Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 76953 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76953 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
“Maybe,” I agreed. “I mean, he hasn’t given me any reason to think he is thinking about this as anything more than a hookup. We both agreed that it’s over once I leave the clubhouse.”
“If I were a betting woman, and I am, I would put money on that not happening.”
“I guess we’ll see.”
“How long is it looking like you’ll be there?”
“You know them. Aside from the initial briefing, they’ve been keeping me in the dark.”
“Perish won’t tell you?”
“As far as I can tell, he’s been kept in the dark too.”
“Why?”
“I think maybe Fallon is worried he might get a piece of information and charge over there to deal with Cameron by himself.”
“And they’re, what, worried Perish’s massive body might bend Cameron’s knife?”
“I know, right? All I know is they need to make some progress soon. I’ve already lost my job.”
“The job that you haven’t needed for months? Good riddance.”
“And I have a party this weekend. I can’t cancel it.”
“I’m sure they will figure it out by then.”
“Fingers crossed. Because they probably wouldn’t like having to escort me to this one.”
“Why?”
“It’s for Cian.”
“Cian… O’Donovan?” Layna asked after mentally linking the name. “Irish mob Cian O’Donovan?”
“That’s the one.”
“Another guy I wouldn’t mind bouncing on top of…” Layna said, sounding lost in the fantasy for a second. “Is the club having issues with Cian? I thought we were kind of neutral on them.”
“Well, the word is that the Grassis have their guard up about Cian. So now the club is leaning a little more toward the Grassis.”
“Old allies. Access to the ports…”
“Exactly.”
“Why’d you take the job?”
“Well, at first, I didn’t know who it was for. Someone in his organization reached out to me. Then at the first big meeting… there was Cian.”
“And you didn’t want to piss off the mob.”
“Yeah. I mean, it was also an insane amount of money.”
“What kind of party is it?”
“A welcome home party.”
“Is that a nice way of saying ‘fresh out of prison’ party?”
“Yep.”
“Oh boy. Yeah, Fallon is going to hate that. I can’t believe you haven’t told him yet.”
“I was kind of hoping I wouldn’t need to tell Fallon,” I admitted. Then, hearing footsteps on the ladder, I tensed. “Hey, can I call you tomorrow?”
“Company?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“Okay. Enjoy the amazing D.”
“You make good choices,” I said, having no idea how close she was to doing the exact opposite of that.
“Who you keeping secrets from?” Perish asked, popping up in the trap door opening.
“Heard that, huh?”
“Wasn’t eavesdropping. Was just coming up here to take a shift. You can’t be keeping shit from the club when we’re in lockdown.”
“I know. I was just kind of hoping lockdown would be open before this party.”
“What party?”
“For Cian.”
“Cian O’Donovan?” he asked with a bark of a laugh.
“I know, I know. But I didn’t know at first, then it was too late. I can’t cancel.”
“No, you can’t,” he said, shaking his head. “But I figure Fallon might actually be more comfortable with that than just a normal party.”
“Because there will be a bunch of armed men there?” I asked.
“Yeah. Things are… shaky with the Irish mob, but not unfriendly. Cian isn’t going to hurt you or let you get hurt if he can help it. It would be war in town. And nobody wants that. But you gotta tell him.”
“I will.”
“He’s on his way in now,” Perish told me, finally coming all the way into the glass room.
It was getting dark quickly.
But neither of us reached to turn on the light.
“You know,” I said as he closed the trap door and moved closer, “I’ve driven past this clubhouse a million times. And when this light is off… you can’t see anything from the street.”
“Gracie…”
“Or the ground,” I added. “Which I know for a fact because I’d been looking right up at it when Billie and Rowe were… occupying it. And I would have been scarred for life if I’d seen that.”
“Baby, it’s too risky.”
“Is it?” I asked.
My desire for him had made me bold. And it had been a couple of days since we’d gotten a chance to be fully alone. We’d spent plenty of time with each other. Talking, watching TV, playing cards, eating.
But nothing to ease the ache clawing at my core.
I reached for some blankets, spreading them out, then lowering myself flat.
My gaze was on him as I lifted up, sliding off my pants and panties.
I knew I almost had him when that little growl I loved so much escaped him.
But his gaze slid to the windows, to the world below. To where my cousins or uncles might be.
“Like this,” I suggested, rolling onto my side, cocking my legs up, and waiting for him to slide in behind me, his whole body blocking me from view even if someone could see.
Another of those little growls.
But he slid behind me.
“You’re a bad fucking influence,” he mumbled in my ear.