Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26717 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26717 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
West arches a brow and smiles, but he shakes his head. “None, but I appreciate it. You sure you’re okay?”
Bear grins. “Takes more than some pea shooters to take down a Bear.” He turns to me and smiles. “Miss, we’re going to put you up in a hotel for a bit with an armed escort and everything. Can we call anyone for you? Your parents?”
I shake my head. “No, thanks. I’ll call them soon.”
He nods, and I frown.
“Um… my Uncle Matt?” I mumble, almost scared to hear the answer. After all, this is all because of him. I knew Matt was a scumbag pervert, but apparently, he’s been in very deep with some of the worst people around here. And two million bucks is way more than he could ever do with losing at poker.
Bear frowns. “We got him, just now actually. US Border and Customs caught him trying to slip into Tijuanna right after we sent the APB out.” He shakes his head. “Stealing from Johnny Spirelli isn’t the smartest fucking move, and that’s not all.”
I blink. “My God, what else?”
He glances at West, grits his jaw, and then turns back to me. “The other reason we’re putting you up in a hotel is that you can’t go home.”
“No shit, she’s not going back there,” West growls, hugging me close.
Bear grimaces. “No, man, I mean you can’t go back there without a damn hazmat suit. Turns out, Matt had a meth lab going in your basement, Miss Conway.”
My jaw drops, and West hisses in anger.
“Fucker could have killed her,” he hisses almost to himself.
“Well, he didn’t,” I whimper, turning and pressing my face to his chest. I know I’m safe, but it’s a lot to take in. But then, with his arms around me, I know I could face almost anything right now.
“West!”
We look up to see a dark-haired, good-looking built guy jogging over from a Jeep. West smiles as he gets close and shakes his hand.
“Hey, brother.” He turns and grins at me. “This is Gerard, and this is Taylor.”
“Nice to meet what all the fuss was about,” Gerard grins. West growls, and the other guy laughs. “His bark is way worse than his bite,” he chuckles before turning to Bear.
“Heard you managed to fall on some bullets.”
Bear rolls his eyes. “Something like that, yeah. Clumsy me.”
“Seriously, buddy.” Gerard winks at him. “You good though?”
“What do you think?”
Gerard laughs. “Atta boy.”
Bear sighs and glances back at the mob of cop cars. “Alright, well, we should get you over to that hot—”
“I don’t need a hotel,” I blurt. Instantly, I blush, and I turn to see West smiling at me curiously. “I mean—”
“Yes,” he growls. His arms tighten around me, and his eyes blaze into mine. “Yes, you’re staying here.”
The grin spreads over my face, and I just want to melt into this man right here and now.
Bear clears his throat. “All due respect, a hotel might be—”
“I’m safest here,” I whisper, looking West in the eye as I say it. I turn and see Bear and Gerard glancing at each other and then turning to grin at us both.
“Well, alright then,” Bear grunts with a raise of his brow to West. “You sure?”
“This stubborn bastard?” Gerard chuckles. “Yeah, he’s sure.”
“I’m sure,” West growls fiercely. His grip on me tightens, and I shiver heatedly.
“Just the same, we’re going to be posting someone up at the top of your drive, by the road.” Bear nods at Johnny as they push him into the back of a squad car. “Pretty sure you and I dropped whatever muscle that douchebag had on the payroll. But, just in case, you know?”
“I appreciate it,” West nods. He sticks his hand out and shakes Bear’s good hand. “And thanks for the backup today. I mean it.”
“Anytime, man,” Bear growls thickly. “And nice shooting.” He turns and gives me a smile and a nod, then he finally lets the EMT guys who’ve been looking concerned nearby bring him into the ambulance.
Gerard clears his throat. “You want me to stick around?”
“Not a chance,” West chuckles, giving me a squeeze.
His friend laughs. “Alright, well, behave, you two.”
I blush fiercely and grin widely.
“I’ll keep my ear to the ground and let you know if I hear any further ripples with this Johnny bullshit, alright?”
“Thanks, brother,” West grunts, shaking his hand.
We watch, his arm still around me, as Bear, Gerard, and the rest of the cops and emergency responders pack it up and head out. My eyes drop to the dark spots on the sand where Johnny’s guys were before the coroner took them away. West frowns and turns me gently to look into my eyes.
“You okay?”
“Yeah,” I smile, hugging him tight. “Yeah, I am.”
“It’s okay if you’re not. That was…” he frowns fiercely. “That was a hell of a day.”