Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 86126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“Get over here,” he ordered. Just that. Then the line went dead.
“Fuck,” I spat, climbing back on my bike.
“What’s up?” Bas asked, kicking the tools away from the back tire of his bike.
“Get to Otto’s,” I ordered, backing out of the garage.
I turned around and practically flew back down the driveway. The sound of two sets of bikes roaring to life hit me just as I pulled onto the pavement. Good. Bas must’ve yelled for Cian.
We all lived pretty close to each other and it only took a few minutes before I was turning onto Otto’s gravel driveway, but it felt like an hour. I didn’t know what the fuck was going on, but I’d only heard that tone in my brother’s voice a few times and none of them were good.
I took in the situation in an instant and my blood boiled.
Esther’s car was still running and the girls sat inside it. Otto was standing near the back bumper. A car I didn’t recognize was parked to the side, but I sure as shit recognized one of the three men standing beside it.
I parked a little farther down the driveway and climbed off my bike, dropping my helmet in the grass. I figured the farther apart me and Otto stood, the better chance of the men having to split their focus.
Anything to get the focus off the women in the car.
Motorcycles pulled up behind me, but I didn’t bother to turn. I was too focused on the asshole who was standing next to the passenger side of his car, saying something to Otto. He turned to me, and recognition lit his face.
“You,” he spat. “I should’ve known.”
“Nice to see you again,” I replied, pushing down the urge to fucking kill him. I’d dreamed about what I’d do if I ever saw Noel and Esther’s brother again. I clenched my hands into fists.
He laughed derisively.
“You’re on private property,” Otto said, his voice dark. “Get back in your car and leave.”
“I’m here to check on my sisters,” Ephraim argued, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Where are my granddaughters?” one of the other men barked. He pointed at Esther’s car. “They in there?”
“Who the fuck are you?” I asked. He ignored me.
Bas, Cian and Mick spread out in the driveway. Otto had probably called all of the brothers. I vaguely wondered where Rumi was.
“Noel,” the older man yelled. “Where are my granddaughters?”
“Get the fuck outta here, old man,” I ordered, taking another step forward.
“Who are you?”
“He’s the boy Noel was sneaking around with before we moved,” Ephraim replied, glancing at me with disgust.
“Not a boy anymore,” I replied, staring him down. “Feelin’ froggy?”
He scoffed.
“You need to leave,” Otto said again. “Now.”
“We’re not going anywhere until we see my brother’s wife and my nieces,” the third man said, bravely walking around to the front of the car. I kept the surprise off my face. He was old. Maybe not as old as my parents, but at least forty. My mouth went dry. That was Esther’s brother-in-law? How old had her husband been?
“Yeah, that ain’t happenin’,” I said easily, moving toward Otto. I didn’t like how far I was from Esther’s car. It would only take moments for the men to reach it.
The man stubbornly stood his ground. Idiot.
“Your brother’s dead,” I said flatly. “She’s not his wife anymore. Get the fuck outta here.”
“What do you think is gonna happen here?” Mick asked, splitting the focus of the men—exactly what I should’ve been doing. “You’re outnumbered.” He looked around. “Very outnumbered.”
“Noel needs to come home,” Ephraim said, like it was the most reasonable thing in the world. “Her family has been worried sick.”
“Her family’s here,” Otto replied flatly. “You’re lookin’ at ’em.”
“Well,” Ephraim said, lifting his hands as he looked back at the other men. “I think we’re going to have to disagree with you there.”
“What part of get the fuck outta here are you not understandin’?” I asked, my blood boiling as movement inside the car caught my attention.
“What are you doing here?” Noel asked from the opposite side of the car.
My heart dropped into my stomach. She was closer to Ephraim than me or Otto and their proximity made a bead of sweat roll down my spine.
“What in the world are you doing here, Noel?” Ephraim asked, his voice dripping with disappointment. “Lucille had to hear about Caleb from some woman at the hospital and when they went to the house, you guys were gone.”
“I live here now,” Noel said, her voice a little less sure. “Tell Lucille we’re fine.”
“You should be ashamed,” the old man called out. “Get the girls. It’s time to come home.”
I was fucking done. Ignoring the men who watched me like they’d happily strangle me, I strode over to Noel’s side of the car.
“You okay?” I asked quietly, taking her in.