Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 69098 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69098 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
“I’m sorry,” Jace mutters. “Man, I really am sorry. It was unacceptable. I get that.”
Rowdy tilts his head to the side, the tension in his shoulders and back never leaving. “I don’t believe you and I don’t fucking trust you.”
Once I make sure Ryder has a watchful eye on CJ, I slowly creep toward our older brother. When Jace sees me, relief flashes in his eyes. It unnerves me that he sees me as his savior. He was just talking shit about fucking our baby sister and thinks I’m going to save him.
Because he can sense I have some weird thing going on with Logan?
Am I that transparent?
What he doesn’t see is my unwavering desire to protect my family. Not his. Mine.
“You can’t kill him,” I say, gently touching Rowdy on the back. “But you can kick his ass. That shit he deserves.”
Jace’s eyes narrow to slits and something dark passes over his expression. Before I can interpret it, Rowdy releases him. Briefly. In the next second, his knife is tossed away and he’s charging Jace.
“Oof!” Jace grunts as Rowdy sacks him.
Rowdy, now straddling his adversary, raises his fist and then slams it down on Jace’s face. I shy away from the brutality, choosing to look back at Ryder. Ryder smirks, his boot firmly planted on CJ’s spine, keeping him sprawled out on the earth.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Rowdy is relentless in putting the beat down on Jace. Just because I don’t want to watch him bloody him to a pulp doesn’t mean I don’t agree with it. It would have been different if Jace were talking shit about Raegan. That girl can handle herself and could probably give him a similar ass whipping that Rowdy’s doling out.
But Dez?
Destiny is innocent and fragile. She’s a sweetheart who deserves to be loved and protected. Not lusted after by men who have no business saying such things.
Yeah, Jace has earned every punch.
“He’s going to murder him,” Ryder says in a conversational tone. “Shame.”
The sarcasm in his voice has me breaking into a highly inappropriate grin. I bite down on my lip to make it go away. Ryder’s attention falls to my mouth, which in turn has heat prickling over my flesh.
Last night was supposed to be a one-time thing.
I’m supposed to be doing everything I can not to think about Ryder and what we did when we were all alone.
My dick, no longer trapped by my cotton boxers, twitches and swells, nudging against the zipper of my jeans.
Seriously?
I’m getting hard right now?
With three other witnesses, two of which are on the fast track to becoming enemies?
Unbelievable.
Ryder’s smile widens, a knowing glint in his eyes. That taunting, teasing expression he wears is not helpful. Not helpful at all.
“When you’re done with that shithead,” Ryder calls out to Rowdy, “do you want to take a few swings at this one?”
Right.
There’s a squirming man under my brother’s boot.
It’s not just me and Ryder, alone and flirting. These shared smiles are definitely some strange way of flirting. Fuck.
Rowdy lets loose a violent roar and then slings himself off Jace’s prone body. He staggers to his feet before scooping up his weapons. Jace, face bruised and smeared with blood, moans in pain. He tenderly touches his cheek and whimpers.
He’s alive, but that shit has to hurt.
Ryder finally releases CJ and steps away from him. CJ rises to his feet, shoots me a disgusted glare, and then rushes over to his cousin. Rowdy is busy shouldering his rifle and sheathing his knife, seemingly no longer bothered by Jace aside from the crimson rage still painting his cheeks. His chest heaves and his hair drips with sweat. Other than those tells, he ignores the moaning piece of shit on the ground.
“Let’s get something straight,” Rowdy says, voice deceptively calm as he turns to regard CJ and Jace. “You fell, had a fight with a bear, or ran into a fucking tree. I don’t give a shit what you tell them, but you won’t tell them it was me.”
Jace, whose face is swelling heavily on his left side, doesn’t say anything but instead glowers at my older brother through his one eye that’s not swollen shut.
“If you tell them it was me,” Rowdy continues, “I’ll tell my father what you want to do to his child.” Rowdy lets loose a dark chuckle. “What you just received will feel like a favor. My father won’t be so generous. Understood?”
Both CJ and Jace each nod once.
“Good.” Rowdy motions for me and Ryder to follow him. “Let’s get the hell away from these assholes.”
* * *
* * *
I can’t explain what happened last night.
It was terrible and beautiful rolled into one confusing memory.
The flames from my jealous anger at Ronan kissing Logan lashed at my mind, singeing it irreparably. I wanted to burn Logan’s touch, scent, and presence from Ronan’s flesh.