Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 79145 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79145 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
The moment we’re close, the conversation stops and one of the guys turns to look at us. His hair is low to his scalp, his face ruggedly handsome, almost so much so that it’s intimidating. His eyes sweep over me and heat slightly then drop to the hand Wes has wrapped around my hip. Then they travel up to meet mine again, and this time, the heat is gone and understanding is in its place.
“So this is her, huh?” he asks, looking over my shoulder at Wes.
“Baby, this is Tuck. Tuck, this is July,” Wes introduces us.
“Tuck?” I ask, and Wes chuckles.
“You don’t want to know how I got that nickname.” He shakes his head and sticks out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Seems you have my boy strung out.”
“I don’t think so,” I tell him as I shake his hand.
“You wouldn’t.” He looks over my shoulder and smiles as he drops my hand. “So what’s your poison?”
“Oh, I’m not going to drink tonight,” I say, shaking my head as memories of the last time I was here come to mind.
“One shot?” he questions, and Wes squeezes my side then whispers in my ear, “I’ll make sure you don’t challenge anyone to a dance-off.”
“Very funny,” I huff, looking over my shoulder at him and smiling.
*
“Shot, shot, shot,” is cheered, and I shoot back a shot of tequila and slam the glass down on the table then cover my mouth with my hand, wincing as the taste floods my mouth.
“Gahhh, I hate tequila.” I laugh then pick up another shot.
“Baby,” Wes laughs, taking the shot from my hand, lifting it to his mouth and shooting it back then wrapping a hand around the back of my neck and pulling my mouth to his. He presses his tongue into my mouth until I moaned down his throat.
“Get a room,” Tuck says, pouring another shot.
“Fuck off.” Wes smiles, kissing me again, this time below my ear.
“So have you taken July to meet Mama Judy?” Tuck asks, sitting back in his chair and taking a pull from his beer.
“Not yet, I was thinking this weekend,” Wes says, rubbing my shoulder.
“Uh…what?” I wheeze out.
“She has next weekend off, so I figured we could take a ride up to Nashville.”
Holy shit.
“Where is Z?” I ask, changing the subject before the conversation can turn to family and parents.
“He and your girl were supposed to be on their way when you called.”
I frown then pull out my phone and check the time. “I got here over an hour ago,” I say, and my frown grows deeper as I dial her number.
“Hello?” Kayan answers breathlessly then moans and I feel my face heat up.
“I…uh…later.” I hang up and set the phone on the table, whispering, “I think they were having sex.”
Wes and Tuck both start laughing and the music gets turned up, so I look around, noticing more people have shown up, and by more people, I mean more women, all of them wearing close to nothing.
“You good?” Wes asks, and I nod and look at the bottle of tequila when loud explosions fill my ears. Wes and Tuck both shove me under the table. My knees and hands hit the concrete hard, causing me to yell out in pain. Then the table is flipped to its side, blocking my view as women begin to scream, and the guys in the open court start yelling out at each other.
I tuck myself into a ball and cover my head with my hands when I realize they were gunshots. I don’t know how long it lasts, but before I even think it’s safe, Wes is picking me up off the ground and running, with me tucked in front of his body. My eyes are squeezed shut and my pulse is going haywire as I’m set down on a soft mattress.
“Baby, open your eyes.” I shake my head, trying to clear the loud ringing in my ears. “Baby.” I feel his hands hold my face and my eyes open, blinking a few times. “There you are,” he says, pulling me forward and placing a gentle kiss on my lips.
“You good, man?” Wes pulls his mouth from mine and we both turn our heads toward the open doorway, where Tuck is standing, holding a gun.
“Yeah.” His eyes leave his friends and come back to me and then flash, and he begins touching everywhere on my body until he gets to my knees, where they are scraped and bloody from hitting the concrete so hard. “Shit. Get me the first aid kit from the shop.”
“It’s okay. I’ll just wash it with some water,” I assure him then look towards the door, but Tuck is already out of sight.
“Who did that?” I ask, and his jaw clenches.
“No idea,” he grits out. “I’m going to get you cleaned up then head out with the boys. Tuck will stay here and watch over you until I get back.”