Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
“I see,” he said as if he understood something he didn’t.
“I doubt it,” I replied just as obnoxiously.
He smirked then and tilted his chin up in his sister’s direction. “You might want to keep her happy.”
“I agreed to come out here with Wayon. There was a lot of people in there, and this seemed less intimidating.” Elsie spoke up.
I didn’t like her response. It wasn’t helping matters.
I could hear my teeth grinding as I continued to glare at Wayon.
“Forge,” Kash said.
I barely flicked a glance at my brother. His brows were drawn together, frowning like Oz. He could go back inside. He wasn’t required here.
“What?” I clipped. This wasn’t his business.
“You’re overreacting,” he told me. “Elsie seems perfectly fine.”
This time, I leveled my gaze on him. “I didn’t ask for your opinion.”
His eyebrows shot up as his eyes shifted from Elsie and back to me in question.
“Seems I might have stepped on toes. I wasn’t aware there was a claim on Elsie,” Wayon drawled.
“What?” Kash asked, cutting his eyes from Wayon to me.
I sent him a warning look. Little shit needed to butt the hell out.
“Not your concern,” I told him.
He didn’t move, but studied me for a moment and the hold I had on Elsie.
“I, uh … we didn’t mean to interrupt your dancing,” Elsie said, jerking her wrist free and stepping away from me.
What the actual fuck?!
I snapped my head around to see what she was doing, and she jutted out her chin defiantly.
“I wanted to come out here with Wayon,” she informed me. “I don’t need protecting from him. I was told he was a family friend. Isn’t that right?”
The challenge in her eyes was making my dick hard. Dammit. Where the hell had this come from?
Wayon held out his hand to her. “Perhaps we can go find another place to get to know each other.”
I started to move between them, but she was faster. Her hand darted out, taking his. Seething, I drew in a breath while she moved closer to him and away from me.
“Forge,” Kash said.
I tore my eyes off Wayon touching Elsie, trying to stop the threat clawing at my chest. The question in Kash’s gaze was clear. He was trying to figure out what this was. Why I was acting … acting … territorial.
“Come on. Let’s go swim,” Lula Mae said, reminding me she was still here.
I’d forgotten about her again.
“That sounds like a good idea,” Kash agreed. “Lula Mae and Wayon are here to help Elsie.”
The reminder wasn’t needed, but I understood his reason for saying it. Lula Mae wasn’t one to handle rejection well. We’d heard the rumors of how she had pursued Storm Kingston in the Georgia branch once. Her insanity had caused issues for him and his now wife.
I didn’t move as I watched Elsie and Wayon go over to the sitting area near the fireplace and take a seat. Too close. I started to move, but Kash’s hand clamped down on my upper arm, squeezing tightly. Right. I was supposed to be entertaining Lula Mae. They were going to help us get to Telos.
I jerked free from his hold. “Let’s get your drink,” I said through my teeth to Lula Mae, then stalked toward the bar.
I wasn’t going swimming. We were going to stay right fucking here, and we could all … visit.
Twenty-Six
Elsie
I gave Cressida a reassuring smile as I walked with Wayon to the sitting area in front of the fire. Although I wasn’t okay, I wanted her to think I was.
My heart was racing in my chest, and it had nothing to do with Wayon and everything to do with Forge. He had been … possessive. Of me. And I’d stood up to him. When I really just wanted to curl up against his chest.
I was proud of myself, anxious about his reaction to it, and nervous to be out here with all of them after I’d done it. The way Forge’s eyes had lit up as if a fire had been ignited behind them made me shiver, but not entirely in a bad way. The only way I could think to describe it was excitement. He excited me in a way no guy ever had. Until him, I hadn’t known this reaction was something that happened to people.
“I …” Wayon began to say, then paused as his gaze flickered over my head. An amused curl to the corner of his mouth appeared, causing me to glance back.
Forge was carrying a beer as he headed in our direction. Lula Mae was right beside him, saying something as she gazed up at him in a way that made my fingers itch to slap her. Forge nodded his head once to whatever she had said, but his eyes dropped from the threatening look he was giving Wayon to me. They softened only slightly. He was angry. My stomach fluttered wildly.