Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91990 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91990 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
“You’re way too fragile,” I say on a groan as I scrub a hand over my face.
“Not fragile. I’m just not quite as desensitized as you, and I’d like to keep it that way. It took me a while to reach even this level of normalcy.”
“Why the fuck do you want to be normal?” I ask her very seriously.
“Both of you fit under there on top of each other?” Sarah asks, interrupting whatever Kara was going to say.
Idly, I notice people peering around the corners of the club to see if it’s safe.
They squeal and run back inside when Sarah grins at them.
It’s not the smile that scares them. It’s the fact she has streaks of blood all over her, looks like she just left a seventies horror movie set, a gun is propped on her shoulder, and she looks damn happy about it.
Her smile falls. “People are so judgmental. I singlehandedly dispatched mercenaries of unknown origins to save the day and they act like I’m crazy. People haven’t an ounce of understanding that my life may not have been peachy.”
“War zones tend to leave people tense,” I mutter as I drag Kara to her feet. “They’re going to draw all the motherfucking heat in the world on this town if they keep bringing that much firepower out in the open.”
“Why are you griping at me? It’s not my fault people lack discretion when trying to kill you guys or me,” Sarah complains.
Kara stumbles up to my side, and she exhales harshly. “If you’d started the date that way, you wouldn’t have had to work so hard. My adrenaline is now on overdrive.”
My eyes roll so hard my brain feels punched by them.
Fucking crazy ass women all around me.
My phone chimes with a text, and it’s a message from Sarah with an address.
IDENTITY CRISIS: It’s not Herrin, but it’s a lead.
Chapter 25
KARA
Maya sucks on an oversized sucker as she stares at me from across the table. Some other random chick is sitting at the end of the couch, intently focusing on her phone.
Rush is…missing. It’s the first time he’s left me at the clubhouse for this long, and I have no idea where he’s gone.
Maya’s lips make a loud pop as she pulls the sucker out of her mouth and uses it to gesture at me. “I can’t really see much family resemblance, other than the cheekbones. Maybe a little bit around the eyes,” she says, lazily tracing air-circles to gesture to my eyes with her sucker.
“Should I ask who you really are?”
“No, you shouldn’t,” the unknown girl at the other end of the couch says.
“Colleen won’t let me talk about myself. She pretends to be uninterested in me, but she always sits close when the guys go out,” Maya tells me like she’s making a keen observation.
“Colleen has no opinions and no agendas,” Colleen states flatly.
There’s a long beat of awkward silence after that, and Maya resumes sucking her sucker.
“So…where’s Eve?” I decide to ask, since she’s the people pleaser who tries getting us all to talk.
Usually, we just let her do all the talking.
Colleen’s name is one I’m just learning, even though she’s been silently present most of the time.
“Eve’s at the hospital with Dash, because he’s one of Drex’s best friends. That means she’s going to be a good friend to him too. Isn’t that sweet?” Colleen asks dryly, exhaling really loud.
“Got a thing for my brother?” I guess.
She releases an indignant snort. “I’ve moved on to more mature interests. I’m just used to order. In case you missed the daily headlining news on every channel, there’s been nothing but fucking chaos in Halo for a while now,” she goes on in a bored tone. “Life’s never been simple, and no one’s ever going to let it be simple.”
More uncomfortable silence follows that as Maya continues to study me.
“Did you and Axle ever have a thing? Asking for a friend,” she says, blinking those very long lashes at me.
I clear my throat and shake my head. “Nope. We didn’t even really talk. Rush is the only one from the club I ever dated, for the record,” I tell them, adding that last part quickly to eliminate any future inquisitions.
Maya sits back like she’s satisfied with that, and she resumes her sucker attentions.
This would be the perfect opportunity to escape…if that was still at the forefront of my mind. Instead, I find myself darting a quick glance to the door, stupidly hoping Rush walks through it.
We had sex, and…then he dropped me off like a date who had a curfew and told me to ‘stay put.’
Dick.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I lean back and huff a little.
“Withdrawal issues so soon?” Maya muses, still studying me too intently.
“I need something to do. I’m not a sit-and-stay sort of girl just because a man demands it,” I point out.