Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 79338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“But… what if it all goes wrong?” I keep wanting to think that if I just behave, then Danny will be fine, but he's not fine. He's trapped in prison for more than thirty more years. And if the guys are right, then even after all this, we're not safe.
Scrapper leans in to kiss the top of my head. “With the four of us together, how wrong can it go?”
I let out a short bark of a laugh that surprises me as much as anyone else. “You want a list? I got a lot of ideas from talking to the other old ladies.”
“Here's the deal,” Reaper says. “Until this is resolved, it's gonna be hanging over us. Maybe nothing happens right away, but we won't know and as long as that's true, we're not gonna be able to do anything again without making sure we're protected, making sure we're not exposed. At some point, we're gonna let down our guard. We’ve gotta succeed every time, they only gotta succeed once.”
That gives me chills. “So what do we do?”
“For starters, we’re getting eyes on Danny in prison. The plan is to get him put in solitary where we have contacts who can make sure he doesn’t fall into someone’s knife while we figure this out. Snark has started decrypting some of the files on that flash drive you gave him, and we’ve called in some help in figuring out who they’re using for muscle.” He locks eyes with me, his stormy dark blue orbs roiling with fury. “We can't force you. We can't tell you not to give up. But it’s not all in your hands anymore. They slipped up when they attacked us the other day and ran you and Reaper off the bridge. It’s not just about your brother anymore. That shit can’t go unanswered.”
“You’re fucking stuck with us,” Reaper says. “And we don't want to see you hurt. Let us protect you the best way we know how. Life is always a risk, but you deserve to live one without all this bullshit hanging over your head.”
“I'm scared.” I hate to admit it, but right now, it's the only thing I'm feeling. The only thing that I can process. “I'm so scared.”
“Baby, it's fucking terrifying.” Scrapper brushes my hair out of my face. “That's why you got us here. Because we're even fucking scarier, and we're on your side. So when you're scared, we're gonna be there. And we're gonna make this all right.”
Oh, wow. I don't… I really don't know how to respond. He’s talking about a type of justice that’s much more basic than what I’m used to. It’s scary, but at the same time, it’s comforting to know that I’m not in this by myself anymore, and behind Mack, Scrapper and Reaper, are the Screaming Eagles.
“Are we going to make it?” I ask as they pull me into their embrace.
“Make it or die trying,” Reaper replies. And somehow, it makes me feel better.
29
MILA
I raise my gaze, finding Mack right in front of me. He still has a hand on my thigh, and takes my hand with the other, to comfort me, I guess.
I lean in and kiss him.
For just a moment, he seems surprised that I took the initiative, but then he meets my kiss passionately. I need contact, I need to feel them against me, just so I can feel human. To feel cradled between all three of their bodies and know that nothing can get at me without getting past them first.
The moment we disconnect, I whirl and find Scrapper. He's ready, capturing my head between his hands and pulling me in. His tongue teases my lips until I open to him and tangle his tongue with mine. I grab his forearms, gripping them as we kiss, pressing myself hard against him.
When I come up for air, gasping like a free diver in the ocean, I turn to Reaper. Our lips meet roughly, and he settles me on his lap so I'm straddling his narrow hips. I wrap my arms around his neck as his fingers dig into my sides, an aching promise that he'll never let me go. A crooked smile forms on his lips as we part.
“What do you need, baby?”
“Just…” All sorts of intrusive thoughts flood me. I draw a shuddering breath, then look right into the darkness in his sexy eyes. “Be good to me. Make me forget, at least for a little while. Make me feel human again.”
“You sure?” Mack asks from right behind me. I press my back into him, leaning back while Reaper starts to pull off my shirt.
“Stop asking. Please.”
When my shirt hits the floor, Scrapper leans in. “We're gonna take care of you,” he says in a harsh whisper. “Now, and after.”
Leaning forward, I put a soft kiss on his lips. “That's all I want.”