Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20551 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 103(@200wpm)___ 82(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20551 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 103(@200wpm)___ 82(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
I barely contain the gasp when I see one of the men at the table, and it's Axle. He looks at me with a smile on his face. I hadn't seen him since that night at the Guardian clubhouse. I thought for sure that he was either dead or run out of town. I take their orders and do my best to act like I don't recognize him. As soon as I get it all written down, I walk away as fast as I can. And only once I'm to the counter do I let out the breath that I didn't know that I was holding.
I'm putting the order into the machine when I hear someone approaching. I turn, and sure enough, Axle is limping toward me, practically dragging his back foot. My whole body freezes. As he approaches me, I turn away, wanting to avoid him, but he stops next to me and whispers in a hushed voice, "I've been looking for you everywhere, Brandy."
I turn to look at him, making sure that I don't have fear on my face. "I don't know why you would be looking for me. I think you know where that will get you."
His face hardens. "Is that baby Diesel's or one of those other Guardians’?" I just stare at him. He leans in really close to me, and I do my best not to jerk back from him. He’s staring at me, and in an evil voice, he tells me, "It'll be good knowing that you're carrying one of their babies when I fuck you."
His hand tightens on my shoulders, and I jerk back, away from him. I turn to flee, and he grabs on to my arm, holding me to him. "There's no one here to protect you anymore. One time, when you at least expect it, you're going to be mine."
I turn and look at him. "Let go of me."
He does, and I get away from him as fast as possible. My mind starts to go 100 miles an hour. If it was just me, I would stay here and fight. I would do everything I had to do to make sure that he never does what he did to me again, or to anyone else. But I have my baby to think about now.
My hand goes to the curve of my belly. I have to protect him at all costs. I try to calm myself, and when my coworkers ask me what's wrong, I shake my head, not wanting to get any of them involved. I wait for the men’s food to be ready and take it over to them. I don't dare look at Axle. I try to act like nothing is bothering me, and it's only once they've been served their food that I go to the kitchen and sneak out the back door.
I drive straight home and start throwing things together into a bag. "What's wrong?" my uncle says, coming to my door.
"I have to go," I tell him.
He comes over to me and puts his hands on my shoulders to look at me. "Slow down, honey. You look like you've seen the devil himself."
I clench my eyes shut and open them again. "I did."
He nods his head. "You know that little one is going to need his father. I think you need to go to Tennessee."
I gasp and look at my uncle. "What do you know? I mean, how do you—" I ask him.
"I know all about Diesel. I know he hurt you, but I also know he regrets it. He calls here all the time to check in on you."
He holds his hands up when I start to ask him something. "Don't worry, I haven't told him a thing. But if it's not him that you're running from, then maybe you need to be running to him. He seems like the type of man that's going to protect you."
A lone tear falls down my cheek. All this wasted time, I fucked up. I should have found Diesel way before now. "I have to go," I tell him.
He nods his head and starts helping me carry stuff out to the car. When I open the car door, he hands me a wad of cash and a piece of paper with Diesel’s address and phone number on it. "Take this so you have enough to get there. It'll be like a 25-hour drive. You're going to have to stop and rest. You look like you're about to fall over as it is."
I'm nodding, listening to everything he says. "I know." I hug my uncle, even though he does not like hugs. "I love you, and I appreciate everything that you've done for me."
He nods his head. "Ditto, kid."
He helps me into the car and shuts the door behind me. I wave at him before driving off.