Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 106092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
“I’ll go too,” Kellen starts, but I wave him off.
“You’re still sick. Hell, Jesse is too, but you’re taking longer to recover than he and Hailey are. Stay back and protect everyone.”
Kellen and Aaron both scowl at being booted from the mission.
“I can go,” Hope offers. “I run fast and—”
“I need you here,” Aaron says, cutting her off. “Plus, if it’s women they’re after, we’re not going to serve you up on a platter.”
Hope frowns but nods in agreement.
“We’ll check it out,” I assure our group. “If it seems legit, we’ll come back and we can enter the town. If it’s a trap, we’ll obtain a vehicle and pick you all up on the way out of here.”
To Stovepipe Wells we go…
“What’s up with you and Hailey?” I ask as we creep toward our destination—a large metal building on the south part of the small tourist town.
Jesse grins over his shoulder at me. “We’re in love.”
“You’ve known her for five minutes,” I hiss. “You’re not in love.”
He grinds to a halt and faces off with me, a taunting smirk on his teenage face. “You’re one to talk.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You know good and damn well what that means.” He pokes me in the center of the chest. “Everyone knows you and Kellen are fucking.”
Heat creeps up to my cheeks. It’s not like I’m embarrassed or that I’m unaware everyone knows we’re sharing a bed each night. I just haven’t ever spoken to Jesse about my sexual encounters.
“We’re not…fucking.” Yet.
Jesse rolls his eyes. “Okay, sure, dude.”
“But you and Hailey are? What does her dad think?”
“For your information,” Jesse says lowly, “we made love. Because we’re in love.”
I blink stupidly at my brother. He’s sixteen, barely knows this girl, and truly thinks he’s in love. I’d never realized how much he was like Aaron until this moment.
“Be careful,” I warn. “Don’t get her pregnant and try not to get shot by her dad.”
“Danny Boy loves me.”
I ignore him to trot the rest of the way to the building. He sidles up beside me, both of us breathing heavily from our jaunt. Cold air clouds in front of us with each exhalation we take.
I motion for him to stay behind me as I creep along the side of the building, sticking to the shadows, until I reach the front.
Laughter.
Craning my neck, I listen for the source of the muffled sound. I squint in the darkness until I see a small huddle of men standing in the road beside a police car in front of the saloon on the other side of the restaurant.
“NHP?” Jesse whispers near my ear.
“Looks that way.”
A couple of the men break off from the pack and start walking down the road in our direction. Me and Jesse crouch down. Soon, I can hear their boots slapping the pavement and their low voices become audible.
“Rio and Gator are in serious shit with the big guy,” the tall, lanky man says. “I understand getting rid of the man, but the chicks too? They fucked up.”
The shorter, pudgier guy grunts. “I’m surprised Ponce didn’t put them both down when they bragged about it.”
I don’t know much about the NHP, but these guys, dressed casually, don’t appear to be a part of them.
Thunder rumbles again in the distance. Both men stop to peer toward the easterly direction.
“It’s going to storm and we’re the lucky fuckers who have to clean up their mess. What’d we do to deserve this, Manny?”
Manny, the shorter guy, grunts again. “Low men on the totem pole. You haven’t been laid in a while.” He playfully ribs the other man. “You want some cold, dead pussy, Derek?”
Derek shoves at him. “Don’t be a sick fuck.”
The two of them start moving again down the road.
“After we take care of this shit, I’m going to visit the hotel. Surely it’ll earn us some warm, live, and kickin’ pussy.”
Derek snorts. “Now you’re talking. That one they captured yesterday on the highway had a nice pair of tits…”
Their voices grow muted again as they get out of earshot.
Turning, I motion for Jesse to head toward the back of the building. Once we’re hidden better, I let out a sharp breath.
“I knew it,” I grit out, grinding my teeth together. “It’s a trap to lure people here. Women specifically. Fuck.”
Jesse scowls. “Time for Plan B.”
“You think we can steal that police car?”
He shakes his head. “No, but there’re a few cars parked nearby at the hotel. I saw a Suburban big enough to hold our crew. It’s older looking too, which could mean easier to hot-wire.”
We make a plan that involves me being the lookout while Jesse crosses the road to try to steal the vehicle. If the guys near the police car hear him and go after him, I’m to pick them off with the shotgun.