Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 149148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
But Helios...
Her nails dug deeper into her palms.
Helios was so damn unfair.
He had made her think it was possible he could want her, and now...
And now it was obvious he hadn’t ever wanted her.
MJ looked down at her palms with almost numb fascination, wondering what she had to do to make herself bleed. Anything to distract her from the fact that Astrid was stroking Helios’ chest with her red nails while she whispered something in his ear, a naughty expression on her stunning face.
The sound of applause made MJ look up, and she sucked her breath in when she saw Astrid confidently walk to her own bike, hips swaying provocatively with each step. The crowd of bikers cheered when she swung one leg over the seat before settling down and making its engine roar.
And then she was off, speeding towards the ramp without warning, hair flying behind her. She was a sight to behold as she went up then down then up and down again, doing this several times to gain momentum for that perfect double spin in the air.
Wolf whistles and roars of approval erupted from the crowd as Astrid executed the stunt perfectly. When she rode back to Helios’ side, she switched the engine off and looked over her shoulder.
At MJ.
“Your turn.”
MJ’s eyes widened. Surely Astrid couldn’t have been speaking to her?
But her doubts were soon dispelled when, after not receiving a response, Astrid walked towards her, stopping only when she was a step away from MJ.
Since Astrid was half a foot taller than she was, MJ was forced to look up, and the action had the other volunteers snickering behind her. MJ’s cheeks burned.
One perfectly shaped brow lifted. “Well? Didn’t you hear me?” Astrid asked snidely. She gestured to the bikes behind her. “Take your pick then it’s your turn.”
Astrid had thrown a magnificent fit in her own dorm when she learned that Helios Andreadis had taken a girlfriend of sorts. Being the President’s girl was what she had always aspired to be, and it made Astrid sick with rage that some small-town nobody had usurped her position.
Now, sensing the discord between Helios and the little slut, Astrid was determined to push the two further apart.
She crossed her arms against her chest. “Come on, little girl.” Astrid deliberately used the same reference Helios himself had used the other time, having her own little birds informing her about everything that went on inside the club.
MJ flinched at Astrid’s choice of words, her gaze immediately seeking Helios in her pain, thinking that he was the one who had told Astrid about it.
Helios’ face hardened. It was obvious what MJ was thinking – what everyone was thinking. Even Kellion was looking at him with grim disapproval, and Hallie was glaring at him. He had an urge to strangle Astrid for her taunts, but he kept himself in check.
She deserved this for daring to play him for a fool.
Astrid grabbed MJ’s wrist and dragged her towards where the bikes were parked. “I’m very competitive, but I’m not totally heartless. I heard you’re not so crazy about bikes so how about you just ride one until the end of this lane? No ramps. No stunts. Just one straight ride to prove that you want to fight for Helios.”
When MJ didn’t speak, Astrid asked with a smirk, “Or are you giving up on him?”
The surprisingly apt question had MJ paling, and she unconsciously turned towards Helios. Was she giving up on Helios?
Before she could answer, someone said in a furious voice behind her, “Don’t do it.”
Helios stiffened, recognizing Yuri’s voice even before he saw his friend stalking towards MJ’s side. Yuri looked haggard. He had been missing since yesterday. Had the two been together last night, talking about him? Laughing at him?
He had not used the CCTV to find out where MJ was, not trusting himself with the consequences if he did catch MJ in a more compromising situation with Yuri.
But now, looking at Yuri’s haggard face and the angry concern in his eyes as he gazed at MJ, Helios knew that the two shared something special. Something he was not a part of.
It took a while for MJ to realize that someone was talking to her. Lack of sleep, stress, and the pain of Helios’ suddenly cruel attitude had made her especially vulnerable, and when she found herself surrounded by James’ favorite torture devices, she just could not breathe.
Relax, relax—
“MJ? She felt someone shaking her and looked up, blinking several times before her gaze cleared. It was Yuri.
“You don’t need to do this,” Yuri gritted out again. He had just come back from another trip to MJ’s hometown and this time, he knew the truth about her. He knew everything about her. She was not going to be good news for the club, but she was good news for Helios. That was enough. Or at least it would be if Helios could get his head out of his ass before he ended up ruining everything for both of them.