Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“Disorderly conduct?” I stare at the officer and squint at his nametag. “Sorry, Officer Byrne, but you have to be kidding me. What did he do?”
Officer Byrne does not seem interested in helping me. Instead, he instructs me to back off and take a seat, which I don’t take very well, and I’m about to make a real fucking scene when another officer in plain clothes arrives.
“Are you Elena Bianco?” He’s an older guy with ruddy cheeks and white hair buzzed short. “I’m Detective McCarthy. Come with me.”
I follow him back into the maze of corridors. We pass the booking room and several administration offices before we reach a bank of interrogation rooms. “What’s going on?” I ask him, suddenly wary. “Davide’s lawyer should be here soon. Maybe I should wait—”
He gives me an annoyed look and pushes the door open. “It’s being handled.”
I stare past him. Brody’s waiting inside and sitting on top of the table. He’s got a shit-eating grin on his handsome face, and I’ve never been more attracted and repulsed by a human being in my life before.
I step toward him and Detective McCarthy closes the door behind me. Suddenly, I feel like I’m trapped behind bars. “What the hell is going on?” I ask Brody.
“Relax. I took care of everything and looped your lawyer in already.”
I stare at him. “It’s been like ten minutes.”
“And I’m sure you’re very impressed. We’ll call that a new record.”
“Brody. I’m not amused anymore. This isn’t fun. What the hell is going on?”
He steers me into a chair and sits across from me, his eyes glancing up at a camera on the corner of the ceiling. A red light’s blinking. “Just a heads-up, but they’re listening.”
I take a calming breath and blow it out. “What did you do?”
“I called in a couple favors and guaranteed that your brother will post bail very shortly. They’ll release him in a few hours once the check clears.” He shrugs and looks down at his nails like this is the most boring conversation he’s ever had. “Apparently, Davide was in a shouting match with some very unpleasant gentlemen and things were likely going to escalate into a fight when he got picked up. I suspect he was being followed.”
I glare up at the camera. The cops have been all over my brothers since the attack on the oasis, as if we did anything other than defend ourselves during that fiasco. We called in all sorts of favors, both political and financial, and managed to bury it as deep as we could, but the CPD knows the truth about what happened and they’re looking for any excuse to harass my family.
“Elena, it’s going to be fine,” Brody says, leaning toward me. He puts a hand on top of mine. I stare at his long fingers, callused at the ends, like he works outside all day long chopping wood. I glance up at him. “It’s a bullshit misdemeanor. Your family lawyers will tear this to pieces.”
“I know,” I say and feel myself slump back into the chair. “But it’s going to keep happening. The cops have it out for us right now.”
Brody tightens his grip on my hand. “That’s why I’m here,” he says very softly, leaning closer. I stare at his lips, at his mouth, and down at his fingers again, and I wonder what this man could do to me if I let him.
A part of me wants to find out—and another part knows that it would be a massive mistake.
Like he seems so fond of reminding me, our relationship is a business transaction, and while it’s fun to flirt and tease with the big, grumpy asshole, he’s right that I shouldn’t get too attached.
Not that I would. He’s extremely not my type. But he is very attractive, and that’s a problem.
“Are you trying to say that I owe you another favor?” I ask, my stomach doing little twists and turns.
“I think we’re up to three now.”
“Unless I take off my panties. Think the cops would mind?”
His eyes widen a fraction and he pulls his hand back, and I’m pretty sure he’d let me do it if I really wanted.
“Indecent exposure,” he murmurs.
“Barely even a crime.”
“I’d rather not get my fiancée arrested.”
“Too bad. You should’ve just said yes.” I get to my feet and make a show of adjusting the skirt of my dress. “Walk me back to the waiting room?”
He stares at me, eyes roaming down my body, and another thrill runs into my stomach. This man wants me so badly and there’s a kind of power in that, but it’s tempered by the fact that I want him too.
“Right this way,” he murmurs and leads me back into the hallway.
Chapter 8
Brody
The house is packed on a Sunday afternoon. Seamus and Declan are in the living room watching football, drinking beer, and gambling on just about every single play they can. Hundreds get tossed around like candy. Caitlin’s watching, the youngest of the Quinn clan, rolling her eyes at everything, while my oldest sister, Molly, works in the kitchen with Mom and Nolan. I go between the groups, keeping the peace, making conversations, and answering the door whenever a random neighbor, cousin, uncle, or some other obscure members of our enormous extended family decides to show up.