Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
The two shake their heads.
"Then trust me when I say this: Kayra...only pays attention to bad guys."
Understanding dawns, and my friends visibly relax. While I'll never be stupid enough to describe my future wife as a killer on record, I also know my pals are smart enough to read between the lines. I'm trusting them indirectly with the truth, and since these two have always looked up to me...
Greg and Corey are hilariously earnest in their efforts to open up to Kayra when she returns to my side, and their hard work eventually pays off.
"Do you have any hobbies?" Corey asks Kayra.
"Swimming for one, and killing people."
"That's cool—-wait, fuck, what?"
Greg and Corey tense up as Kayra slowly leans forward to say...
"I'm joking."
My friends' laughter is tinged with relief, and the sound has everyone looking at Greg and Corey like they've lost their minds. I've already seen a handful of familiar faces since coming here, but most of them have steered clear when they saw who I'm with...and that's exactly how I want it.
We all have our reasons for loving another person, and this is it for me.
I will always want my future wife to be the kind that strikes terror in the hearts of grown men.
Kayra is my endgame because I know she'll keep her promise.
No matter what happens, she'll live for me.
Even if it means having to break other people's limbs instead, she'll never break my heart by dying, and for someone like me who's already lost one special girl...I can't ask anything more than that, can I?
"What are you looking at me like that for?"
The tightness in my chest instantly eases at the suspicion coloring Kayra's voice. As painful as it is to admit, I'm thinking I'll always be the more emotional one between us...but I still wouldn't have her any other way, since it's why I fell in love with her in the first place.
And as for Kayra's question...
"I'm just marveling at how pretty—-"
Her expression turns immediately sour.
"—-scary you are."
Kayra's face lights up, and it's just too fucking adorable.
"Did you see that, Cor?" Greg groans as I haul Kayra to sit on my lap.
"I wish I didn't," Corey says gloomily, "but I did."
"Major and his new girl have been really mushy, too," Greg goes on to share.
"It's been a while since I last saw Major," I comment. "How is he?"
"He just got engaged, the idiot—-" Corey sees Kayra raise a brow and adds hastily, "He should've done it much sooner is what I'm saying. Right?"
Greg and I laugh while Kayra purses her lips to fight back a smile. It's Kayra being human, and the sight of her right now is so fucking beautiful I'm tempted to give Greg and Corey a mil each, just for being themselves.
"Major is actually the reason we're all here," Greg suddenly recalls. "He and Nicole had their engagement party last night. We should all have dinner together, if you guys are free?"
"Sure." Kayra looks at me as I say this, and I grin. Yes, darling. I like showing you off.
Her lip only curls in response. Yuck.
Greg gets a text back from Major and grins at us. "How do you guys feel about yachting?"
Chapter Twelve
I step out of the changing cubicle and get catcalled for the first time in my life. Any other guy would have his teeth knocked off by now, but since it's none other than Rake who's the culprit—-
No, no, no.
I am not going to give him the satisfaction of rolling my eyes just so he can grin at me and have us flirting again like two idiots.
Rake comes close to place his hands around my waist. His touch is firm and hot, and just like that I'm strangely out of breath as he guides me to turn around so that both of us are facing the full-length mirror. It spans the entire wall opposite the row of changing cubicles, and our reflection on it shows Rake towering over me from behind and looking deliciously hot and manly despite his ultra-preppy attire of white button-down shirt and khaki shorts.
"Damn, Kayra."
His tone is rough with desire, and his gaze hungry as he stares at the sundress I've changed into. It has a halter neckline that I need to securely tie behind my neck and a loose, swirly skirt that's just long enough to hide the gun I have strapped around my thigh.
"You look too hot, dammit."
"You look hot, too," I tell him, and after a moment, I add, "Darn it."
Rake grins. "Stop being so cute."
"Stop being so gross."
But this only makes his grin widen as he turns me around to face him. "Your mug shots seriously haven't done you justice."
"I can say the same about your video in Pornhub."
"In my defense—-filming that video was part of a Strakh op."
"I didn't expect it to be anything else."