Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 69242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 346(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 346(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
“Gunnar had a prospect, Ford. Built like a brick shithouse but the most adorable baby face you’d ever seen. He’s old as fuck now, but he’s aged about twenty years in the last decade and they still give him shit.”
“Yeah, thanks. That doesn’t make me feel any better, Maze.”
“Well, try being a girl with all these bikers. Talk about overprotective and nosy. The wouldn’t even let me in the MC. Even though Chance is patched.” I took a long drink of my margarita. Chance. I really missed her badassery. “Just wait until there’s someone beneath you in the pecking order and they’ll stop treating you like a kid. Or find a new MC,” I snorted. We both knew that wasn’t an option. It was the Reckless Bastards, or it was nothing.
When the cute bartender set the second round of drinks down, he eyed me carefully but not like he was checking me out. More like he was checking up on me. Or something. “Thanks,” Charlie growled when the guy stared a little too long. “Mom said you’ve been seeing someone?”
“Are we gossiping now, Charlie?”
He shrugged, his steely gaze focused on someone or something just beyond my shoulder that put me on edge. Charlie was eagle-eyed and he didn’t miss much. I fought the urge to look back.
“Not gossiping, just trying to figure out why that asshole over there is eye-fucking you.”
My body went on red alert about two seconds before Charlie spoke and I knew who it was, or rather my body knew. I shook it off because it couldn’t be who I thought it was. After all, a guy who didn’t call after he got a smokin’ hot picture of you in nothing but jewelry and stilettos wasn’t a guy to get excited over. It would’ve been great if my body had gotten the message.
“I don’t know, Charlie. I mean you are looking pretty hot these days, maybe he’s eye-fucking you?”
Recognition dawned in his gray eyes and he sat up a little straighter. “Don’t tell me the guy you’re not seeing is Virgil Ashby?”
He said it like it was a bad thing and I was immediately defensive.
“How do you know Virgil?”
“He’s one of the most ruthless mother fuckers in town. How do you know him?”
“This is starting to feel more like an interrogation than a fun night out,” I told him and finished off my drink.
“Maze, how do you know him?” he demanded.
“Please don’t start playing overprotective brother. He’s the guy who helped me when my drink got spiked here on my birthday. What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal? Christ, Maisie, how long have you lived here and you don’t know the Ashbys?” He shook his head and stood, dropping a few bills on the table. “I gotta get going. You need a ride?”
“Nope. I’m good.”
“Just be careful and if you find yourself in trouble, call me. I’m going to keep an eye on you.” He dropped a quick kiss on my cheek and walked off, leaving me alone at our table inside Bullets & Beer.
Feeling the heat and weight of Virgil’s presence even before he arrived at my table, I smoothed a hand down my hair and then my top before I fixed my face into a bored expression while I sipped on some water the waitress had left. Two margaritas and a shot of tequila was just enough to take the edge off, but not enough to get me drunk. And right now, I didn’t want to be drunk.
In the split-second before my gaze landed on Virgil, I wondered what Bonnie and Charlie knew about Virgil and his family that I didn’t.
“Maisie.” Virgil’s deep voice was as smooth and honeyed as I remembered, sliding down my bare skin like a lover’s touch.
I sat up and turned to him, looking slightly surprised. “Virgil, hey.”
His full mouth kicked up to one side in an amused smile. “Sorry I ran your boyfriend off,” he said, not looking sorry at all.
I laughed at the jealousy he worked hard to hide and rested my chin in my hand, a smile lingering on my face.
“Nope. My cousin. He figured you wanted to talk to me instead of just staring a hole in my head all night.”
“I don’t stare,” he glared, brows dipped low into an intimidating vee.
I laughed again because teasing Virgil was fun. I had a feeling he didn’t get a whole lot of teasing in his life.
“Whatever you say, Virg.”
Heat flared in his blue eyes and his jaw clenched, leaving no mistake what was on his mind.
“That’s more like it.” The super-hot intense look in his eyes had my belly clenching and my nipples tightened.
“Wanna get out of here?”
Hell, yeah. But I had to play it cool. I couldn’t give in after he’d gone radio silent on me for two days. “Where do you want to go?”