Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 37111 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 186(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37111 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 186(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
“Not when guests use the front fuckin’ door, little miss. This is what sneakin’ around gets you.” He’d seemed like he had a sense of humor before. I was starting to realize that might have been more sarcasm than humor. When I looked up at the guy, there was deadly intent in his gaze. If I ran, I had no doubt he’d come after me.
It wasn’t far to the front gate of the compound. Deadeye escorted me inside and straight to the clubhouse. As expected, the noise was deafening. Club girls were interspersed throughout the room, most of them naked. Several of the patched members were there with their women. If they were ol’ ladies or steady lays, I had no idea. But they seemed to congregate together away from the club girls and the brothers they were servicing.
“Sword!” Deadeye called the man’s name from across the room. I scanned the sea of fucking huge men until I saw one look up at Deadeye. His gaze went from Deadeye to me, then back to Deadeye. The look on his face was bewilderment… then slowly morphed into rage.
Sword stood up so fast he knocked his chair over. A woman beside him cried out softly, reaching for him, but he shrugged her off. Then he stomped toward us, his stride getting quicker with each step. The second he was close enough, his hand shot out, and he grabbed me by the throat, squeezing hard. The strength in his grip told me he could break my neck or choke me to death with little effort. It took every ounce of courage and presence of mind I had to stand there passively and not grip his wrist. Doing so would only show weakness. I stood there with my eyes fastened to his and didn’t resist at all. The muscles in his forearms bulged, the veins standing out in stark relief. As for his eyes… This man. Was. Furious.
“What the fuck, Sword?” I thought that was Deadeye but wasn’t sure. My focus was on Sword. Several other men gathered around Sword, seeming unsure what to do. More than one laid a hand on Sword, trying to get him to back off. I could hear voices all around me raised in anger, but they were dim with the increasing roaring in my ears. All I could focus on was the livid features of the man who literally held my life in his hands.
“I don’t know what the fuck Bev’s playing at, but you tell that Goddamned bitch the next person she sends here leaves in a fuckin’ body bag.” His voice was deceptively soft but hard as he got in my face, nose to nose. Deadly. Yeah. I was in trouble.
“Sword.” The woman from the table was at his side now, one hand on his arm, the other on his shoulder. “Let her go.”
“Why are you here, girl?” Sword demanded, ignoring the woman at his side. “What do you want?”
“Sword!” Another man approached, a woman in tow. When my gaze shifted to them, Sword gripped my neck harder, shaking me slightly.
“Look at me, bitch! Not him!”
“Goddammit, Sword! Fuckin’ let her go!”
Sword held my gaze -- and my neck -- for several more seconds. He squeezed just that little bit more. It was enough to cut off my air entirely. It felt like my eyes were bulging out of my head, and my lungs burned. I just held his gaze passively. When he finally let me go, he gave me a hard shove. I stumbled back, tripping as I did. I’d have hit the floor except strong arms closed around me, steadying me on my feet.
I struggled, throwing a high elbow, trying to catch the guy in the chin. “Hey! Take it easy, girl,” Deadeye growled at my ear. “It’s over. He ain’t doin’ nothin’ else.”
“She ain’t gone in the next thirty seconds, we’ll see what else I ain’t doin’.” Sword’s gaze never wandered from mine. Not to Deadeye, not to the other man, not to his woman.
“What the fuck’s goin’ on? Deadeye?”
“Been watching her for a couple days, Cain. She’s been watchin’ the compound. Only called her out cause the weather’s turnin’. Storm’s comin’, and she don’t need to be out in it.”
“Sword?” Cain turned to him, demanding an answer.
When Sword said nothing, Deadeye continued. “She came here specifically for Sword. By name. And I don’t mean his road name, though she knew that as well.”
“Sword. Ain’t askin’ again.” Cain sounded nearly as pissed as Sword looked.
“Don’t know who she is, but I’d bet my life she’s related to Beverly Martin. She and I spent some time together more than twenty years ago. When I first started working for ExFil. Until I figured out she was trying to get information from me.”
“Why do you figure she’s related to your ex?” Again, Cain’s question brooked no argument. Sounded like Sword would answer, or else.