similar pasts with fathers who had criminal ties.
Natalia had seemed to take their split well and didn’t make a fuss like he expected most women would, but had she been biding her time all along? That dig at Tamryn wasn’t missed by him. “If I didn’t know any better, Natalia, I’d think you were jealous. And my question to you would be, what exactly do you have to be jealous of if she’s nothing but a street rat, as you put it?”
“Exactly!” she snapped. “That bitch was walking around here like she was better than everyone else, better than me. She’s a nobody who gets paid to fuck for money.” Natalia’s face twisted into something ugly and undesirable.
Seamus, who considered himself a good judge of character, had been completely fooled by her. His mistake with her was thinking she didn’t want anything from him besides the financial backing he already provided to the club. But the one thing he learned early on was if a person wanted something badly enough from you, they would be willing to wait. Not only that, but they would do what they had to do to get it. He silently cursed himself for labeling her as a non-factor.
He clenched his fists at his side “Even if I did want to settle down as you so delicately put it, who do you think I should choose? You?”
“Well, you could do worse, and we do have a history. I would even allow you your dalliances. We can expand the club and have one in every city. We can make a lot of money.”
“I see. I think you got a little too comfortable with the idea of me eventually coming back to you. I see that this partnership isn’t going to work out. But then again this was never really a partnership, was it? You always expected something from me that I wasn’t willing to give.”
She grasped his arm. “You’re just sowing your wild oats. Eventually, you’ll get tired of these whores, and you’ll come back to me.”
Seamus shook her off. He was aware Natalia had a healthy ego, but he never realized that she was delusional. “This isn’t Fairytale Land where if you keep wishing for something it’s going to come true. It’s never going to happen. As I said before, I think it’s better if you and I sever all ties. I’m sure you’ve earned enough capital to buy me out. I’ll accept a fair offer.”
She shook her head and grasped his arm again. “You can’t do that. Seamus, we’ve known each other too long for you to turn your back on me like this.”
He yanked his arm out of her hold. “Be careful. You look like you’re becoming unhinged.”
She narrowed her eyes and sneered. “Fine, walk away but if I buy you out, I’m kicking that street trash out too. She doesn’t belong here.” A grin of malevolent satisfaction curved her lips. “And anyway, by the time Brian gets through with her, I doubt any client would find her appealing anyway.”