Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 40446 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 202(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40446 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 202(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
“This isn’t a quick conversation, Venus.” I also wasn’t sure how she was going to react to knowing Giovanni was aware all along. “We need to go back to Florida. Where we go is up to you, but Giovanni suggested Salvation’s Bane.”
She stared at me, searching my face for whatever she needed. The moment she found what she was looking for, her face hardened. “This is bad. Da?”
“It is.”
That seemed to surprise her before she schooled her features once again. “Didn’t expect you to admit that.”
“I’ll never lie to you, Venus. Have I kept secrets from you? Absolutely. You have your own secrets. That all ends now. Right now. From this point forward you and I are a team. So we need to start with the most important issues.”
“What would those be?” She gave me a wary look as she got out of bed. She was still naked, but didn’t bother to cover herself. Instead, she looked like she was readying herself for battle. Looking for threats around the room even as she kept her main focus on me.
I tilted my head slightly, studying her. “I’m not your enemy, Venus. I never will be. I’ll always be on your side, no matter what.”
“But you know something. Something I’m not going to like.”
“I do.” I stood and held out my hand to her. She shook her head, all that pink hair spilling over her shoulders to cover her breasts. “Venus, come to me.” I made my tone unbendable. She would come to me or I’d force the issue, and I was pretty sure she knew it.
Finally, with a sigh and a slight shake of her head, she moved around the bed, snagging my shirt from the floor and putting it on. The action filled me both with regret and pride. Regret that I couldn’t stare at her tits any longer, but pride that she was wearing my shirt. She noticed my expression and gave me an impatient look.
“I know I’m shorter than you, but my eyes are little bit higher.” Her tone of voice was irritated, but I could also see the flush of pleasure she tried to hide.
“Yeah.” I scrubbed my hand over the back of my neck. “I’d apologize, but I’m only sorry you put on the shirt. It is, however, my shirt, so I’ll let it slide this once.” I gave her a wink and the corner of my lips lifted in a smile.
“Piston.” It was a clear warning, though I thought she was fighting her own grin, so I raised my hands in surrender.
“What? You’re a beautiful woman. Besides, I like looking at what belongs to me.” I took a cautious step toward her. When she didn’t retreat, I took another step until I was standing inches from her. “I like knowing I’m the only man who’ll ever see your beautiful body ever again.”
She sucked in a breath, color sweeping from her face down her chest to disappear beneath my shirt. Then she cleared her throat, lifting her chin stubbornly. “I assume what you have to tell me has little to do with sex, so can we get to it?”
“Pity,” I muttered before reaching for her. I pulled her into my arms, and though she was a little stiff, she soon relaxed a bit. “So,” I started. “Giovanni wants us to go to Salvation’s Bane. He wants to get all three clubs involved. He’s actually going to meet us there.”
She started, pulling back far enough to look up at me with raised pink eyebrows but not stepping out of my embrace completely. “Really?”
“That’s what the man said.”
“You said Victor is tracking me. Giovanni knows this how?”
“I’ll get to that. First, though, I have some things to confess to you. You’re going to listen to everything, then we’re gonna discuss it. Then, we’re gonna get our asses back to Grim Road.”
“You said Gio told us to go to Bane.”
“I did. But I’m not ready for that, and I want Crush and Byte involved in this.”
“What about Wylde? He’s just as good and has been helping us already so he knows what to look for.”
“Giovanni thinks there’s safety in numbers.”
Her gaze slid away from me, her brow furrowing in concentration. “You said Victor is tracking me.”
“According to Giovanni, yes.”
“Again… Giovanni knows this how?” Yeah, this was gonna be bad. The expression on her face said she was angry, but not exactly surprised.
“Don’t know how long he’s known or how he knows, but that’s what the man said, and he refused to elaborate. At least not over the phone.”
“I have satphone. Should be secure since it’s Gio’s.”
“Mine is too, baby. He still refused to tell me.”
“So you know him too.” It wasn’t a question.
“I do. He hired me a long time ago. I wouldn’t say we were friends, but we’re more than acquaintances.”