Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 138683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
“Told you if he came around you again, things weren’t going to go so well for him.”
“And you absolutely cannot do anything reckless, Milo. We are in this to get your kids back, not so you can end up in jail because of my asshole ex. Promise me.”
My hand found his shirt, and my fingers curled into the fabric that stretched tight across his chest.
His heart ravaged at his ribs, and I could feel his ghosts in the tremor of his hands.
Violence.
It writhed and thrashed where he kept it chained.
He leaned in and grated the words so close to my mouth I could taste them. “Make no mistake, Tessa. I’d burn the fucking world down before I let him get to you.”
Then he stood and was gone.
FIFTEEN
MILO
I prowled through the crowd that had gathered at Absolution.
It was no different from any other night. Except for the unhinged rage that streaked through my veins.
Eating me raw as it clawed and gnashed and searched for a way out.
Lights strobed in a dizzying whorl, and the band onstage thrashed to the chaotic rhythm.
A slew of bodies slammed in time.
My hands were in fists, and my teeth were clenched as I shouldered through the crush that vied to push deeper into the fray.
It had taken every part of my haggard soul not to veer off course on my way to work and drive straight to Karl Haller’s house and show him exactly what I’d wanted to do that day last week.
Somehow, I’d managed to drive my ass directly to the club without taking a disastrous detour.
Had worked on this shit for years.
Controlling the rage.
The pit of ugliness that seethed.
Now, it boiled and blistered and seared my flesh.
A tattoo of destruction.
I stormed through the crowd, eyes peeled for anyone stepping out of line.
I wondered if I was the inciter of it. If my fury had spilled out from my pores and into the crowd to feed the mayhem.
Because I felt when the disorder had shifted into a riot.
A bunch of people came stumbling back while a small group went ballistic in the middle.
Half of the crowd hurried to get out of the way, but a ton of others pressed in to get a better look at the fight that had broken out at the base of the stage.
I shouted to get out of my way as I pushed through the ring of madness.
About half a dozen assholes were in an all-out brawl.
Arms swinging wide.
Punching and kicking.
Three tumbled to the floor.
Heavy metal played on like an anthem to the frenzy.
I nabbed one of the assholes by the collar and jerked him to his feet.
A woman came rushing for us, shouting the guy’s name.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw it, but not before it was too late.
The motherfucker to the side of her threw an errant fist as she ran past him, no fuckin’ care of where it landed.
It cracked the woman in the temple.
She stumbled to the side in shock, grabbing hold of her head and bending in two as a shout of pain wailed out of her. Someone grabbed the woman and pulled her back to safety.
But there was no safety for the scum who’d hit her.
The violence inside me broke its chains.
The sleaze hadn’t even slowed after he’d assaulted her but had gone for another man.
I tossed off the guy I’d had in my hold and stalked toward him.
In a flash, I had him by the throat. “You piece of shit.”
His eyes went wide as I squeezed.
A second later, Sage, Kult, plus two other bouncers broke through the frenzy.
Trent barreled in behind them.
“Get these assholes out of here,” Trent shouted.
Took all of a second for my crew to round them up. I shifted the fucker who was raging against my hold so I could drag him out, and in a flash, we were shoving back through the gawkers and hauling their asses to the side door.
Violence clouded and compelled, a vicious scream that howled in my ear.
I fought it.
Pounded it back down into the depths where it belonged.
Where I couldn’t let it free.
One of the bouncers held open the door while Kult, Trent, and two others dragged the guys out.
“Cops or the door, sir?” Kult asked Trent.
Trent shoved the guy he had a hold on out the door, sending him sailing.
“Fuckers can take their bullshit outside.” Trent pointed at the guy he’d tossed to the curb. “Don’t want to see your face in my club again. Got it?”
“Whatever, asshole,” the guy swore, backing away and swiping the blood from his mouth.
I slipped out, angling to the side so I could wrangle the bastard out who was kicking and flailing.
“You’re lucky I didn’t end you,” I growled at his ear before I shoved him toward the road.
I turned around to head inside.
I heard the rush of footsteps before he jumped on my back. He slammed me so hard I lost my balance and got knocked to my knees.