Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 134501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 448(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 448(@300wpm)
‘Crew can do that. Then you can ride with me.’ It was a pressing suggestion.
‘Does it really matter if you and I arrive separately?’
‘No, so it’ll be easy for you to agree to shake things up,’ he cleverly replied. ‘It makes sense. Crew lives closer to both Paisley and Kage than you do, and the shortcut I can take through this land to your house makes it a quick drive.’
Very true, but she sensed that that wasn’t his sole reason for ‘suggesting’ this. ‘You like driving me places, don’t you?’
‘Yeah,’ he easily confirmed. ‘It’s one of the ways in which male werewolves like taking care of who belongs to them. You should know that already.’
She had known that. She just hadn’t thought it would apply to him – they hadn’t been involved with each other long, and they hadn’t agreed on anything permanent. Yet.
‘Plus, it means I know you’re safe.’
She felt a brow inch up. ‘Are you implying that I’m a bad driver?’
‘Not at all,’ he assured her. ‘I’m protective. You know that. Right now, you have trouble coming at you from several angles. It makes me antsy. I like to have you where I can see you. Also, while I don’t anticipate you having a road accident, I prefer driving you places because my truck can better sustain a hard impact than your car.’
‘Don’t be so sure.’
He cast her a quick frown. ‘What does that mean?’
‘My car is protected by blood magick. It’s tougher than a tank. Maybe I should pick you up instead.’
His shoulders lifted and fell. ‘Whatever you want. Makes no odds to me as long as you’re not alone.’
A crackle came through his truck’s communication radio.
He picked up the walkie talkie, pressed down on the side button and put it to his mouth. ‘Problem?’ He released the button.
Another crackle. ‘Yeah,’ Kerr replied. ‘Your aunt Yvette called. A fight broke out at her diner. I figured you’d want to deal with it.’
Ripper’s face firmed. ‘Call her back; tell her I’ll be there in two minutes.’ He set down the radio and gave Emberlyn a quick look. ‘Gotta make a pitstop.’
‘No problem.’ She wasn’t surprised he’d want to deal with the situation himself, given that it involved his aunt.
Ripper took a turn that led to the town’s neutral territory and drove straight to the diner. He whipped his truck into a parking space, his alert gaze taking a moment to scan the many other vehicles and the people loitering outside.
As Emberlyn unclicked her seatbelt, he cast her a quick frown. She squinted. ‘You’re not going to ask me to wait here, are you?’
‘I could, but something tells me it’d get me nowhere,’ he muttered, exiting the truck.
The man was not wrong. She collected her purse, swung open the door and allowed him to help her slide out of the vehicle.
He curled his fingers around her wrist in a move that felt protective . . . like he didn’t want to have to wonder where exactly she physically was at any point.
Planting a hand on the door, he effortlessly shoved it open and tugged her into the diner. Aside from the banging, cursing, yelling and crashing coming from the restrooms, it was relatively quiet – every patron and worker was silent, on their feet and nosily straining to hear what was going on.
The crowd parted to allow them through, nodding at them in respect.
In the men’s bathroom, they found one of Carver’s sons exchanging blows with a member of Shane’s clan. And they’d made a mess.
A stall door was hanging on one hinge. The hand towel dispenser was on the floor. The trash can had been knocked over, and litter was strewn across the tiled floor.
Ripper released her wrist, his hard gaze fixed on the wolves. ‘Enough.’ The word was a harsh, growl-edged whip that sliced through the air, heavy with a pure Alpha power that stirred up her magick.
The brawling males paused, their shoulders drooping . . . as if the power in Ripper’s voice had crashed down on their shoulders like a heavy and encumbering weight.
‘Both of you back up,’ he ordered.
They did, panting and a little unsteady. Both sported cuts, swellings and the beginnings of bruises.
‘The fuck is going on here?’ Ripper demanded, looking from one male to the other.
They glared at the floor, silent.
‘I asked a question. Someone had better fucking answer it.’
Carver’s son, TJ, raised adrenaline-glazed eyes to Ripper. ‘I was about to leave the bathroom when Benny accused my dad of being in on what happened to Lincoln. I told him that was bullshit. He laughed, called my dad the coven’s pet dog and said a whole bunch of other crap. I threw the first punch, I’ll admit it. But he started in on me for no damn good reason.’
‘Oh, come on,’ Benny appealed, turning to Ripper, ‘we all know that Carver’s in league with Reena.’