Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 62710 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 314(@200wpm)___ 251(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62710 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 314(@200wpm)___ 251(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
“You ready?” Luna asks, just as Western’s eyes lock onto me and his face hardens.
“I guess I don’t have a choice,” I say, softly.
“Got some nerve, comin’ in here.”
Colt’s voice comes from behind me, and I turn quickly to see him standing, arms crossed over his chest, giving me a look that is more than a little terrifying.
“I don’t want any trouble, Colt. I just want to talk to him.”
“Think he’s made it clear he don’t want to talk to you. Do you know what I would normally do to someone who came into my club without permission?”
“We won’t be long,” Luna interrupts, unbothered by Colt’s terrifying demeanor.
“Get. Her. Out.”
Western’s voice comes out like a whip. Slowly, I turn back toward him. He’s standing right in front of me, rage filling his dark brown eyes. Hazel is standing next to him, clutching his arm, giving me a look that tells me she’s more than a little ready to throw down once more. I take a shaky breath and square my shoulders before saying, “I’m not leaving until you talk to me.”
“Thing about that is,” Colt pipes up, “we’re quite capable of makin’ you.”
“If he wants me gone, Colt,” I say, not moving my eyes from Western’s, “then he can do it himself.”
“Get the fuck outta my club,” Western grinds out, the rage in his voice more than a little terrifying.
“Not until you talk to me, and if one of you so much as thinks about touching me, I will throw down. In a big way.”
Western’s eyes flash.
I stand my ground.
Luna takes hold of my arm, but I don’t stop to see what it is she’s doing. Western is standing so close, his eyes locked on mine, that neither of us notices when she snaps a pair of cuffs on his arm, then jerks mine so quickly I’m caught off guard, snapping the other end to me. Then, taking a step back, she smiles. “Well now, I guess you get no choice.”
I stare down at my hand in shock. I didn’t see that one coming, hell, she moved so quickly even Western didn’t know what she was about to do. I look to her, my mouth slightly agape. “Luna ...”
Western jerks his arm, which only causes me to stumble forward and crash right into him. An angry growl leaves his throat as he shoves me back and barks, “Get this motherfuckin’ shit off me, right now.”
Luna shrugs, giving him a smile. “Once you’ve talked to her, I’ll tell you where the key is. It’s pretty simple. Before any of you think you can force it out of me, just try it. I’ll never tell you where it is.”
Colt looks slightly impressed.
Western doesn’t give her a moment more of his time, instead, he jerks me in his direction and begins walking through the crowd that has now stopped to watch. “I’ll do it my fuckin’ self.”
Desperately trying to get my footing, I have no choice but to follow him, my little legs barely keeping up with his big strides as he storms toward his shed, Hazel running after us.
“You stupid—” she begins, but Western pauses and spins on her.
“Fuck off, Hazel.”
My eyes widen and so do hers, but she doesn’t fight him. She scowls at me and then turns and walks away. Western continues his mission to the shed, where I have no doubt he is going to try and find something to get these cuffs off. I have minutes, and I’m not going to lose my chance to speak when he can’t get away from me.
“Western, I know right now you hate me, and I understand why, but I need you to hear me out.”
He doesn’t answer, he just keeps charging toward his shed.
Panting, I pick up the pace to keep up with him as I continue.
“When I started writing that article, I honestly had no idea what I was going to find. I just wanted the truth for a stranger who we all knew about, a stranger who spent his life in prison and, yet, none of it made sense. I never thought I would uncover what I did. I never expected to care about you. When I realized what was happening, I called it off. You have to believe that I told my boss we weren’t going to release that story.”
No answer.
He reaches the door to the shed and swings it open, pulling me inside. I gasp as I see the mess covering the floor. It’s not trash, or clothes, no, it’s his beautiful bike. The one he was painting. The perfect reflection of Braithe and everything he stood for. It is broken into a few pieces, and they’re all crumpled. The masterpiece, ruined. I don’t know what he used to destroy that, but it has left a crumpled mess in its wake. I try to stop, but he doesn’t let me, and I tumble, falling to my knees.