Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 82881 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82881 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
I toss a knife into the air, considering if it’ll make me feel better or worse if I kill River today. I’ll be sad to say goodbye to his cock, but at least if he’s six feet under, I won’t have to deal with this uncomfortable, uncontrollable rage.
“Miss,” Clay says, shaking me from my thoughts. I look up at him. “Now that your agreement is over with Mr. Bently, will you require our extra services again?”
“No,” I say automatically. I won’t. Not only is my need for River still very raw, but I don’t want another man’s hands on me right now.
It comes out so quickly that we’re all slightly taken aback. I had been reliant on these two for so many years to bring my stress levels down. And now I only want River, because what? He says so?
“Did we do anything wrong?” he asks, and I’m surprised by the vulnerability in his tone.
“No,” I answer.
“Okay, miss,” he says and then enters the house again, leaving Vance behind to stand stoically.
Everything went to shit as soon as River Bently came to town. I cut the knife through the air as I hit call on River’s number.
He answers on the first ring. “Sweetheart. Two calls in one day; we’re making leaps and bounds.”
“Fuckface,” I sing back at him.
“Oh, she’s spicy,” someone says on his end. I think it’s Michael.
“You’re on speaker in the car.”
“That sounds like your stupidity, not mine.”
“Pull over,” he orders to someone.
“Sir, we’re on a highway,” Michael says. It’s unusual that Michael’s driving.
“Fucking hell,” River grumbles.
“Do you think sending me more jewelry is actually going to put me in a good mood or let you touch me again?”
“I’m gonna pull over,” Michael says.
“Yeah, I think that would be a great idea,” River snarks before I hear honking and then his cool, silky voice is directed back at me.
“Sweetheart, is that any way to talk?” he growls, and I want to throw my phone. “No, I didn’t send it to you for a fuck, but if you’re offering, I won’t say no. I also want to say how unreasonable you’re being about the Amanza thing, considering you walk around with your two guards who you used to fuck two months ago.”
Rage ignites in my veins. He wants me to be reasonable? Oh, that shit ain’t going to fly.
“You like diamonds, I like you. It’s a simple fix,” he says, and I can hear the noise from the background, cars driving by.
“I don’t like you,” I tell him.
“Yeah, I kind of think you do. Since I have the scratch marks to prove it.” He pauses. “Oh, and in case you were wondering, my lip is all healed, ready to taste your sweet pussy again. When would you like to arrange that?”
“You’re awfully cocky,” I say. “Do you know what I’m doing right now, River? I’m flipping knives for target practice and imagining your fucking face on the bullseye.”
“Well, I couldn’t imagine you’d be aiming at my cock since you like it so much. My cockiness involves my cock being buried deep inside you, Anya. Preferably sooner rather than later.”
“And our agreement?” I repeat.
“How long are you going to hide behind that? You and I both know this has nothing to do with me blackmailing you.”
“I fucking hate you. Don’t call me again.”
“You called me, Red,” he says.
“Fuck off, Lake.”
He’s chuckling as I hang up on him and throw the knife, hitting dead center.
Fuck, I hate it when he’s right. I hate that I’m calling him just to pick a fight so I can hear his voice.
I’m losing my fucking mind.
CHAPTER 38
River
Fuck, this is just what I need; her angry with me just after I tried to patch things up. I may like it in the bedroom, but not when I can’t touch her.
“You really do know how to pick them,” Michael says, laughing in the driver’s seat.
“Yes, it seems I do,” I say, shaking my head. And I suspect any moment now she’s also about to receive the lingerie sets I paid to be delivered today.
But what’s the worst that could happen? Jewelry and lingerie… surely, those will lift her mood.
The car comes to a stop out front of the airport, and I spot my mother right away. She’s tiny, her head, with its light-blond curls, only coming up to my chin. She waves with a kind smile when she spots us. Michael and I both step out of the car as I walk around to give her a hug. Her arms go around my waist, and she pulls me into her. Michael grabs her bags and puts them in the trunk.
“My boy. Gosh, I’ve missed you,” she says as she gives me a once-over.
She always tells me I remind her of my deceased father. She never re-married, and as far as I know, she hasn’t dated anyone for a long time. Which means I’m her world, so I make sure to make her mine. I send her money, even though she tells me to stop. I bought her a house when I got my first real money, and while I don’t outright tell her what I do, I suspect she knows it’s not all legal. No investor makes this much money, unless it’s dirty somewhere along the line.