Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 135604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
She stopped halfway into the room. Dash followed in behind her.
“Where is she?” Syd asked when she didn’t find Tori standing in the kitchen with me or sitting in the living room. “Is she okay? What happened? Did he do something to her? I’m gonna tear him apart and then light him on fire. I swear to God …” She curled her hands into fists and held them in front of her chest. Her face burned red.
“Babe, take a breath.” Dash came to a stop next to her, looking at his girl. “Jamie’s got her. If she wasn’t okay, he would’ve called and had us coming over a lot sooner. You know that.”
Syd lowered her hands and looked at me, face soft, asking, “She’s okay?”
“She’s asleep,” I told her. “Crashed in my bed last night.”
Syd’s eyes brightened, then her mouth twitched the slightest bit. She was upset and worrying for her friend but she liked hearing that. Liked it so much she gave that quirky look she was wearing to Dash and let him see it.
He shook his head and mumbled something under his breath.
I went on elaborating. “Slept good all night, but that cocksucker made her cry. She was pretty torn up when she got here,” I shared, not keeping the truth from Syd ’cause this was her girl and she deserved to know. I braced my hands on the island on either side of the magazine and leaned forward, keeping her eyes. “Showed up at her place sayin’ some shit about Tori wantin’ to keep what they had going even though she knew he was married. Like that didn’t matter to her.”
“Jesus,” Dash mumbled at the same time as Syd flinched.
“He said that?” she whispered.
I jerked my chin and watched her shoulders pull back.
“On second thought,” she began, raising her voice and lifting a finger to gesture. “I’m gonna light him on fire before I rip him apart. I want him feeling those flames.”
“You can do whatever the fuck you wanna do with him. But that first shot?” I jabbed a finger at my chest. “That’s mine, babe. First person he’s seein’ is me.”
Syd blinked, lowering her hand. She looked on the verge of tears. “You’re gonna defend her honor again,” she stated softly, not as a question but as if she already knew. “Just like you did when you messed up his car. You’re going for her soft.”
“I’m goin’ for her what?” I asked, brow furrowing as I lowered my hand to cool granite.
“Her soft. You want to hit it again.”
“What the fuck is her soft?”
“Her heart, Jamie.”
I stared at Syd, seeing she was serious. Then I shook my head, laughing under my breath and looking to Dash to watch him give his girl the same reaction I was giving her. I looked back to Syd and shared, “Sunshine, like what you’re tellin’ me, appreciate it, too. I’m glad I’ve hit that spot in her. Means I got a shot at hittin’ it again. Straight up, that’s good to know. But right now, the only thing I’m thinkin’ about hittin’ belongs to one dead motherfucker.”
“I understand that,” Syd replied. “I just want to make sure you’re aware of what this might mean to her since, you know, she might not tell you.”
Syd knew her girl. That was for damn sure.
I smiled. “I’m aware, babe. Thanks.”
“Good.” Syd smiled back. “Now, Trouble said you needed some information from me. What do you need to know?”
Syd always called Dash Trouble.
“Everything you know about this piece of shit. Startin’ with where he lives,” I said.
Her shoulders dropped. “I don’t know that,” she replied, sounding disheartened. “I never met him. I don’t even know what he looks like.”
“Don’t know what he sounds like either,” Dash added.
Syd smiled at him.
That was how they got together; she called Wes to tear him a new one for hurting her girl and ended up dialing Dash instead.
“Best mistake ever,” I heard Syd reply.
Didn’t see it, though. My eyes were pinched shut and I was gritting my teeth. I was hoping to get everything I needed from Sunshine. I didn’t want to involve Tori, but it looked like I might not have a choice.
Fuck.
“You know anything about him?” Dash asked his girl, drawing my attention. “Last name? Where he works?”
Syd nodded quickly, looking from Dash to me with brighter eyes. “His last name is Asher. And I know he sells cars. I don’t know where, though.”
Dash looked at me, and at the same time we both said, “Asher Automotives.”
“Motherfucker,” I grated. My hands curled into fists on the counter.
“Shit. We might actually know this guy,” Dash stated, verbalizing my thoughts.
“Really?” Syd asked, looking between us.
“Got our Jeeps from there,” he shared. “Jamie special ordered his. He worked with a guy for a few days getting that set up.” Dash jerked his chin at me. “You remember his name?”