Page 20 of The Woman By the Lake

“Even better, he’s a criminally selfish, murdering, piece of shit conman who went out making men have to live the rest of their lives with taking his, even if he was waste of humanity.”

“I’m not sure they’re losing much sleep over that guy,” Harry replied.

“Doesn’t negate the fact they gotta live with pulling that trigger.”

Harry nodded.

“I was a dick to her when she got in my shit this morning,” he told Harry.

“I can imagine,” Harry murmured.

“She’s an uppity pain in the ass,” Riggs defended himself.

“Her mother was beat to death by her father four months ago. A father she didn’t know existed, but now she knows he not only killed her mom in a vicious attack, he also killed four other women. I think she deserves some grace.”

“I don’t disagree, but I didn’t know that.”

Harry pointed at him with his spoon. “Now, you know.” After saying that, he dug into his yogurt again.

“And you know what this story is gonna bring up in me,” Riggs said low.

Harry didn’t break eye contact when he replied, “I know.”

“You’re a motherfucker,” Riggs muttered and nabbed his fork.

“I’ve seen pictures of her,” Harry said.

“Fuck off,” Riggs returned before shoving pancakes in his mouth.

“She and her mom both took after the bombshell in the family line,” Harry noted.

Riggs did nothing but swallow his pancakes and grunt.

But his friend was right.

He couldn’t put his finger on it until now, but even in a tight cami, faded jeans, ridiculous Birks, a sloppy sweater with sexy-as-all-fuck, messy, bedhead hair, Nadia Antonov looked like an old-time Hollywood goddess.

And what cut it?

Her damned attitude made him fight his dick getting hard.

His father had used his charm and good looks in much the same way Nadia’s had.

There was a time Riggs considered taking a blade to his face because the attention could get annoying, and sometimes it was downright oppressive.

But Nadia Antonov…

The woman wasn’t about to drop to her knees and suck his dick if he just snapped his fingers.

Which of course made him want to feel his cock in her mouth all the more.

Fuck him.

“To circle back, live as large as you want, my brother, just keep it down so your neighbor can get a good night’s sleep,” Harry finished.

He had no choice but to do that.

And more.

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