Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 103637 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103637 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Mike relaxed and stroked Arden’s arm, guiding his stiff form to a nearby bench. Jesus. What the fuck was that guy’s problem?
“Are you okay?” he asked as they sat under an artificial tree across from a shoe store.
Mike had thought he’d seen Arden’s facade crack before with honest smiles, but it seemed he’d been just scratching the surface. Arden kept panting as if he were on the verge of a panic attack and rubbed his thumbs under his eyes in a bid not to mess up his mascara. “He’s an ex who just won’t disappear. I’m so stupid. I shouldn’t have come here.”
Mike exhaled, leaning against the wooden backrest as he watched people pass by with their shopping, his arm around Arden, in case the bastard came back. “If he won’t give up, maybe I should talk to him more sternly. Where does he live?”
“No, no, no!” Arden took a few deep breaths, going pale. “Just… it will blow over. If he thinks a guy like you is with me, he’ll fuck off. I think.”
“You think?” Mike asked, raising his brows, but Arden’s frantic, shallow breathing told a different story, making Mike itch to follow the bastard and deal with him the only way men like him deserved. “What did he do?”
“Drop it, okay? He just… wasn’t a very good boyfriend. Will you pretend to be my new guy or not? It doesn’t have to be all the time, just if he comes over.”
If Arden didn’t want the help, Mike wouldn’t force him, but there was opportunity in this…
“I have one condition,” Mike said, meeting Arden’s gaze.
The boy stiffened against him. “I can pay you, but I’m not blowing you,” he growled so loudly an elderly couple on a bench nearby ostentatiously got up and walked away.
Mike scowled, took his hands off Arden, and pulled away. “Jeez, what the hell is wrong with you? I never had to blackmail anyone into sucking my dick. If you ever get a piece of this delicious meat, it’ll be because you can’t help yourself!”
Arden stalled and took a deep breath. “Sorry. Then… what do you want?”
Mike was still offended, but that wouldn’t keep him away from his goals. “I want you to tell everyone you’re crushing on me. And that I’m a god in bed. Especially Kane.”
Arden blinked, and his perfectly manicured brows lowered. “What? You want to prank your friends into thinking you’re bi?”
It had only been about winning the bet, but Mike’s mouth stretched into a wide smile. “Yes. I didn’t know I wanted to do that, but now I do. Let’s do it,” he said and grabbed Arden’s wrist, lifting his hand for a loud high-five. “Yeah! Can’t wait to see their faces! But first, you have to admit I’m your type. Go on. I’ve seen your ex. No need to be coy.”
Mike was buzzing. This would be hilarious.
Arden groaned, holding on to Mike’s hand after the high-five. “Okay, you’re my type. So my type. Hot, hunky biker with a dirty mind. I wanna spread my legs, like, yesterday.” He fanned himself sarcastically, and rolled his eyes but the act was good enough for Mike.
“Sounds great, just less theatrically next time for my family.”
Chapter 5 – Arden
Arden held on tightly to Mike, but even the scent of his cologne and the touch of his muscular body weren’t enough to make the ride pleasant. He wasn’t sure whether he was that glad he hadn’t killed Luke, because while this meant police weren’t searching for him after all, he’d gained another massive target on his back.
And Luke would not give up. He never did.
Arden remembered the blood trickling out from the wound so vividly. Dark red against a beige carpet.
He’d never hit someone the way he had that night and could still feel the impact of the lamp hitting Luke’s head as a phantom tremble in his arm. He hadn’t intended to kill Luke, just to defend himself, but because he was as physically weak as Luke was strong, it had been a fight for his life.
But Mike was nothing like him. He had the strength of a bull and the confidence of a lion protecting his lionesses from invading males. With Mike at his side, Arden didn’t have to fear Luke.
Relief softened his muscles as they drove past the sign at the outskirts of Hawk Springs. All of a sudden, the town wasn’t a shithole but an oasis of safety and tranquility. This was MC territory, and even a hothead like Luke wouldn’t be stupid enough to approach Arden here. He’d moved into the clubhouse two weeks ago, but the quiet streets constantly swept with dust had become his new normal, and today’s visit to Reno proved he shouldn’t have been so eager to return to old habits.
Many of the inhabitants commuted to work, which made the town seem eerily empty during the day, and the sparse gardens with gravel and cacti rather than the lush greenery that required a lot of watering in the Nevada sun only reinforced the sense that nobody was home. But the closer they were to the MC compound, the more signs of life Arden saw. Two girls in yoga pants on a walk back from the gym owned by Mike’s mother. Men arguing over coffee they’d gotten at the gas station where Arden worked.