Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72325 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72325 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
But they were ready. They’d spent night after night on research. It was Julian’s moment to shine. He understood the technical side of everything better than the others, and he was the planner of the group.
As for me? All I could really do was to give each man a warm send-off before they went. And I did, one by one. I pulled Slater into the bathroom when he passed by in the hallway. His kiss was explosive, and he ran his hands all over me.
I found Julian outside, checking under the hood of their getaway vehicle to make sure everything was in order. His kiss started slowly but grew into an infernal.
And then there was Rocco. He was the one who sought me out, waiting until the other two had gone out front. I moved into his arms, but there was something else he wanted first.
“This is the address and phone number for where Tommy is.” He held out a slip of paper. “Memorize it and then destroy it. If I don’t make it back, I want you to go and find him. Please.”
Tears sprang to my eyes. “Don’t say that,” I protested, but I took the address and let him gather me into his arms.
“I have to,” he said gruffly. “I’m a father. He’ll be okay with them, but he’s going to need you. Please, Maggie.”
“Of course.” I looked into his dark eyes. “But come back to me. Please.”
“I’ll do my best.”
His kiss was slow and thorough, but it was tainted by the salty taste of my tears.
While they were gone, I paced. I cleaned. I did whatever I could to pass the time. At least they’d left me with a phone that was safe to use. And a gun. I watched an online video on how to take it apart and clean it, and I did that a half dozen times until the movements felt familiar.
And then I waited. Worried. And paced some more.
Finally, at nearly four in the morning, headlights flashed across the cabin windows. I leaped up, praying that I’d see three uninjured men climb out of the car.
And I did.
Thank god.
“It’s done,” Rocco said when I raced up to him. His face had soot on it, and his shirt was torn, but he looked okay. Julian and Slater did, too.
Whiskey flowed in abundance after that. I stopped counting after my third glass. Once we ran out of ice, we didn’t let that discourage us from drinking some more. The important thing was alcohol, and we had plenty of it. Unfortunately, all the celebrating began to take its toll on me.
My eyes started to droop as I sat on the couch, snuggled in between Slater and Julian. One of them picked me up and carried me to the bedroom. After all the worry and concern, I was exhausted—and I hadn’t even had to do the dirty work like them. I barely mustered the strength to kick off my shoes and strip off my clothes before I collapsed onto the mattress.
It had to be the middle of the afternoon by the time I woke up. Someone had pulled the bedroom curtains shut, but light still slipped through. Cool air did, too—a little too cool. I swung my legs over the side of the bed, my eyes barely open, as I tried to muster up the energy to go close the window.
But then I sensed a presence. Someone had moved to the window, just like I was going to do. I opened my eyes to slits, the buzz in my head reminding me that I’d had a bit too much to drink last night. My eyes widened when I took in the nearly naked form in front of me. Julian had his back to me as he messed with the window coverings, giving me a chance to take in the powerful muscles of his back and the cute butt that was clad only in black boxers.
“Nice,” I said, and he turned, startled, but that didn’t stop his eyes from roaming all over my bare skin.
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” he said softly. “I just thought you might be cold.” He ran a hand over his short beard, which looked in need of a trim. “I just woke up too.”
The sight of his bulging chest muscles and those chiseled abs generated a deep longing within me. Plus there was the fact that he was alive, and so were Slater and Rocco.
That made me feel alive—and full of longing.
I curled my index finger towards him, my gaze still a bit blurry. He moved around the corner of the bed, maintaining eye contact with me. He looked torn. “Do you want me to get you a robe?” He may have suggested it, but from the bulge in his boxers, I could tell that his cock was just fine with my lack of clothing.