Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 40524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
Later. I’d figure it out and thank someone later. Right now, we had guests approaching in force. Rage like I’d never known before threatened to drag me under, but I held on to Scarlet’s hand firmly. The touch of her skin seemed to calm me when nothing else possibly could. It wasn’t that I was no longer feeling anger. No. My feelings were worse than I’d ever experienced. But, thanks to her nearness and soothing touch I was able to keep all that rage tightly leashed.
For now.
“What’s happening?” I approached Sting with Scarlet in tow. The president was leaning against the door to Wylde’s office while our tech guy studied various monitors and listened to something on his headphones.
“They’ll be here in ten minutes. I’ve got a contingent to greet them at the gate and bring them to the field outside the barn. If there’s a fight, I want it contained. No matter what, there’s gonna be killin’. So?” Sting shrugged. “The barn.”
“Have you spoken to Claw or Rocket?”
“Nothing besides for them to let me know they were coming. You know. Fifteen minutes before they were due to be here.”
“They’re expecting a war,” Scarlet said softly. “Testing your readiness.”
Sting raised an eyebrow at me. I just grinned. “My girl knows.”
“She’ll make you a fine old lady, Mars.”
I looked down at Scarlet. She ducked her head and hid her face in my arm. No doubt she hadn’t meant to speak out loud, but I was glad she did. She fully understood what Grim Road was doing and what would happen once we had them in our compound. “She already does, Sting. She already does.”
As I’d hoped, Scarlet looked up to meet my gaze. I winked at her, and she blushed before moving to wrap her arms around my middle and bury her face in my chest without a word.
As if on cue, I heard the roar of motorcycles approaching. Grim Road was now in our territory. In our compound. Our home.
Scarlet took a breath before straightening and putting her hand back in mine. She pushed her shoulders back and donned a hard expression. I had no doubt she’d learned that particular look from her father.
“Let’s do this,” she said. There was a brave fierceness to her voice that made me proud. I squeezed her hand and gave her a nod before turning to Sting.
“I think we’re ready.”
The other man grinned. “Yeah. I think you are.”
“This is going to be all right.” She spoke softly, obviously a mantra to herself. I nodded, a silent agreement that no matter what we would all survive this day. Hammer, on the other hand…
Yeah. I was looking forward to this. As if she could read my mind, Scarlet said, “I’m not leaving here with Hammer, Sting. I’m staying with Mars. If my dad threatens a war I’ll defer to Mars, but I’m not going anywhere with Hammer.”
Sting gave me a hard look. “Didn’t Mars explain to you how Iron Tzars works?”
“He did. But I don’t expect you guys to go to war for me. You’ve got your own women to think about.”
“And the kids. There are children here too.” Iris approached us and took her place at Sting’s side. Behind her and with their men were Winter and Serelda.
Scarlet stiffened and I could see the shock on her face. If she thought the women were turning against her, she had a surprise coming.
“What kind of club would we be if we didn’t show our children how hard we’d fight for one of our own?” Serelda walked up to Scarlet and squeezed her shoulder. “Fuck Grim Road. If they want a war because they’re trying to take you away from us, we’ll all fucking fight for you.”
“Fuckin’ A!” I turned to see Lemon approaching Wylde’s office, Danica hot on her heels.
“Lemon, go back upstairs. Please?”
“I will not, Dani. Scarlet’s my friend. I’m fighting with her.”
“No one said anyone was fighting.” Sting chuckled. He scrubbed his hand over the back of his neck before meeting Brick’s gaze. “We had no idea what we were gettin’ into when we all took fierce old ladies.”
Brick shrugged. “They are who they are. I wouldn’t have mine any other way. That vicious streak she shows sometimes gives me a hard-on.”
That got a bark of laughter from Scarlet and a frown from Serelda.
“Once this is over, I’ll show you vicious, Brick. Good luck getting through it with your balls intact.”
Brick just smirked. “You love my balls too much to permanently remove them, and I already survived a kick to them once from you. It’ll hurt like a bitch, but I’ll survive. Then we’ll see what happens next.”
His woman tilted her chin and raised an eyebrow. “Challenge accepted, big guy.”
“If the two of you are done playing a verbal game of grab ass, we got company,” Roman groused as he came into the common room from outside. “The boys are takin’ them to the barn field.” Roman nodded at Sting. “We’re ready.”