Blood & Torment (Pins and Needles: Moscow Book 2) by Elizabeth Knox (best short books to read TXT) 📕

you at work isn’t the same. I miss having our girl time where we can talk.

Dema:

Talk?

Crap. I should’ve seen that coming.

Me:

Oh yes, I need all the deets on the sexy time you and Kronid are having. We haven’t had a fun chat like that in a while.

Here’s to hoping she’ll bite and it won’t be serious. I’m crossing my fingers and doing everything I can to make sure it isn’t anything too bad.

Dema:

I’m not talking about that stuff.

Me:

Yeah, okay. You know you wanna brag and can’t do that here.

A grin slips into place because I can almost hear her sigh throughout the messages. She’s never been with anyone besides Kronid and I’m sure she’s got questions.

Dema:

Whatever. I’ll make reservations and send you a text with the time and place.

Putting my phone down on my desk, I roll my eyes. Kronid and Michail came in earlier and headed to the back, where they’ve stayed the entire time. This is pretty normal for them. They don’t come out front unless either of them is needed. A lot of the time, I’m able to handle the situation without calling for them. Plus, they have security cameras all over the place. The cameras allow them to see what’s going on up front, in the break room, and I imagine everywhere else.

Scanning the computer screen, I lift my head as the door opens and nearly jump out of my seat when Ally comes in, followed by several members of the Devil’s Riot MC. “What the ever-loving fuck, Trista?” she yells, slapping her hand on the counter in front of me.

Ally’s not one for yelling and the fact she’s doing so means she’s really pissed. Glancing behind her, I lick my lips nervously at the sight of not only Burner but Dragon, Gadget, Red, and K-9.

Oh boy. I guess leaving without contacting her wasn’t a good thing.

“Um,” I murmur apprehensively and hear the door to the back of the shop open.

Great, this isn’t good.

Either Kronid or Michail is coming up. Out of the two, I’m hoping it’s not Michail.

“Everything okay here?” Michail asks in his thick, sexy as sin accent.

That’s just my luck. Of course, it would be Michail coming to the front. I’m cursed for nothing to ever go right. I’m damned forever to be tormented with bad luck.

“Here, I thought something bad happened to you. Freaked out that Jacob did something to you. Come to find out you left the fuckin’ country,” Ally yells with a sassy as hell voice as her hands go to her hips. “Worst of all, you left without telling me.”

My heart starts to race at the mention of Jacob’s name.

“Who are all of you?” Michail demands.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I . . . well . . . there was an emergency and I needed to leave,” I utter, not wanting to discuss this in front of Michail.

“Does this emergency involve the state we found your apartment in?” Burner growls.

Oh shit. Fuck, fuck, fuck!

Not only is Ally pissed, but her ol’ man is too. This isn’t good. I’m so beyond fucked right now.

“Um.”

Burner shakes his head and holds his hand up. “Don’t come up with any lies. You know you can’t lie for shit and your poker face is even worse. Now answer me, does this emergency have anything to do with the way we found your apartment?”

“No,” I whisper.

“Someone tell me what’s going on here?” Michail snarls loudly, glaring at Burner. I don’t know why he’s glaring, but Burner isn’t the type of man you should ever glare at. Not unless you want a bullet between your eyes.

“Babe, explain the blood we saw then. We know it ain’t that fuckwad’s, his ass is still intact,” K-9 speaks up as he steps forward.

“You’ve seen him?” My eyes widen with panic and I start to breathe heavily.

“Yeah, the fucker was slinking around your place. Caught up with him one time, but his fuckin’ gang has been at your apartment,” Dragon growls.

“Was the blood yours?” Red demands.

I give Michail a sideways glance to find him going silent as he studies the situation and tries to figure out what happened.

Great. This is exactly what I need right now. Instead of answering them with words, I cast my gaze down, not responding at all.

“Motherfucker,” K-9 snarls. “Why didn’t you come to us?”

“I . . . please . . . I don’t . . . not . . . not here,” I murmur, looking at Ally, who seems to have calmed some after seeing me alive and well.

“Fine, we’ll talk about it later. You’re gonna have to realize this one day, Trista, but you have people who care about you. You left without a word, and we didn’t know what happened to you. I got worried and then I brought these guys into it. I thought you were dead. You know they see you as family as well, so it’s time to open up. We’ll go to the hotel we’re staying at and meet you later for dinner,” Ally whispers compassionately.

Nodding, I agree to meet them later and they finally leave. But, when they leave, I have to face Michail.

“Care to explain any of what just happened to me?” he demands, crossing his arms over his chest. How is it he still looks delectable? Fuck, he’s pissed, but in that buttoned-down black shirt with the open collar, it just makes me want to drool.

Shaking my head, I lick my suddenly dry lips. “I’d prefer not to.”

Something seems to be working through Michail’s mind and he nods. “Alright, I’ll wait, but you’ll be explaining all of this later. I will find out who this Jacob is and what he did to you, not to mention whoever all of them were and what they want.” The beat of my heart goes still as Michail moves even closer. “I’m willing to bet I know exactly what’s going on. Because you went from wearing hoodies and turtlenecks to wearing zip-up jackets and tank tops. For now, you