Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 70097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
“Then I guess he’ll be forced to take a break and work out all that frustration.”
“Be careful,” X said.
I raised my brows. “No way are you worried about my virtue.”
He snorted. “Hardly. I’m a lot more concerned about that poor boy.”
I gave an exaggerated smirk. “I’ll make it good for him.”
X pretended to gag. “Don’t make me think about you like that. That boy looks like trouble.”
I turned and let my gaze rest on Jacob. I’d known exactly where he was, standing by the end of the bar, looking unsure where to go next. It was like ever since I’d first seen him I’d been able to track him like I had him on radar.
“He looks like a nice boy, no trouble at all.”
“He’ll be trouble for you,” X said.
“I assume the clients pay a high fee for their protection.” I was done letting X try to talk me out of some much-needed recreation. I was thirty-two fucking years old. I knew what I was doing.
Yeah. Fucking up. I hated that snide voice in my head.
X remained silent for a moment, and I thought he was going to push the issue, but he chose not to. “The protection the clients receive is worth a hefty price.”
“Will I receive a percentage of that price?” I asked.
X smiled. “That’s up for negotiation.”
I’d expected him to laugh my question off. I’d been asking as a distraction, not because I actually expected him to make me an offer. “Am I correct that a fraction of the fees goes into the operating budget and the rest line the pockets of the directors?”
X inclined his head. “Would you expect it to work any other way?”
“Hell no.” What did I have to lose? “I want fifty percent.”
His laugh was so loud everyone near us turned to stare. “Ten, and that’s generous.”
At least he seemed to actually intend to negotiate. “Forty.”
“Twelve.”
“Thirty.”
He narrowed his eyes and studied me for a moment. “Fifteen.”
My gut told me I’d pushed him as far as I could. “Done. Now let’s discuss my salary.”
He named a number that had me fighting to keep my mouth closed. If he hadn’t been staring at me, my jaw would have been on the floor.
“That sounds adequate.” I managed the words with a straight face.
X snorted. “I know what they paid you in the military. My offer is more than fucking adequate.”
“How long do I have to think about this?”
“Not long. A couple of days maybe. There’s someone we need a solid hiding place for and the sooner the better.”
“I want to talk to my brothers. I want them in on this with me.”
“Your biological brothers or the men who left the marines with you?”
I felt equally responsible for all of them, but the twins were my first priority. “Rhys is both.”
“And Rogue? Do you want him there too?”
Was he going to tell me Rogue wasn’t welcome? “How much do you know about him?”
“Enough.”
We paused when a server I hadn’t seen before delivered our burgers. I was disappointed Jacob hadn’t brought them, but I knew he was still there. I’d seen him in my peripheral vision a few times and had to force myself to focus on what X was telling me instead of watching him move. I couldn’t afford to piss X off. What he was offering wasn’t the kind of opportunity that would come along again.
“I want Rogue in on it too,” I said once the server headed back toward the bar. “As well as the men who came back with me. They’re all family, and if I’m going to do this, I want it to be a family operation.”
X nodded. “Understood.”
“How much can I tell them about the operation?”
He tilted his head as if thinking. “How much do you trust them?”
“With my life. With everything.”
“Then tell them what you need to. If they can’t keep their mouths closed, there will be consequences, but—”
I tensed. No one would lay a hand on my family. “They know how to keep secrets.”
“See that they do.”
The chill in his words sent a shiver through me. He might be more relaxed now that he had a boyfriend, but he was still a very dangerous man. I wasn’t sure I’d survive if I crossed him. “You’ll have my answer in a few days.”
“I hope it’s a yes. There’s no one I would rather put in this role.”
“I appreciate that… I think.”
X sighed. “You’re not your father. Not by a long shot. I know you wanted nothing to do with the world he dragged you into, but the men I’ll send you are from families I consider allies. They’re ridding the world of a lot of trash.”
“While also—”
He held up a hand. “They’re not saints, but they’re nothing like the assholes your father worked for.”
My chest was tight, and the knot in my stomach let me know eating a burger was no longer a good idea. Every time I remembered the shit my father had done, I felt sick. My primary mission as a teenager had been to protect my brothers from men like him. I still took that mission seriously.