Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 72126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
“Something on your mind?”
“I guess.”
“Wanna talk about it?”
“How long are we gonna stay here?”
“I don’t know... but it won’t be forever.” I ran my fingers through his hair. “I just need to figure out a plan.”
Dylan sighed and mumbled, “I hope it’s soon.”
Heartbroken that I had caused him so much pain, I leaned down and landed a quick kiss on his forehead. “I promise I will get us out of here as soon as I can.”
Over the next few days, we kept to ourselves and barely left the room. We needed the time to decompress and face our new reality. Once or twice a day, one of the guys or one of their girlfriends would bring us food and check on us.
They didn’t ask questions, didn’t push. They just made sure we were okay. It was the little things—Ghost nodding at me without a word or that girl Bridget leaving an extra treat for Toby. It was those little acts of kindness that slowly made me feel like maybe, just maybe, we’d be safe here.
We’d been there for almost a week when there was a knock at the door.
Thinking it was one of the guys bringing more food, I ran my fingers through my hair and said, “Come in.”
The door eased open, and Toby leaned into me when a man I’d never seen before stepped inside the room. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with a commanding presence, much like Viper’s. He was fierce but attractive, with salt and pepper hair and a neatly trimmed beard.
A kind smile slipped across his handsome face as he said, “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” I replied with a nervous edge.
“Hope I didn’t wake you.”
“No, sir. You didn’t. We were awake.”
“Good.” His eyes skirted over us both. “You two settling in?”
“We’re doing okay.”
“Good. Glad to hear it. I’m sorry I haven’t been by sooner, but I wanted to come by and introduce myself.” There was kindness in his eyes as he smiled and said, “I’m Preacher.”
“Hi, Preacher. It’s nice to finally meet you... Viper had a lot of great things to say about you and your club.”
“Glad to hear that.” He had an air of confidence that could only come from a man with a great deal of power, but it didn’t feel threatening. Instead, I felt like we were in safe hands as he explained, “He filled me in on you two as well, and it sounds like you’ve had a time of it.”
“Yeah, you could say that.”
“Well, I plan to put an end to all that.”
“I’m not sure that can be done, but I would appreciate you trying.” I glanced down at Toby, “We both really appreciate you letting us stay here for a while. It means a lot.”
“No problem. Just glad we could help.” As he turned back for the door, he added, “You don’t have to stay couped up in here. You can get out when you get ready. There’s a full kitchen and a family room with a couple of TVs and pool tables just down the hall.”
Toby’s eyes lit up. “Pool tables?”
“Yes, sir. Pool tables and dart boards. There’s even a couple of PlayStations and X-boxes in there, too.” Preacher’s gaze softened slightly as he looked at Toby. “You’ll have to check it out.”
“Okay, sounds good.”
“Alright, I’ll leave you to it.” Preacher’s voice had a warmth to it now. “There’s lunch in the kitchen. You can come down whenever you’re ready. The guys know to give you both space, so you won’t be crowded.”
“Thank you, Preacher.”
“No problem.” He looked at me for a moment, and there was something in the tone of his voice that led me to believe him when he said, “You’re safe here. We’ll make sure of that.”
“That means a lot to me... It means a lot to us both.”
He gave me one last nod, then stepped out of the room. “Food goes fast around here. You might wanna go grab you some before it’s gone.”
“We’ll be down in a minute. Thanks!”
Preacher’s gaze lingered on us for a second longer, then he turned and closed the door behind him. Toby glanced up at me with a spark of hope in his eyes. “I like him.”
“I like him, too.”
“You think he meant what he said?”
“I don’t think he’s the kind of man who says things he doesn’t mean.”
“Yeah, I don’t think so either.” He eased the covers back as he said, “I’m gonna take a shower.”
“Okay. I’ll find you some clothes to put on.”
He nodded, then hopped down from the bed.
Seconds later, the bathroom door closed, and the shower was running. Knowing he wouldn’t be long, I sifted through our bags until I found him a clean outfit, then eased the bathroom door open and placed them on the sink. While he finished up, I changed and brushed my hair. I didn’t bother with putting on makeup. With my black eye and busted lip, there was no point.