Total pages in book: 227
Estimated words: 220940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1105(@200wpm)___ 884(@250wpm)___ 736(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 220940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1105(@200wpm)___ 884(@250wpm)___ 736(@300wpm)
This is . . . odd.
I wait for the coffee machine to warm up, pondering my day, and watch as it spits out my caffeine, then answer a call from Otto. “Where are you?” I ask.
“In the kitchen.”
I look around for him. No Otto. “I’m in the kitchen.”
“Oh.”
“So where are you?”
A beat. A sigh. “I’m in bed with your—”
“Okay,” I blurt. “Why the fuck are you calling me when you’re in bed with—” I can’t say it. “What do you want?”
“Bean’s back.”
“Got a ring to it, hasn’t it?” I take a sip of my coffee. “Anything else?”
“The Escalade that pulled the drive-by on Brad was seen back in Lake Harbor last night.”
Great. “Now get out of that fucking bed. We’ve got shit to do.” I hang up and shudder, pouting to myself, wondering if Otto’s bottled it. Changed his mind. Or did Mum say no and he doesn’t want to admit it? I send a quick message to James to meet me outside with the others.
“Morning, stud.”
I look up and find Rose in the doorway, Maggie half concealed under her tank. Give me strength, my daughter feeding from my wife should not turn me on. “Come here,” I order, resting back against the counter, taking more coffee. Bean’s not only getting a visit from The Brit today, he’s getting a visit from The Brit high on caffeine.
Rose comes straight to me and leans up, giving me her lips. I drop a kiss on them. Damn it, I am not looking forward to reining in her freedom. She can have today. After that, I have to brave telling her she’s going back to St. Lucia.
“You look beautiful.”
“I just woke up.” She nuzzles my nose and kisses my scar.
“You look beautiful.” I repeat. Her hair’s piled in a messy bun, strands falling down here and there. “Really beautiful.”
“What are you doing today?” she asks, moving back, checking on Maggie. She knows shit’s about to hit the fan. She’s asks me every morning what I’m doing today.
“This and that.”
“Telling Brad about Nolan?” Her eyebrows rise as I down the rest of my coffee.
“Not until I’ve sorted a few things out.”
“Like . . .”
I drop a kiss on Maggie’s forehead, her eyes rooted on me as she suckles. Fuck, she’s a beauty. We created this. Two fucked-up humans made something pure and untarnished. It defies reason. And it blows my mind every minute of every hour of every blessed day. “See you later.” Another kiss for my wife before I leave.
“Aren’t you going to ask what we’re doing?” she calls.
“I know what you’re doing. You’re going to the spa.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
“Not really, but I know my limits, Rose.” I reach up to my nearly fully recovered nose, and her lips straighten. “I’ve put a gun in your purse and there’s a baby carrier in the trunk of Tank’s car. Use it.”
She inhales deeply, but she doesn’t argue.
“Just be vigilant, okay?” There’s no question—if I didn’t trust Tank with my family, they wouldn’t be leaving the house. I need to get this shit dealt with so normal life can resume. I laugh to myself as I head through the entrance hall. Normal life? What the fuck is that?
I open the door and step out, finding Goldie, Otto, and Ringo in one of the Mercs, waiting, and James perched on the bonnet on the Range Rover up front. No Otto. I mutter my disapproval under my breath as I walk down the steps, seeing Brad’s Merc pulling out of the gates down the driveway.
“Did he say anything?” I ask, approaching the car.
“Not a thing. Just slipped into his car and left.”
Weird. He’s absent again, although definitely not as grumpy. Maybe this thing with the lawyer is working out. Still, he’s supposed to be present, and he’s definitely not that. So he walked out of the house, saw all the men in the car, and didn’t think to ask where we’re going? I hum to myself, watching Fury pulling off to tail him. We shouldn’t be out on our own, and I can’t be bothered with a disagreement over that with Brad. So Fury’s just . . . there. At the club, at the boatyard. And we can’t take Brad to where we’re going. “You can drive,” I say to James, getting in the passenger seat. “Bluetooth?” I ask, prompting James to go to the screen.
“I’m connected. Wait up.” He disconnects his phone and connects mine. “You’re good.”
I call Ringo, resting my arm on the door. “Danny,” he grunts. “What’s the plan?”
“Today, Ringo, we kill lots of people.”
“I’m excited.”
I smile. “I want you three to drive up to Lake Harbor and check out the Escalade situation. And I mean, just check it out.”
“You said we get to kill today,” he grumbles.
“Patient, child,” I muse, as James laughs under his breath. “We need information first.” Like why the fuck a retired cop’s vehicle was involved in a drive-by on us. “We’re going to pay a little visit to Bean and then check out the factory units again.” I look out of my window, seeing Otto coming down the steps, a laptop in one hand, his jacket in the other.