Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 33577 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33577 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
The question blindsided me. Of all the things he could have said, this wasn’t even on my radar. "I… What?"
He gestured to my outfit. The black leather corset, the tight pants that felt like a second skin, they’d been what Wren had convinced me to wear to better fit in with the atmosphere I was headed into. "This shit. The getup. You look like you're about to crawl out of your own skin."
Heat rushed to my cheeks. I fumbled at my corset laces, suddenly hyper aware of how ridiculous I must look to someone like Bloody Jack. The leather felt like a costume for someone braver and wilder than me. Given Wren said I looked good, I really thought I did. Maybe we were both wrong. Or maybe this man had been around the block enough to spot a fraud when he saw one.
"Wren invited me. She said I needed to break out of my comfort zone. That I was too..." I trailed off, remembering how her exact words had hurt. I didn’t want to blurt them out and risk showing more of my vulnerable belly.
When I didn’t finish, Jack shifted his stance with a heavy thud of his booted foot. “That you’re too… what?”
I huffed out a breath, blowing a curl out of my eyes. Fuck it. "Too fuckin' vanilla for my own good."
Jack's expression didn't change, but something in his eyes shifted. "And you thought dressin’ like this was gonna fix that?"
"I didn't know what to expect," I admitted. "Wren's been talkin' about bringing me to one of these parties for months. She gave me the clothes and I just... I dunno. Thought it might be fun."
"Fun." He spat the word like it tasted bad. "Getting caught in the middle of a club war is your idea of fun?"
"No! I didn't — how was I supposed to know that would happen?" My voice rose slightly, a flicker of indignation cutting through my fear. "I'm just a barista, for God's sake. I serve coffee. I don't know anything about... about motorcycle clubs or rivals or property vests!" I was starting to spiral. But, honestly, who wouldn’t in this situation?
Jack never once blinked while I spoke. His face remained impassive, but I could feel the intensity of his focus like a physical weight. He was cataloging every word, every expression, filing them away for future reference. "You sure about that?" His voice dropped lower, the gravelly rumble sending involuntary shivers down my spine. "You were in that hallway with Shank. What did he want from you?"
I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly cold despite the warmth of the room. "He asked what I'd heard. Said to tell him what I knew."
"And what do you know?" Jack took a step closer, and the room seemed to shrink around us.
"Nothing! I swear!" The words tumbled out in a rush. "I was just trying to get away from the fighting. He grabbed me and dragged me down that hallway."
Jack studied me for a long moment, his head tilted slightly. I shrank under his gaze, acutely aware he was much larger than me. Close to a foot taller and probably twice my weight, all of it hard muscle. He could break me in half without breaking a sweat. But he'd also protected me. Claimed me as his. Which, I really needed to get defined sooner rather than later.
"Doesn't matter what you know now," he finally said, his voice a low rumble that I felt more than heard. "You're in this. They saw you with me. And I staked my claim."
"About that..." I began, then faltered when his eyes narrowed. "Why did you... I mean, what made you..."
"Claim you?" His mouth quirked up at one corner, not quite a smile. "Because you were about to be sentenced to a fate you couldn’t even imagine. What do you think would have happened if Shank had taken you back to their clubhouse?” When I couldn’t answer, my mouth going dry at the mere thought, he nodded. “That’s what I thought. You had no clue what you were potentially walking into yet here you are. The damage is done. You're mine now, Honey. Whether either of us wants it or not."
The way he said my name, like he was tasting it, maybe trying it out, sent a shiver through me that had nothing to do with fear. Which made me too stupid to live because this was not someplace I could stay and it very much looked like I’d be staying for an extended period of time.
I swallowed hard. The finality to his statement made me believe this could possibly have been the biggest mistake of my life. His claim on me should have sent me running for the hills, but here I was, standing in his bedroom while my heart performed gymnastics in my chest. The question burned in my throat, demanding to be asked despite the danger. I took a deep breath and met those icy blue eyes.