Imminent Conquest by Aurora Rose Lynn Read Free Book Online Page B

probably the steel trap door to the murky depths of his brain. “Let's get the fuck out of here. Party at the Longhorn. Maybe get a piece of ass."
    Bryan didn't mistake the deep-seated anger in the man's steely grey eyes. He didn't take offence at antagonistic behaviour. Matter of fact, he seemed to thrive on anything defenceless. It was something about being superior to everyone else in the human race. “You chase all the piece of ass away with your damned ‘I'm bad’ attitude."
    "Feeling sorry for yourself, bro?"
    "Look, man. Just because you're family doesn't mean I have to like you, or get along with you. Get my drift? And I'm not your ‘bro'."
    Colin dropped down into the next chair and lit a cigarette, every movement unhurried and precise. “You choose your friends, but your family's inflicted upon you. That it?"
    "Right. So get out of my face."
    "Why not give me a break?” Colin raised his chin and blew smoke into the air.
    "Thought Nicole already did that.” Now there was a thought. How would ‘ole Saint Colin handle another plate in the face?
    "Smartass.” Colin took another drag.
    "One of my better traits.” Ever since Michael had hired him on at Anessa, Iceman had resented him. Bryan was willing to make a bet Colin didn't have a heart. But not tonight. If it had been his choice, he would have gone to the Longhorn to drink the night away, long before he would have chosen to come to this damned party. His memory replayed Tom screaming soundlessly as the machinery screeched in the background. And all the blood and human and animal flesh together didn't help put any man in a festive mood.
    "Look. I know you've got money problems. I'll take care of the evening. Okay?"
    "Just another way to buy me.” Yeah, he had some heavy gambling debts, but he'd kicked the habit and was making some headway in paying them off.
    "Call it what you want. Hell. I can pay off all your debts."
    "Don't doubt that.” The man was rich. No, filthy rich described him better. “Next thing you're going to tell me is you've got connections."
    "No question about that.” Insanely, the comment must have pleased Colin. He puffed his chest out. Any moment he would look like a peacock strutting his stuff.
    "Where'd they go?"
    Colin blew a chain of rings. “Who?” he asked. Pretending innocence didn't suit him one bit. A haze of smoke hovered above his head, then lazily drifted off, courtesy of the air conditioning.
    "Michael and Nicole.” Stupid jerk. He'd probably already forgotten the woman's name. Anyone who walked in a skirt was only a piece of ass to Saint Colin.
    "S'pose they went out to screw each other."
    Bryan sipped his beer. There wasn't much left, and he would soon have to flag a waiter down. Every occasion with his cousin went like this. Monotonous bantering and the sense of having missed an insensitive joke.
    "Jeezus,” Bryan groaned as his swollen ankle reminded him who the boss was this evening.
    "Nothing wrong with that. A man needs a woman to fuck once in a while. ‘Sides, Michael earned it.” Preoccupied, Iceman lifted a fork and scratched its tines against the empty dinner plate in front of him.
    "Thought she's engaged to Brad,” Bryan said, irritated at the sound of metal on china.
    His cousin shrugged and scratched harder. “Those things don't mean anything."
    Bryan fell silent. His relationship with women was zip about now.
    Bryan was about to grab the fork from Colin's hand and shove the tines up his ass. The incessant screeching drove him nuts.
    Thankfully, the scratching ceased. Colin twirled the fork level with his nose. “When you're married, you're tied down. Limited to one ass. When you're single, you get plenty—however and whenever you want it—no bitch hollering her head off, ‘Where've you been?’ and ‘Where you going?’”
    "Nice,” Bryan said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. His girl, Marla, had opted to remain in Chicago after Michael had offered him the assistant super job at Anessa. Of