Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 32845 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32845 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
“I’m not from here, sir. I don’t have anyone to call.”
“Do you have family?”
“I do, but they’re all in Kentucky. I was, uh, on a trip.”
“Then you can call Kentucky once we get to the police station.”
“My phone is in my car with my wallet.”
“I’ll get your phone and your wallet. They’ll be checked at the station, but they’ll let you make a call.”
“How long will I have to stay there?”
“Until someone comes to pick you up. I’m sorry, ma’am, but I’m doing this for your own good. At seventy, I’d have given you a citation and let you go -- but ninety-eight? You’re going to get yourself killed. Or, worse, kill someone else. Do you understand?”
I blinked several times, trying not to cry. “Yes, sir.”
“Good. I’ll be right back.”
He went to my car, turned it off and put a tag on the driver’s door before he returned with my wallet, phone, and keys. After doing a quick inventory, he sealed it in a bag with my phone and my keys.
“I locked your car. I’m putting an immediate suspension on your license in the state of North Carolina pending a hearing.”
“I’m so sorry, officer. I’m sorry.”
“I understand. I hope you understand my job is to keep everyone driving this road as safe as I can. That includes you.”
“Yes, sir.”
Chapter Four
Cyclone
“What the fuck is she doing in North Carolina?” I realized the situation I’d gotten me and Willa into wasn’t ideal, but her discomfort was no reason to take off and worry her parents. She wasn’t in an unsafe situation. There was no way I’d ever hurt Willa -- or any woman for that matter -- simply because we’d both been drunk and not considering it wasn’t a good idea for us to be behaving like we did. At worst, seeing each other would be a bit awkward for a while, but it was just sex. Most adults had sex at some point in their life. Besides, even if she felt unsafe or thought I’d use my position to harm her in any way, all she had to do was go to her daddy and Trucker’d take care of me. And I’d be dead.
“Not sure.” Data was moving his mouse from one screen to another, alternately typing and clicking until he got the information he wanted. “Her phone’s at the Haywood County Jail. Looks like her car’s been impounded.”
“Fuck!” I scrubbed a hand over my face. “What do they have her on?”
Data’s face was hard, his brows knit together. “Speeding and reckless driving. She was arrested a couple hours ago. They’re still processing her. Looks like she was doing ninety-eight in a sixty.”
“And they arrested her for that? I realize North Carolina is real hard-ass with shit like that, but actually arresting her seems a bit of an overkill.”
Data shook his head. “Not sure, brother. Like I said, she’s still in processing.”
“Reach out to them. Make her bail so she can come home.”
“I can make her bail, but she’s gonna need someone to go get her. They’ve suspended her license pending her trial date.”
I took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. Calm. I needed calm. “Just pay her bail. Get her a taxi to a hotel and send the info to my phone. And send me a virtual key so I can get in when I get there.”
“Maybe you should send Trucker after her. Or ask Ice and Dawn. Cain and Angel would go, too. You don’t seem to be in the best frame of mind for the job.”
“You’re about three seconds away from pissing me the fuck off, Data. I realize I’m a couple decades younger than you, but I’m capable of rounding up one small woman on my own.”
“Hey. Ain’t sayin’ you aren’t capable. Just sayin’ you don’t want to scare the girl to death or Trucker’ll have your hide.”
“If one more person reminds me how Willa is Trucker’s little darlin’. I think I’ll puke.” I muttered the complaint under my breath, but it was really becoming a problem. Yes, I’d fucked up. I got it. The reminder that my neck was on the line was not needed. Besides that, I already felt bad about the whole thing. Well, not the whole thing. That night I’d spent with Willa would haunt me for the rest of my life. The woman was all kinds of special. So sweet and innocent, with a willingness to let me corrupt her and never question anything I did. She’d followed where I led and hadn’t looked back.
“What happened between you and Willa, Cyclone?” Data’s wife, Zora, narrowed her eyes at me.
I mimicked her expression just to piss her off. “What makes you think anything happened between me and Willa?”
Zora rolled her eyes. “Well, she didn’t leave the club to go find herself or whatever excuse she gave Trucker and Helen. The rumor is she was seen leaving your room in the wee hours of the morning a few weeks ago wearing nothing but a very oversized T-shirt.”