Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 135955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
There’s a beat of silence followed by a howl of laughter.
“That’s not exactly how it works,” Raven cackles.
Major leans forward, nestling his face in my neck and kissing a trail to my earlobe.
“God, I love you.” He vibrates with amusement.
He thinks I’m kidding, but I’m not up for any more surprises.
33
Major
“Did you get it?” Harley swings open the door, yanking me in roughly.
“You told her?” I raise my eyebrows to Ace, who’s leaning against the back of his couch with his arms crossed against his bare chest.
“It slipped.” He shrugs unapologetically.
“Slipped my ass.” His state of undress and Harley’s flushed appearance tell me what I need to know. “You’re weak.”
“He’s not weak. I’m creative,” Harley replies proudly. “Did you get it?”
I pull the box out of my pocket and hand it to her. The shrill screech rings in my ears as she jumps around in a circle.
“This is soooooooo perfect! Gah, I can’t wait to gush with the girls.”
Ace walks over, inspects the ring, and raises his eyes to me. “Good job, brother.”
“When are you asking her?” Harley continues to stare at the ring in awe.
I don’t get the chance to answer because Talon and Ford storm in, Ford’s eyes flying around the house.
My senses go on alert, and I follow his trail.
“Jewls and Rowan here?” Talon clips.
“No, they should be at the house. We left Rowan’s place over an hour ago, and they were stopping by the studio on the way.”
My blood runs cold at the fire blazing in Ford’s eyes. “Hayes Security received a distress alarm from Rowan less than five minutes ago. She’s not answering her phone. Neither is Jewls.”
I rip out my phone, and it doesn’t even ring, going straight to Jewls’ voicemail. Her location finder puts the phone at Rendezvous. “She’s at the salon.”
A sharp pain stabs in my chest. Years of training kick into place. “Let’s roll.”
“I’ll drive,” Talon announces, Ford and I on his heels.
“Harley and I will meet you there,” Ace calls after us.
Talon tosses me his phone before whipping out of the drive. “Get Robbie.”
I press his contact information, and his voice fills the cab of the truck. “You find them?”
“No, Harley left them over an hour ago,” I relay. “Jewls' car is at the salon.”
“Fuck.” There’s a shuffling on his end and the sound of an engine. “We’re on our way to the salon.”
“What do you know?”
“Rowan’s system has a built-in distress signal that activates from her phone or keypad unit. It looks like the signal came in through her phone. But her phone isn’t active right now.”
“Any chance a mistake triggered it?”
Their pause sets my adrenaline spiking.
“It’s almost impossible to trigger without intent. Think of it as a high-tech panic button that has a code.”
“Fuck.”
Harley, Jewls, and Rowan spent the day packing and preparing Rowan to stay at our house for the foreseeable future. For a week, she argued vehemently, insisting a restraining order was enough.
Ford lost his patience, threatening to pack her stuff himself if she continued resisting. After a very public and intense standoff, she agreed to stay in a guest room.
Robbie and Finn observed the standoff, seeing as it took place at the party Saturday night.
After the incident at her house, Rowan’s strength and resilience have transformed her confidence. But even a steely backbone was no match for the wrath of Ford.
The lethal looks and acid tongue she’s given him for two days haven’t affected him.
But even with her mood, she’d answer his calls if she was able.
“Any of you heard from Boyd?” Finn’s question triggers a new fire inside.
“No,” we chorus.
“Shit,” he seethes, “they don’t know.”
“Don’t know what?” My jaw clenches tight.
“Craig Johns’ motion to dismiss was denied this morning. He lost his shit on the lawyer. Witnesses saw him berate her in the parking lot. One woman described him as unhinged.”
“Fucker is unhinged without being charged with a felony,” Talon informs them.
“He’s going after her.” Ford’s deadly conclusion hangs in the air.
“Usually, a dick like him is too much of a pussy to get his hands dirty,” Robbie advises.
“His play didn’t work with a hired hand. He’s taking back control,” I assert.
“Hope you’re wrong, brother. See you in a few.” He disconnects, and I dial Jewls again, getting her voicemail immediately.
“Fuck.” I pound the dashboard.
Talon gets us to the salon in half the time, Ford and I jumping out before the truck stops. The back of the building has two doors. One is a private entrance leading to a stairway to Rowan’s studio. The other is the back of the salon, which also has access to the studio from inside.
The door to the studio is wide open, the electronic keypad busted. Ford and I race up the stairs, him forcing me behind as he draws his weapon.
Shit, I didn’t think to grab my gun out of my truck.