Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 119650 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 598(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119650 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 598(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
The thought of anyone being Addie’s whole world terrifies me, and it gives them the kind of power that’ll make her vulnerable. If someone were to hurt her again, I don’t know if she would ever recover. “I swear, man. If you break her …”
“You have my word, Tanner. I’m not going to push her on this, and I sure as fuck won’t try to start something until she’s ready. She already has so much going on, physical therapy, putting Colby away, getting back into her dance classes, not to mention the ongoing trauma of what he did to her. When the time is right, I’ll let her come to me.”
I watch him a moment before finally nodding, that being something I can deal with. It’ll give me time to get used to the idea of them together and peace of mind that he’d never pressure her into it. “You should know that every chance I get, I’m going to kick your ass.”
“Trust me, I fucking know.”
I drop my face into my hands while shaking my head. “Fucking hell, man. My little sister.”
I can all but hear his cringe. “Don’t say it like that. You make it sound like she’s a fucking child.”
My head snaps up and I gape at the asshole. “Isn’t she?”
A grin cracks across his face and I immediately want to pulverize it. “Maybe to you.”
“Man, you need to watch yourself. I will beat you senseless and claim you fell.”
Hudson laughs, but he knows just how serious I am. Knowing the rest of this conversation couldn’t possibly go well, I get up and grab my bag before walking the few feet to my bike. Hudson gets up with me and senses the topic of his undying love for my sister needs to be dropped, so he moves on to something that’s equally as infuriating. “We’re up against Hope Falls next week,” he reminds me, the undercurrents in his tone expressing something much more sinister.
“I know,” I tell him, straddling my bike, reading exactly what he’s thinking. Colby Jacobs has been evading the cops at every turn, but there’s no way in hell he’s going to skip out on this game. He wants his shot to put me down, but after what he did to Addison and how he hurt Bri, I’d rather end my life than let that motherfucker best me on the field, and that goes for his friend, Roxten Hargrove as well. Neither of them are going to know what’s going on. The whole fucking team for that matter. Addison is the princess of Bradford Private and now that what happened is public knowledge, she has the whole community rooting for her.
I meet Hudson’s hard stare, letting him read the darkness in my eyes. “Be ready,” I tell him. “Because after that game, we’re going to destroy him, even if we have to hunt him down.”
Hudson nods, all in. “I’m ready,” he says. “Whatever it takes.”
Chapter 19
BRIELLE
A loud yawn tears out of me as I walk through the door late on Saturday afternoon. The girls and I have been chilling out at Chanel’s place. Even Addie tagged along, claiming she needed a girls day, but honestly, I think she only came to escape Tanner and her mom. They watch her like a hawk, constantly checking on her as though she can’t possibly care for herself, which I completely understand, but being on the receiving end of that must be a lot.
Making my way through the lavish house, I take a detour to the kitchen, scanning the fridge for a bottle of water and something to eat. The girls and I lost track of time and skipped lunch when we started talking shit about the boys. Well, mostly about Jax and Logan, but there have been a few crude retorts about Riley as well.
Grabbing the leftover Chinese takeout from last night, I shove it into the microwave and hit go before searching the drawers for a fork. Just as the microwave finishes, the backdoor opens and Orlando strides through, just finishing a phone call.
Hearing me rifling through his kitchen, his head snaps up and his strained gaze locks on me. “Ah, Brielle, just the person I need to see.”
My gaze narrows. What the hell is that supposed to mean?
I suppose the one good thing about Orlando Channing is that he doesn’t make me jump through hoops for answers, he’s straight to the point. “That was Garrett,” he says, referring to the lawyer he’d set me up with. “He was just confirming that you are officially off the hook. Your evidence together with the victim’s statement was all they needed to clear your name.”
I brace my hands against the counter, needing to hold myself up as the relief washes through me. “Right, okay, so … wait,” I pause, my brows furrowing as I meet his stare. “Why is Garrett discussing my case with you and not speaking directly to me? I didn’t consent to that. Isn’t there supposed to be some kind of client-lawyer confidentiality agreement?”