Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
He fucking hated that idea more than anything. There was no way he was going to let her leave town. No fucking way.
“And if you found some work at a beauty salon?” he asked.
“I’ve tried, and the moment they put two and two together, they have no work for me. It’s how it always goes. Don’t worry about it. I’m not.”
He wasn’t worried, but he was used to getting what he wanted.
Chapter Five
Every time Nikki had a plan, there always seemed to be a run of bad luck that hindered it and made it next to impossible to do what she wanted. So, the first problem was her car. She knew this wasn’t bad luck, but because she hadn’t taken care of the machine properly and gotten it checked out when the “check engine” light came on.
Her car broke down, and putting it into the lot meant she had to spend money on her vehicle. According to the mechanic, it was going to cost a fortune, worth more than the car. The problem was, she couldn’t afford a new secondhand or even thirdhand car. So, she had no choice but to spend the money trying to get the car fixed. Each time he found something and went to replace it, there was another problem. There was always another problem. She couldn’t catch a break.
To make matters worse, the plumbing in her trailer stopped working. The water just seemed to come and go. She had been in touch with the landlord, and he told her he’d be around to sort it out, and that was days ago. Still nothing. She had no choice but to boil bottled water and to wash at work, using the private staff bathroom, which was so embarrassing. It had gotten so bad, she’d been tempted to go to her mom’s, but to take a shower would cost her money. Also, she’d have no choice but to clean the bathroom before she used it. She doubted her mother would have changed in the last few years.
The savings she did have was running out. She had rent due in a few days’ time. Everything was just adding up, and it was terrifying. Her plans to go to night school were crumbling all around her. Not to mention there was talk at work of possible redundancies and job losses, which sucked. She didn’t know if she was the last one in, and it made no sense, because it was rare for anyone to stick around. With the way her luck was turning, she had a horrible feeling she would be let go. She already checked around for more work, and there was nothing.
Stepping out into the evening sun, she glanced around at the sparse parking lot. She had no choice but to walk. It had been a few days since she last saw Hawk, not that she was spending her nights listening for him, because that would be stupid.
There was nothing going on between her and Hawk, and she didn’t know how to categorize their friendship. Were they friends? He came around a lot, but there was no set time when he would. Not that she was desperate for his company. Was she?
No, there was no way she was falling for this biker. Not at all. They were … whatever. There was no reason to put a label on it.
Sliding her bag over her head so it lay between the valley of her breasts, she clenched her hands and began to make her way in the direction of home. This morning, her cell phone had died, although it had a full charge. Before she went home, she was going to stop by the garage to see if they had any updates.
She couldn’t help but wonder how the generations before her ever got things done without a cell phone. She missed the convenience of the phone call to find out what mess they had encountered, or like maybe some good news. She would be so glad for some good news.
Arriving at the garage, she was gutted to see it was already closed for the day. The gates were already locked, and she couldn’t see any sign of her car. She gritted her teeth and decided to head home.
The past week had her so tired that the walk felt like a million miles. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t see the bike stop in front of her, nor did she hear it. Not until Hawk touched her arm, pulling her out of her dark thoughts, did she finally take in her surroundings.
“Hawk?”
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She frowned and glanced around. She’d been so lost in her musings, she was going in the wrong direction. “Crap, I didn’t even realize … sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize, climb on,” he said, moving back to his bike.