Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 151097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 504(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 504(@300wpm)
The second paramedic shifted uncomfortably but still made no move to save Roshaun. “Mr. Kilpatrick?”
Mouth agape, I too turned to Ocean.
He was leaning against the Denali now with his hands in the pockets of his hoodie as if he had all the time in the world.
“Would you like us to help the gentlemen?”
Ocean shrugged while staring at me. “That depends on the lady.”
“Yes, I want you to help him,” I rushed to answer before those weirdos could ask me. I knew the Fola ruled the city, but corruption this deep left nothing but a crushing hopelessness.
“We’ll get to that. First, we need to talk,” Ocean dictated calmly. The paramedics stayed put while my brother lay dying at my feet. There was a sarcastic tilt to his smile when he said, “I think it’s about time we did that, don’t you?”
“I don’t want to talk to you,” I confessed hoarsely. Hard to believe there was a time I wanted nothing more.
Ocean was unmoved, though. He was as rigid as my growing hatred of him. “The sooner you listen, the sooner your brother can receive medical attention.”
Inhaling deeply, I closed my eyes as I shook my head.
I couldn’t lose Shaun. I couldn’t.
Other than Hunter, he was all I had. Truthfully, I barely remembered our parents, and that was enough guilt for me. “Ju-just hurry the hell up and tell me what you want,” I snapped once I’d regained some of my calm.
I swear his goons shifted nervously at the tone I directed toward his boss. Abel, on the other hand, stood patiently at the helm as if confident that Ocean wouldn’t actually hurt me. I wasn’t so sure about that when Ocean rolled his shoulders as if the physical strain to keep from living up to his reputation had already taken its toll.
“Your brother owes me a debt,” he announced as he slowly closed the distance between us, “and I fully expect to be paid, Coby.”
I forced myself to take a calming breath, but all that did was give me a nose full of his rich scent. “What does that have to do with me?”
A few more minutes and Hunter would come looking for me.
But the realization came with panic at the thought of Hunter being hurt because of me, and all I could do was hope she stayed in the club where it was safe.
“Your brother couldn’t pay.”
Money. Of course, he wanted money. That’s probably all he ever wanted from me. Just how long has my brother been in debt to him? “I-I have some savings, but it’s locked in a trust. I can get to it, but only if my brother is alive. Whatever he owes you, I’ll pay back every penny, but I—”
“Three million, one hundred and forty-seven thousand, six hundred and three dollars and sixty-six cents,” Ocean announced before I could finish. My mouth snapped shut with a loud click of my teeth. He stood before me now, his expression patient but stern, as I slowly came to terms with the fact that there was no way out of this. “And that doesn’t include interest.”
“Stole…” I echoed with a punch of breath.
Had Roshaun really been stupid enough to steal from the fucking mafia?
How was this my life right now?
I didn’t realize I’d voiced the question until Ocean answered it.
“I own fifty-one percent of this club. Your brother has been skimming from the profits since its inception.”
My knees were knocking by the time Ocean was done. Roshaun, you stupid fucking waste of our parents’ DNA!
I swear to God, I was going to kill his ass once I was done saving his life.
In full-fledged denial, my deep-rooted sense of loyalty had me shaking my head. “He wouldn’t do that.”
Ocean volleyed calmly, “He would, and he did, Coby.”
Hunter’s warnings about my brother being a low-down dirty snake were staring me right in the face now. “Okay, I get that, but…what does this have to do with me?” I was starting to sound like a broken record.
Ocean’s gaze was unflinching as he stared me down. “Your brother has nothing else I want.”
Later, I might be embarrassed by my gasp, but luckily, it was small enough that it had only been heard by the two of us.
Our little secret.
Ocean ran his tongue over his teeth as he stared at my lips like he’d heard my thoughts and shared them, or…he wanted to kiss me.
“I don’t have that much right now, but if you just give me some time,” I begged earnestly, “I will pay you back.”
“Yeah?” Ocean licked his sexy-ass lips this time, and before I could remind myself that he’d lured me here to get at my brother, my gaze eagerly followed the path his tongue took. “Tell me how, mo aingeal?”
“I can work for you.”
To my surprise, he nodded immediately in agreement. “Those were my thoughts exactly. There’s a position in my organization that I think you’d be perfect for, and it just opened up.”