Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24538 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24538 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
This time, he was the one who winked at me. “And I’ll get another of your firsts.”
8
ARROW
I was getting impatient with the lack of news. Even though spending the day before with Sage and learning just how fucking brilliant she was had been amazing. She was the sexiest nerd I’d ever met, and I adored everything about her.
Sleeping with her again and not burying my cock deep inside her had been more challenging than BUD/S. I’d eaten her pussy until she passed out, then took a shower to clean up the sticky mess from coming in my pants again. That had left me with only boxers to sleep in, and since I’d ruined Sage’s underwear, she was naked under my shirt.
When the sun came up, I scrambled out of bed and took a cold shower before heading to the kitchen to make breakfast. I checked my phone again and saw no missed calls or texts. Then twenty minutes later, Sage and I were eating pancakes—this time, she was the one to show off her skills in the kitchen—when my phone pinged with a text.
Merrick: Be there in five mikes.
“Merrick is on his way. He’ll be here in five mikes.”
Sage nodded and ate another bite of pancake. I chuckled, and she glanced up curiously.
“I forgot you’re a military brat. I almost explained that mikes are minutes in military jargon.”
I disengaged the alarm but watched for Merrick on the television, where he’d shown me how to pull up the feed for all the cameras.
“I like that about you,” I told her with a smile. Then I winked. “You get me.”
Sage laughed, and I basked in the sound. It was so beautiful.
Five minutes later, his black SUV pulled up and drove around to park outside the garage. He used the keypad and a thumbprint to open the door, then I switched off the television as he ascended the stairs into the kitchen.
He was carrying a duffel and held it up, looking at Sage, before tossing it on the couch. “My wife gave me hell for not having clothes here for you when you arrived. I wanted to bring them up earlier, but I was following a lead.” He ambled over to the table and sat on the chair across from me.
“Please thank her for me,” Sage replied with a sweet smile. “It’ll be nice to wear something besides Arrow’s T-shirts.”
“Audrey’s clothes might be a little big on you, but they should do,” he said with a shrug.
“Baby, why don’t you change?” I suggested, suddenly very aware that my woman was only wearing a big shirt—although it fell below her knees-–with nothing underneath while there was another man in the room. Unexpected jealousy crept up, tightening my chest. It was a foreign feeling, but then, Sage had inspired a lot of emotions I’d never experienced before.
“Did the lead pan out?” I asked Merrick.
Merrick leaned against the chair and slung one arm over the back. “I think it will, but Deacon and Stirling are running it down in person. They’ll call with an update shortly.”
My phone rang less than five minutes later, and I hit the video button to answer Deacon’s call.
“Hooyah,” I greeted him and Stirling, who was standing beside him.
“Hooyah,” Deacon repeated.
“We found the little weasel,” Stirling announced.
“Which weasel?”
I turned at the sound of Sage’s voice as she walked back into the room. My instinct was to send her right back out and shield her from all of this, but I knew our life would be full of classified information, and I didn’t want her to feel like she was out of the loop altogether.
Holding out my hand, I beckoned her closer, and she came right over and let me settle her in my lap.
“Go on,” I instructed the men.
“We found Paul holed up in a motel. It’s a local junkie spot, so he’s lucky as shit that Bartman didn’t find him first. He’s got goons searching the whole area for the idiot.”
“I assume he’s coked up?”
“Looks like the last time he shot up was yesterday. So we should be able to get something out of him soon.”
“Where did he get the cocaine?” Sage queried. “The dealer guy…Bartman?” I nodded. “He said Paul owed him ten grand for a brick he was supposed to sell. If Paul is using that stash, could we just give Bartman what’s left? Then Paul would owe him less, right?”
“It’s not a bad thought,” Merrick chimed in. “But even if he returned some of the coke—assuming he had a portion still untouched—Bartman will probably demand full payment just to make a point. He’ll use it as a warning to anyone who considers stealing from him.”
“Oh,” Sage sighed. “So what are you hoping to get from Paul?”
“We want him to set up a meet with Bartman,” Deacon supplied.
“Won’t that put his life in danger? Using him as bait?” Sage glanced at me with a worried expression, and I knew she was thinking of her friend and the impact it would have on her. I loved that she had such a big heart. It was another reason I hated to have her involved in this situation. I didn’t want the darkness to touch her.