Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 122074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
My heart stopped. I ceased breathing.
She ran into traffic? Into traffic?
I grated out, repeating, because it was taking everything in me to keep myself here, and not tear into his building, destroying everything in my way until I got to her, “She’s okay?”
“She’s okay. Really. Pissed, but she wouldn’t tell me why. Said it was none of my business, but I swear, Walden.”
I stilled.
He was shaking his head, and the anger was coming off him in waves now, tightly reined in. “If you fucking hurt her, I’m moving in. I never took my try before but fuck you. Fuck you for whatever you did to move in on her. She doesn’t deserve your criminal ass, and you know it. I know it. The only one who doesn’t know it is her, because she’s got no idea how much better than you she is. And she is. Mark my words. She’s better than both of us. You and her, you’ve got something. That’s obvious from both sides, but the second you mess up again, I’m coming in. Consider this my warning.”
I really, really wanted to hit him, but he was right. About all of it. Still, she was mine. I wasn’t a good enough guy to walk away when I knew I should, he knew I should, and Molly probably knew in her subconscious that I should.
I was all fucking in, and it took until today for me to realize it.
“The men after her, they were your cousin’s?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. I’d assume. At this point, who else is going against you? But I’ve not seen any security footage yet. Things take time on our end. I’ll let you know when I do.”
That surprised me. “You’re suddenly on my side?”
“Fuck no, but Molly’s a game changer. My cousin goes after her, and I’m not okay with that.”
“What about what I told you earlier?”
He looked ready to pull my head off my body, but that made two of us here. I wasn’t happy about this either. Not anymore; the game changed with Molly. Everything changed with Molly.
“It’s under advisement. That’s all I can tell you, but don’t ever call me to a meeting with Trace West present. I’m aware of your brothership with him, but I loathe him. I loathe Montell.”
“You blame Jess for Justin leaving?”
“Trying to leave, remember?” he bit out.
Yeah. He blamed her. “She’s not the reason he was going.”
His jaw clenched, and he shoved his hands into his hoodie’s front pocket, hunching over again. “Doesn’t matter. He never told me he was leaving. She’s the one who told me. Logical or not, I’ll always hate her for that.”
Fine. Fuck. Whatever. “I want to see Molly.”
He shook his head. “Not at my place. No way can you come in. It’s too risky, but I’ll bring her here.”
“I don’t like that. I don’t like waiting.”
“I don’t give a shit. You fucked up. She ran from you for some reason. I’ll go in, talk to her, and bring her out—”
“I’m here.”
We both shifted backward, seeing Molly darting out from behind a bush.
A bush. She was hiding behind a bush.
I’d never get a read on her. It hit me then. Never. She was made up of some DNA that didn’t make sense to me. I couldn’t understand how her brain worked, her psychology, but there she was.
A fucking bush.
I almost started laughing while Worthing was sputtering. “Wha—Molly! You can’t—”
She scooted around him, coming to me but stopping a foot away. “I’m sorry, for earlier. I’m sorry.”
I could touch her if I wanted. She was letting me know that, and I wanted to do that. I wanted to do more than touch her, but she ran. From me. And I had no idea why.
I sighed, giving in, but not even knowing what I was giving in to. “Get in the vehicle.”
She nodded before moving to hug Worthing. “Thank you, Detective.”
I growled. She was touching someone who wasn’t me.
He shot me a look over her head before softening it when he said to her, “It’s Jake by now, Molly.”
“Jake.” She nodded, stepping back from him. “Thank you for coming and getting me.”
He nodded. “It’s no problem.”
She looked my way before giving him a half grin, and then darted inside, scooting to the far side. I shut the door behind me.
“She’s yours.”
“You’re stating the obvious.”
“You’re such a dick.”
I shrugged. “The war is here. We’re in a remission right now, but that’s going to end. Second act is coming. I suggest you make up your mind which side you’re on before that happens.”
He clamped his mouth shut, but he didn’t have a reply to me. He knew. I was reminding him again. I motioned toward my SUV again. “Thank you.”
He gave me a small nod. “Treat her right, Walden. My last warning about her.”
I flicked him off before getting inside.