Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 46081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
“You don’t have to tell me.” Her eyes were full of understanding. She knew what it was like to live with profound pain and empathized as no one else could.
“A six-year-old girl went missing from the school’s playground one day. She was the sister of the man who killed Dom’s guy. Dom had his crew take her in retaliation. They didn’t physically harm her, but I’m sure she’s scarred for life. They tied her to an overpass in the rival crew’s territory. It was horrifying.”
“My God, that poor child.”
Frost nodded. “When the cops came sniffing around Dom, he pointed them at me. Told them I was the one who did it despite him trying to stop me.”
“What?” Shock rendered her voice almost inaudible. “Please tell me that’s not true.” She squeezed his upper arms.
“Unfortunately, it is. I was arrested and denied bail while awaiting trial because of his testimony.”
“What did your parents do?”
A cold wave of hatred washed over him. “They believed Dom.”
“No,” she whispered, shock clear in her voice.
He nodded. “He was convincing. A charming fucker whom everyone loved. Then there was me… the quiet, aloof introvert. I was the weird one. Dom convinced them all. Everyone turned against me.”
“Frost, I am so unbelievably sorry.” She laid her hand over his heart, which thudded with a heaviness that had been there for years. “Obviously, you’re here now, so how did you get out? Were you found not guilty?”
He shook his head. “We never made it to trial. After about ninety days, the child, who hadn’t uttered two words since the kidnapping, suddenly began to talk. She talked about a tattoo her kidnapper had. A black symbol on his hand. She was even able to draw a fairly accurate picture. It matched a tattoo Dom had. I was released, and after further investigation, he was arrested.”
“What did you do after that?”
“I left. Everyone in my life had sided with Dom. Even though I was released, my name had made national news as a fucking villain. For months, people believed I was the type of sick asshole who could kidnap and terrorize a child. Some still believed it after my release, even with airtight evidence against Dom. Even after the conviction. My family didn’t look at me the same. My friends, either. I couldn’t stay. So I left, and I’ve been moving around ever since. Staying in one area has been hard. To say I struggle with trust would be the understatement of the century.”
“You were all alone.”
“For a long time, I was.” Their gazes locked, and it seemed to form an unbreakable link between them. They both knew loneliness. Both knew betrayal. Both knew fear.
“You trust the club.” It wasn’t a question. She seemed to understand he did.
“I do, mostly. It took me some time to get there, though. I was tired of being alone and adrift. I wanted some connection. A family. Patching into the club is a kind of contract. A promise of loyalty that is not broken without severe consequence.”
“Oh.” Her gaze lit with understanding. “It’s a bit of a safety net for your trust,” she said with a sad smile.
“Exactly.”
“But somewhere along the way, the Handlers have become more than I expected. They’ve become family, and I do trust them. All of them.”
“Even though you aren’t patched in yet.”
“Even though.”
“Thank you for telling me. You didn’t have to, but I love that I know you more and understand you better.”
“I trust you too, Rach. You shared your story and your pain. I’m sorry I walked out. The thought of someone hurting you…” he trailed off.
She grabbed his hips and tugged him so close their bodies met. “I feel the same way about what your friend did to you. If he were here, I couldn’t stop myself from killing him.”
She got it.
She understood him.
“Yeah. Same.”
“I trust you too, Frost. And I’m not afraid around you.” She pressed her hips into him, making his cock throb with need. “Not at all. You don’t have to be gentle with me or take your time. I’m ready for you.”
His dick, which had been hard since she walked into the hallway, nearly exploded at the implication. “What are you saying?” he asked in a strangled voice, needing to hear every specific word.
A sly grin curled her lips as she reached between them to palm his dick over his jeans. “I’m saying I want you to fuck me.”
“Christ.” He slammed his eyes shut and thought about having his toenails ripped out. Only the most drastic of torture would keep him from losing control.
But the woman took no mercy on him. She squeezed his dick. “Right here with all these beautiful lights around us. I want your hands on me. All over me. I want your mouth on me. I want you insi—” She abruptly stopped when he grabbed the back of her head and stole her lips in a ferocious kiss. “Oh!”