Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 67039 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67039 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
“You know.”
“I don’t miss much.” Ronan shrugs.
“I know everything.” Z wiggles his brows. He is a smart little shit, but it’s more tech-related. Z leans forward, putting his elbows on his knees. “The thing I’m missing is why are you avoiding the girl? You can have her now. I mean, you always could have, but you’re not all right in the head.” He taps the side of his temple.
“You moved her in,” Ronan points out.
The fucker behind me makes another sound. I turn back around and hit him hard enough to knock him out for a few minutes.
“And I put a target right on her head. I just didn’t know it would be my own fucking father that would bring it to the light. I need to keep her safe.”
“Why is that, War?” Z leans back in his chair again. “Why do you need to keep her so safe? She was fine out there in the world.”
“No, she wasn’t!” I bark.
“Why not?” Z pushes.
“If I latched on to her, someone who doesn't tend to be drawn to females, sexual or otherwise, then anyone else with eyes would too. She’s not safe wandering around.” It sounds logical in my head, but as I speak the words, I can hear they are crazy. "I'm not rational when it comes to her, and I have no fucking clue what I'm doing."
"All right then." Z comes to his feet. "Why don't you tell us what you do and want to do to her?"
"Watch it." I take a step toward my brother.
"Mind out of the gutter." Z shakes his head at Ronan. "I was thinking more along the lines of jewelry or a romantic date." Ronan cracks a partial smile.
"How about you finish with this guy?" Ronan nods to the knocked-out man. "Then we'll give you dating tips."
"You two have dating tips?" I glance between the two of them. Z is married to his computer, and I'm not sure what the fuck Ronan does in his free time, but it's not romantic.
"We got Google," Z says, like we're the dumbest shits in the world.
"You do realize I get married tomorrow," I remind them both. We're miles past dating.
"Then finish with him already. Place fucking stinks."
Z's not wrong. This place fucking stinks and tastes like shit. Everything does when you don't get to kiss and smell the fresh flowers and sunshine that is my soon-to-be wife.
Without her, everything is starting to be pointless anymore.
Chapter Eleven
TOVA
In all my life, I have never snuck out before. I’m not really sure this would count because I’m an adult who is getting married tomorrow. It’s that I don’t want to explain anything to anyone right now. Except my best friend, but she’s coming with me. I want to be able to talk freely and not worry that my parents might overhear us.
I slide the window open before dragging my vanity chair over to it to stand on. I flip off my bedroom light and grab my headphones. I’m halfway out the window when a vibration scares me, making me tumble right out the window and onto the ground.
Thankfully, it’s not a far fall at all, and my phone lands right next to me, still vibrating with the call that had spooked me. I grab it off the ground, sitting up. Not sure how, but my glasses remained on my face.
“You scared me. And it may have made me fall out of the window.” Marks bursts into laughter. “It’s okay. I’m fine.”
“Am I really your best friend if I don’t laugh?”
“Fair point.” I make myself get up, glancing around to make sure the coast is clear, but if I were busted, I’m sure it would have happened during my roll out the window. "This was your idea," I remind her.
"You to your dock yet?"
"No, but I'm headed there." I trip over a stupid rock. The glasses that have lights on them don't sound so stupid anymore.
"Are you okay?" Marks lets out another laugh. "This might have been a bad idea."
"Oh, now that I'm out the window, you say that."
"We have to do something wild. Not as though we are having a bachelorette party."
"Did you want to go and see strippers?" I tease her. She makes a gagging sound.
"Don't you think that's cheating? I mean, you're engaged, and you let a person rub all over you?"
“Right? Just because the building is named ‘strip club’ or something similar doesn't mean you can touch others. It’s strange to me.” I admit I’m talking out of my ass. I’m in an arranged marriage.
“So it would bother you?” I stop walking. I can sense she is getting at something. I’m not sure why, because she has no clue about the Marino family. I have made sure to never say that name before.
“Are you getting at something here, Marks?” I ask her.