Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 79382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
"We don't exactly sit on our fucking hands all day," Reign said, shaking his head. "The Abruzzo family thinks it wants to go off to meeting with the Russians and Irish and Mexicans and Chinese all the fucking time? Do they have any fucking idea how unpredictable they all are?"
"I imagine they figure since you have had peace for so long that all your relations are solid. Who the fuck do I have to fuck to get some coffee around here?" he blurted out suddenly, making me let out a surprised laugh before pushing off the wall and walking to the kitchen.
"Don't worry about the payment," I said as I passed him, "you're not my type, L."
He was actually. Except he was too young.
"You're not my type either," he said casually, not bothering to sugarcoat it, as was his nature.
I moved into the kitchen, glad to be out of there, to be away from the almost overwhelming swirling emotions in the other room. Quiet, it had felt like forever since I got any.
At least back at Hailstorm, there was always somewhere I could sneak away to to get some peace. There wasn't a whole hell of a lot of places to escape at The Henchmen compound, especially with the kids running around.
"What's that kid's story?" Renny asked as I was scrubbing the coffee pot.
"He doesn't have one he is willing to share," I shrugged.
"And you accept that?" Renny asked, sounding surprised.
"People deserve to have their secrets at times."
"Bullshit," he shot back, making my head snap over to him, finding him watching me.
"It's not bullshit."
"It is complete and utter bullshit," he said, shaking his head. "You don't believe that at all. I'd bet you have files on every other fucking person at Hailstorm. And, for that matter, everyone who is a major player in this town." He wasn't wrong, so I just turned back and rinsed out the pot, filling it with fresh water. I went over to pour it into the machine, finding Renny standing right near it and too stubborn to move so my shoulder and arm brushed his chest as I filled the machine. "What does my file say, sweetheart?"
I felt my belly wobble at the low, intimate way he asked, his breath warm on my ear, making a shiver move through my insides.
The familiar warning alarm was going off somewhere inside, but it seemed more muffled, lost under the heavy blanket of desire.
I had been there too long. I had been around Renny and his flirting for too long. He was wearing me down. And that was not good.
I made my hand lift, hitting the button for the machine, taking a deep breath as it started to drip.
And it was right about then that his hand moved out to my hip then slid across my back, landing on the other hip and using it to turn me toward him. Already standing so close, our chests pressed into each other and my breasts forgot we were supposed to be resisting him and swelled in desire.
"You're losing those defenses..." he said, his arm tightening around my lower back. "You gonna admit you want me yet?" he asked, his voice deeper.
"Renny, I..."
"Where the hell is L's coffee?" Lo's voice called. "He's going to come to blows with Repo at this rate... oh..." she said as I sprang away from Renny, my face heating.
"It's dripping," Renny said easily, obviously not as embarrassed about being caught as I was. "If he wants, he can come in here and stick his head under it and drink it as it comes out, he's welcome. Though I don't think the insurance here covers third degree burns from idiot coffee drinkers."
"Idiot," Lo mused, pressing her lips together, her brown eyes dancing. "I think I might just tell him you called him that." Then she looked over at me, her head cocking to the side. "Mina, come take a walk with me," she invited, nodding toward the door.
What was left of The Henchmen generally didn't spend much time out on their property. They were too few and too valuable. But Lo and I could walk around freely as the Abruzzo family didn't seem overly invested in taking any of us out. Which was a smart move on their part. No matter how big their operation had gotten, they didn't want to mess with Hailstorm.
"So, Renny, huh?" she asked as soon as we stepped outside, turning and waving at the kids who were up in the DARPA glass enclosure on the roof- nothing, no firearm in the world, could penetrate that glass. They were as safe as could be up there.
"No, Lo," I objected immediately, shaking my head.
"It didn't look like a no in the kitchen," she added.
"Renny is a flirt," I brushed it off.
"He is," she agreed with a nod. "But I have seen you shatter a man's ego with a few carefully chosen words when they wouldn't back off before."