Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 133975 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 670(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 447(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133975 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 670(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 447(@300wpm)
Lana reached over and touched her arm gently. “Pierce was good at hiding his true character. All of us liked him.”
“Not my brothers. Ice and Storm wanted to kill him from the first day they realized I had a thing for the man.”
“Your brothers want to kill anyone who gets near you,” Steele said.
“They aren’t the only ones,” Preacher pointed out. “And once someone hurts you, no matter how forgiving you are, Alena, we don’t forgive or forget.” There was an ominous warning in his tone.
Keys didn’t nod his head in agreement but instead exchanged a long look with Maestro, Player and Master. The four owned 287 Construction together and also had formed the band Crows Flying. Keys and Maestro took their job of keeping Steele safe very seriously. They were also very protective of Lana and Alena, as were the other members of Torpedo Ink. The club was simply biding its time, waiting until no one would be suspicious if Pierce met with an untimely accident. He was Plank’s, president of the Diamondbacks, right-hand man. They couldn’t go to war with the Diamondbacks. Pierce thought himself safe, but he had no idea how patient they could be.
They knew Lana and Alena were every bit as trained and capable as the male members, but all of them had spent their entire lives doing their best to protect and keep the two girls safe. Each time they’d been abused or raped or tortured in some way, it had left a scar on their souls. Lana and Alena were the only two women who had survived that hellhole, and they’d survived because each one of the boys under Czar’s rule had made them a priority. In their minds, the men tied the survival of the two they thought of as sisters with their own existence.
“You’ve got that beautiful soft spot in you,” Lana said. “We all love that about you. You’re willing to give people a chance. You always have.”
Alena gave her a small smile that didn’t touch her eyes. “I wish I didn’t have it. Betrayal hurts.”
Keys knew betrayal. They all did. He’d accepted his past and the horrific things done to him, but he couldn’t accept what had been done to Lyric. That was why it was so important to retaliate against her parents and brother. They’d thrown her away as if she were garbage simply because her brain worked differently. She was intelligent and wonderful. Compassionate and loving. She shouldn’t have to hide who she was simply because her brain wasn’t the same as every other person’s in the world. Keys was well aware that many of the brilliant discoveries and advances in technology had come from the minds of neurodivergent men and women.
Lyric wasn’t someone who would think in terms of revenge, and neither was Alena. Both had too much compassion and a soft, vulnerable spot that needed protection.
“The director of the Ghosts believes he can get his men past us, but they don’t know about Czar’s ability to read people and Absinthe’s ability to hear lies or compel the truth.” Steele changed the subject back to the night’s work. “We’ll find out tonight if he sent someone after us.”
* * *
Keys kept possession of Lyric’s hand as they threaded their way through the men who had come to the barbecue. She had dressed in soft jeans, faded blue, high-waisted, with a rip over her right knee. The jeans fit like a glove, clinging lovingly to her hips and butt. She’d paired the jeans with a simple wheat-colored classic crewneck cardigan that was short, barely reaching the waist of her jeans. Showing just a little skin. It was long sleeved and would have looked super casual, but she had left the two top buttons undone as well as two at the bottom. Only three were closed, adequately covering her but giving her an edgier look.
She’d left her hair down, something she rarely did. It was thick, straight as a board, falling to her waist in sheets of glossy ruby red. Her barely there makeup managed to emphasize her green eyes even more than usual. And her lips…Keys found himself having to do his best not to fixate on her full, pouty lips colored a soft mauve. Her lips gave him way too many fantasies, and tonight was all about work.
She definitely turned heads, but she didn’t seem to notice, focusing on him, which made Keys feel good. Not only did he feel great with her full attention, but he found most of the tension slipped away. He hadn’t realized he could be ridiculously jealous. He knew she wouldn’t go off with someone else. His idiotic jealousy stemmed from his own insecurities. He wasn’t going to put that on her.
Only two of the members of Rampage had brought a woman with them. Out of respect, knowing they were being vetted, the club hadn’t brought any patch chasers. They weren’t there to party. Czar made that very clear. He was up front with them about what was happening at the barbecue. If they weren’t cooperative, he would simply tell them, No harm done, just walk away. Every member had to be on board. They knew a vote had been taken to join with Torpedo Ink, and they were told it had been unanimous, but Czar wanted Absinthe to confirm that with every member.