Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 37093 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 185(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37093 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 185(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
Taking a breath, I did as he commanded… and came face-to-face with the man who’d haunted my dreams for two fucking years.
“Why did it have to be you?” I looked into those dark eyes I’d seen every single time I closed my eyes, refusing to look anywhere else. Unable to look anywhere else. He mesmerized me the same now as he did two years ago.
“It had to be someone. You’d rather it had been your brother?” He raised an imperious eyebrow at me.
“Ain’t like he won’t be here in less than twenty-four hours once you tell him. Besides, he’s my brother. Not a man.”
Cyrus actually barked out a laugh. “Can’t wait to tell him that. How exactly would you classify him if not a man?”
“My brother.”
Any humor in his eyes died in that instant. He knew what I meant, and he wasn’t happy about the implication.
“Don’t even think about it, Odette. I’m not the man for you.”
“Nope. You’re not.” I straightened and pushed back against him. To my surprise, he didn’t immediately let go. Instead, his grip around my waist tightened.
“Let me go.”
“Not until we get a few things straight.”
“Look, I’m gonna puke again.”
He gave me a hard look and shook his head slightly. “Stitches is coming back to check on you. You’re still dehydrated. How much’d you drink?”
“Too much,” I snapped. “OK? I know I fucked up. I don’t need you tattling on me to my big brother. Now get out.”
I didn’t really expect him to, but he did. Cyrus stepped back, holding my gaze in the mirror for a few more seconds before leaving the bathroom. Immediately, I wanted to call him back. Cyrus was my hero. My knight in shining armor. I’d never admit it to a soul, but the only reason I’d been with that prospect two years ago was to get inside the compound to get a closer look at Cyrus.
He’d been visiting my brother and I’d been completely gobsmacked. He was aloof but larger than life. He strode into the compound like he owned the place. I’d been parked outside, waiting on my brother. Donovan -- Blade -- had refused to let me inside because I was under eighteen and because I honestly had no business there. I didn’t want to hang with my older brother, and he wasn’t letting me hang with the guys in the club. Or the girls. I could have probably conned him into letting me stay with the old ladies or some of the older girls, but it’d have been pushing it. Besides, Donovan knew me. He’d have known there was something up I didn’t want to tell him.
There was a knock at the door, and I cringed. “Go away.”
“Can’t do that, Odette.” That wasn’t Cyrus’s voice. “Not until I check on you.”
I huffed out an exasperated sigh before stomping to the door and jerking it open. “There. See? I’m fine.” When I would have slammed the door in his face, the bastard stuck his heavily booted foot in the way.
“Not happenin’, little lady. Out with you.”
“I need a shower.”
“Not until I’m sure you ain’t gonna fall on your ass and hurt yourself.”
Yeah. I knew that tone. Heard it from my brother often enough. It was his doctor voice. The one that said, “This is for your own good,” even when it was more about getting his way.
“Fine.” I jerked the door all the way open and pushed past Stitches. Because, really, it couldn’t be anyone else. “What do I have to do to convince you I can take a fucking shower on my own?”
“Watch your language.” Stitches rummaged through his bag, not even looking at me as he scolded me.
“I’m not a naughty child. You don’t get to tell me what I can or can’t say.”
“No. I’m the doctor who stole medicine from the hospital last night, putting my job and my career in jeopardy. All to help you.”
“I didn’t ask you to do that.”
“No. You didn’t. Do you know why?” Before I could answer he continued, never once looking up from his stash-o’-medical shit. “Because you were completely incapacitated. Did you do it on purpose?”
“Yup. Solidly. It might have been self-destructive behavior, but I did it. Why? Because I wanted to have a good time.”
“Yeah?” Of course, he looked up this time. ‘Cause, really, being an ass while not looking at me was totally off the table. He wanted to drive this home and, if I were honest, I didn’t blame him. “Havin’ a good time now?”
I stuck my chin up, not cowed in the least. “If you’re implying I didn’t know what was coming, you’d be wrong. I simply didn’t care.”
“All right. That’s enough.” Cyrus stepped closer to the bed where I sat waiting for Blade to do whatever he was going to do. “You may not care, Odette, but did you ever think there might be people in this world who did?”