Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 77842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Rhodes sets his things beside me, his strong hands grabbing a chuck of meat wrapped in parchment paper and setting it out on a cutting board. He changed clothes, now wearing a camo-print shirt and tight Wranglers.
Pulling out another cutting board, I dump my apples on it and begin to slice them. After the second one, it becomes a mindless task, and I start to think about Heston. The way he sounded last night was unlike anything I’ve heard from him. Not the time he hit me or even when I gave the ring back. There is so much hurt wrapped around our relationship, like thorned vines pricking us every other way and yet, we kept going, hoping for a beautiful bloom in the end. But there’s nothing pretty here, just ugly scabs that I keep picking at.
“Rhodes, have you ever hit a woman?” I ask, my eyes still on the task at hand.
“I like to smack a woman’s ass, maybe a little throat grabbing in the bedroom, but I’ve never hit a female with ill intention, darling.” A little southern twang presents itself in his reply, making me stare at him a little longer. This rough, wild man, wearing Wranglers with a southern accent, is attractive, a distraction, really, during a rough time in my life. Maybe God sent him to me to help the burden of my past. But the idea that Rhodes is an angel is laughable; he’s a walking temptation ready to be licked and touched in every sinful way.
Jesus, what am I thinking!
“Are you and these motorcycle buddies the real thing?” I ask, because all I can imagine is Jax Teller rushing in with guns blazing.
He chuckles a little, sprinkling seasoning on the patties. “Uh, I don’t really know what qualifies as the real deal, but you don’t want to cross any of them. That being said, they have loyalty and family chiseled into their bones—”
“Your bones?” I interrupt him, curious if he’s anything like them.
He barely looks up, his hands still.
“I wouldn’t be a part of it if I didn’t.”
Chewing the side of my cheek, I take that into account and grab my crust. Pulling it out of the package, I roll it out and knead it. Pulling the recipe open on my phone, I do what it says next, until I’m ready to put it in the oven. Now we wait for forty-five minutes, or at least I do.
Rhodes sits next to Paige on the couch, and I pull my phone out to see if the sheriff wrote me back about Cam, but there’s nothing. When she calls, I need to mention Heston and see what my options are. My phone dings in my hand; it’s a text from Owen.
Best gay best friend, Owen: Hey ho, I know you are occupied by lumberjack neighbor, but I want to know details!!!! Don’t make me come over there!
Inhaling a breath, I close the screen and walk to the living room.
“Hey, Owen needs me for a second, will you watch her until I get back? I just don’t want to leave her after—”
“After what?” Paige asks, her full attention on me now.
“Yeah, I got her.” Rhodes gives a curt nod, before yawning.
“Thanks, be back in a minute.”
“After what?” Paige yells, just as I walk out the door. I don’t want to tell her about Heston looking for me; it will only upset her more, and I’m not sure how much more she can take right now.
Opening the front door, I look around for any sight of Heston, my heart beginning to beat faster and harder as I start to think he’s behind a bush, waiting for me to come out and shake me until I agree to take him back. Crossing my arms, I tap my toe anxiously, the feeling of being scared, washing over me and reminding me of when I was a kid getting up to use the restroom at night, and running and jumping to get back in bed because I was afraid something was under it, or behind me. Yeah, I can’t walk across the street. Not happening.
Grabbing my phone, I text Owen.
Me: Come to my place
34
Looking at the black flowers Paige and I planted, Owen leans against the house with his legs crossed at the ankles.
“So, let me get this straight, you told Heston to get out, he came back angry as hell, frightening even, so Rhodes stayed the night to keep you and Paige safe, then the stalker was looking for you at the market and now biker man is getting his club involved and baking pies with you?” His index finger tips out just so, as he looks at me with a raised brow.
“Yeah, that’s about it.”
“Well to be honest, I never liked Heston. I think he was just a rebound.”