Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 76365 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76365 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
She considered my question for a second, her eyes running from my lips to my fitted shirt and slacks. My blood stirred when she lingered on the bulge in my pants, but I squashed it when she shook her head. Now wasn’t the time to think with my cock. She needed a firm hug, not a firm fuck.
“Did I do the right thing, Lotto?” Ari asked quietly.
When she turned her body toward me, I immediately scooped her into my arms and held her close. She smelled and looked absolutely divine. I was one lucky bastard to call her mine.
“Depends on who you ask,” I answered honestly.
“I’m asking you. You didn’t say much.”
I tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, letting my fingers drag over her dangly earrings. “That’s what I mean, angel.” At her confused look, I smiled. “As your lover, I fucking hate it. I don’t want you out there doing something so dangerous. Thinking about Misty’s hands on you makes me want to break her fingers one by one.”
“Stop hanging out with Frankie,” Ari joked and pushed at my chest. “He’s rubbing off on you.”
“He’s rubbing off on all of us.”
We both went quiet. I had no idea where Bones had gone. He needed time to cool off before we talked. My guess was he’d be back at the house waiting for me. I trusted him enough not to pull another stunt like the Nero shit a few months back. But we also barely ever fought so, who knew where he’d end up before there.
“What about the other side?” Ari dug her nails into my pecs.
“As manager of Smiley’s, I think it’s just what we needed.” I began rubbing her arms through the sleeves of her dress. “You get to uphold your dad’s legacy, we fix this place up with Troy’s bribe, and you get to kick the shit out of Misty Perk. Two hot women wrestling in a cage match? A hundred K will be nothing to the rich fucks in the crowd. Even if you lose, we’ll get plenty with that ten percent.”
Ari frowned. “You think I’ll lose, too?”
“No. I think you’ll knock her out through sheer will. But I don’t trust Teo, unless Jace Perk dresses up like his ex-wife and asks for another bump in child support.”
My joke made her laugh, and the sound warmed me. I hadn’t realized how tense my body was until her smile calmed me.
“Think we can ask Troy to throw that in the contract?”
“He’d probably say yes.” I shrugged. “As long as it gave him more money.”
Ari’s giggles faded into a sad smile. I nipped her chin with my thumb, and she leaned into my hand. “I hate fighting with them. But…”
“You have to do this. I know.”
“What can I do to convince them?”
“Leave it to me, angel.” I knocked her chin again with my fingers. “I’ll convince them. They’ll agree by the end of next week. Trust me.”
“And how are you going to do that?”
My grin grew sly. “In our own, personal way.”
Chapter 13
Bones
Icrushed the empty can between my hands and threw it onto the dining room table.
Non-alcoholic beer was a damn joke, but I wasn’t going to fall into old vices.
Even if Coors Edge was the worst thing I’d tasted since some guy’s ball sweat a few matches ago.
Now that we were set to headline Seattle’s biggest underground attraction at Heathens Hollow in barely two months, I needed to be on top of my game. At my best. Ari said I was in my prime, and I sure felt like it.
Then why couldn’t I beat River?
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his right hook coming straight for my jaw. I could still feel the pain in my side when he cleaned my fucking clock.
He was a fucking hurricane, and I was wading through the storm without a raincoat.
Would two months really be enough to get into shape? Never mind trying to figure this shit out with Ari. Lotto was right. Troy’s money would make Smiley’s state of the art and line our pockets for a while. Plus, whatever we won and bet at Heathens Hollow. We’d be rich as fuck if we could pull off the win.
If we could.
My head pounded like I’d had ten beers, and I rubbed at my temple with a knuckle. Everything about this situation pissed me off. Dealing with Nero and throwing the matches had been my choice—a shitty choice, but a choice, nonetheless. But with Troy, it was different. It wasn’t going to end with saying no. Dicks like Troy Godwin would come after everything to make you bend at the knee, then laugh in your face when you finally did it. Signing a decent contract was the best-case scenario for Smiley’s.
But that didn’t mean I had to like it.