Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 124451 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 622(@200wpm)___ 498(@250wpm)___ 415(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124451 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 622(@200wpm)___ 498(@250wpm)___ 415(@300wpm)
They stand facing one another, with Roxten’s back mostly to me, but there’s no mistaking the gun held firmly in his hand.
Fear rocks through me as my hands shake, desperate to do something … anything that will get that gun away from Tanner’s chest. Tears well in my eyes, quickly falling down my cheeks as I keep hidden, having no idea what the hell to do.
“Would you be saying that if it was your little sister who’d been raped? What about your mom or your girlfriend? Would you have their backs or would you call them whores and tell them they asked for it because of the clothes they were wearing or the way they smiled at him? Or would you go to the ends of the fucking earth to destroy the bastard who violated them? Because I know I sure as fuck would.”
“It’s too late to plead your fucking case, Morgan, so save me the bullshit. I’m not interested.”
Oh fuck.
Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck. He’s going to shoot him.
Tanner shakes his head. “Walk away, man,” he says, his tone dropping dangerously low. “Otherwise you better shoot to kill because I will come for you, and when I do, I will slaughter you like a fucking animal.”
Ahh, fuck. FUCK. Why does he have to go and provoke the bastard?
Desperation courses through my veins, and without thinking, I slip into the open driver’s seat of Tanner’s Mustang, the adrenaline gripping me by the balls and convincing me I’m braver than I really am. Finding his keys and phone still in the center console, I grab the key and shove it into the ignition. The engine roars to life and regret pours over me, knowing my cover is well and truly blown.
Roxten whips around and I blind him with the beaming headlights, the gun now trained on me as Tanner stares with wide eyes, shaking his head. I rev the engine, giving the bastard one hell of a warning as Tanner takes a hesitant step back, putting distance between him and Roxten.
“Don’t be fucking stupid, bitch,” Roxten roars over the sound of the engine. “I’ll fucking shoot you both.”
I rev the engine again, daring him to fucking come for me, and I see the very second he goes for it. I duck down just as the bastard pulls the trigger, the loud bang echoing through the parking structure. Rage burns through me, and the second my head comes flying back up over the dash, my foot slams down on the gas.
The tires screech and the car lunges forward as Roxten’s eyes widen with fear. He lets off two more shots and as Tanner dives for cover, the car takes off like a fucking bat out of hell, flying across the short space and slamming directly into Roxten.
The momentum lifts him off the fucking ground and he slams against the windshield, cracking the glass, but I hit the brakes, throwing him off. He’s launched into the air before violently smashing against the side panel of Logan’s RAM, caving in the back door.
Roxten drops lifelessly to the ground, the gun clattering against the pavement as I sit wide eyed, my heart pounding in my chest. “BRI?” Tanner roars, racing toward Roxten and grabbing the gun, his eyes coming right back to mine. “Killer, baby, tell me you’re okay.”
I swallow hard, nodding. “I, umm … yeah, I think so,” I say, my hands shaking on the steering wheel. “Is he dead? Please tell me I didn’t kill him.”
Tanner bends down, checking Roxten for a pulse and relief shines through his eyes. He blows his cheeks out wide before walking around to the driver’s door and opening it. He crouches down and takes my hand in his. “He’ll be okay,” he says, forcing me to meet his eyes. “He’s just knocked out cold. Maybe a few broken bones, but nothing permanent.”
I let out a heavy breath, unable to believe that shit just happened. “I ran someone over,” I mutter, trying to come to terms with what I’ve done.
“And you saved my fucking life,” Tanner says, squeezing my hands and silently willing me to come back to him. “I saw it in his eyes, babe. He was going to pull that fucking trigger. If you didn’t show up when you did …”
Tanner trails off, the same thoughts reflected in my own head. “He shot at me.”
“Trust me,” he grunts, a strange tone in his voice. “I fucking know.”
A small smile pulls at the corner of my lips as people start to come running out of the hospital, Riley and Hudson right in the front. “You’re mad at me, aren’t you?”
Tanner smirks and rolls his eyes before reaching into the car and pulling me into his arms. “So fucking mad,” he tells me.
“Just to clarify,” I tease, already knowing the answer as Tanner reaches into the car and cuts the engine. “It’s because I put myself in a dangerous situation, not because I just messed up your car.”