Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 93195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Maybe she did have someone to call. Her new friends and coworkers seemed to genuinely like her. Would they come to her rescue? Maybe, especially if she told them this involved their boyfriends’ motorcycle club.
With shaking hands, she pulled up her recent calls. Liv’s name sat at the top of the list. Harper sent up a prayer as she tapped on the name.
Please answer.
The second the phone rang, her heart jackhammered again.
“Hello? Harper?”
CHAPTER SIX
“JINX, YOU CAN go. I’m sure you have better things to do than babysit me.” Liv hit pause on the god-awful reality show she’d forced him to watch the past forty-five minutes.
A hoard of dumb but admittedly sexy people were dropped on a tropical island to see who fell in love or some shit. The only saving grace was how hot the women were and how everyone was horny as fuck.
“I’m sure Spec will be back soon, and I’m in my own home. Perfectly safe.” She grinned and sipped her wine.
“Nice try, Livvy, but I promised my brother I’d hang out until he got here. By the way, he said he’s sorry your plans for a night ride were canceled.”
Spec had gotten caught up in a conversation with a guy who’d borrowed money from the club, then decided he didn’t have to pay it back on the agreed-upon date. Some young social media influencer wannabe with the audacity to ask Spec, “Do you know who I am?” So this evening, the idiot was getting a crash course in loan repayment ala Spec’s fists.
Liv waved away the apology. “Oh, that’s fine. We could use a night in just to hang.”
“And bang?” Jinx said, straight-faced.
Liv choked on her wine. “You ever worry about the fact that your humor never made it past an eighth-grade level?”
He stuck his tongue out at her, making her laugh.
“I mean, there’s gotta be a reason for it. Tell me about your middle school years, Jinx.”
“Keep it up, woman.”
Liv stood, still laughing. “Well, if you’re gonna be stuck here, you might as well get a snack outta the deal. I’m gonna throw a pizza in the oven. Sound good?”
“Sounds perfect.”
She disappeared into her kitchen, leaving him alone and very tempted to change the show. After about thirty seconds, Liv’s phone rang.
When she didn’t reappear after two rings, he called out, “Livvy, that’s your phone.”
“Can you see who it is?” she yelled back.
He picked up the sparkly rose-gold phone and couldn’t hold back the massive grin.
Well, well, well…
“It’s Harper.”
“Shit. Can you answer it? I’ll be there in a minute.”
Hell yeah, he could answer it. In fact, he insisted. “Yeah, I got it. Hello?” he said as he lifted the phone to his ear.
All he heard was rapid breathing. He straightened. “Harper?”
“Uh… S-pec?” Her whisper sounded heavy with fear, and his senses immediately went on red alert.
“No, it’s Jinx. Liv asked me to grab the phone. What’s wrong?” Something was wrong. He could feel it in his bones.
“I, uh… there… there was a man. He said something about the club. I don’t know. He, uh—”
“Harper, where are you?’
“I—” She choked out a sob. “I don’t know. I ran and hid. Um…”
“Okay, sweetie, it’s okay.”
Liv walked back into the room. She took one look at Jinx and rushed over. “Is she okay?” she mouthed.
He shook his head as he said, “Where were you before you ran?”
“Um… a store. The one off Atlantic. 24-Hour Market or something like that?” she whispered between breaths.
“24-Hour Mart? I know it. Good job, sweetie. Where did you run?”
“Through an empty gas station, then a strip mall. I’m hiding between some dumpsters at the end of the strip mall.”
He shot to his feet. “I know the area. We’ll find you. I’m giving the phone to Liv so I can drive. We’ll be there soon. Hang tight, okay?”
“Thank you.” She started to cry in earnest.
It killed him to pass off the phone, but Liv would be better at calming her friend, and he’d be better at driving like a maniac to get to her. “Let’s go, Liv. You’re coming with.”
“Damn straight, I’m coming with you,” she responded as she shoved her feet in slip-ons while lifting the phone to her ear. “Harper? I’m here. I’ll stay on the line while Jinx drives. We’re coming for you.”
“Move fast, Liv.”
They raced to Liv’s car since Jinx only had his bike.
“Here.” Liv tossed him her keys.
“Christ,” he mumbled as he swiped them out of the air.
This was Lobo. Maybe not the motherfucker himself, but one of his minions. It had to be. Why the hell hadn’t they considered Harper’s safety? They should have. They should’ve known he’d be watching and waiting to strike at anyone he could. And who better than the new, unprotected employee barely connected to the club? She’d been the low-hanging fruit, and Lobo tried to pluck her.