Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Molly blushed. “It isn’t anything like that. We just ran into each other here at the café, and it seemed silly to eat alone so we sat together.”
“He just happened to come in at the same time as you?” she teased.
Molly shrugged, trying her best to look casual and failing as she took another bite of her club. Sonia kept quiet and just watched her until Molly burst out laughing, wadded up her napkin and threw it across the table at her. “Stop.”
“You’re turning red.”
“I know. You’re making me. He just happened to come in at the same time as me. Twice. Okay, maybe three times.” She covered her eyes with one hand. “Stop looking at me like that.”
“Three times. That’s not coincidence, my friend. That man is after you. Has he asked you out?”
Molly shook her head. “I wouldn’t go out with him. That would mean he would pick me up at my house and then drop me off after and then we’d be all alone together. Meeting here in public is safe.”
“You like him.”
Molly nodded slowly. “I do. I really like him. He’s smart and funny. He’s in law enforcement, which is my thing, for whatever reason, and you know he’s smokin’ hot.”
Sonia laughed. She loved the fact that she could laugh. She hadn’t done that in so long, but Joshua had given that back to her. He often made her laugh, in between their wild, out-of-control sex, which she couldn’t even think about without going damp and needing him. He stayed out of her way while she worked, which she was grateful for. Just seeing him sent her body into meltdown. She was afraid he was programming her that way.
“Why wouldn’t you go out with him if he asked?” she persisted. “You could insist on meeting him wherever he wants to go. If he doesn’t agree, then don’t go.”
“Or we could double-date,” Molly said. “You and Joshua with Bastien and me. I’d feel safe if you were there.”
Sonia pressed her lips together. She wanted to help Molly out. Molly deserved to be happy, and Bastien was definitely interested, Sonia had seen that when he’d come to check on them. It had been all about Molly. “I would. You know I would do anything to help you out,” she said reluctantly. “But I can’t. I’m hiding, just like you are. The man after me is incredibly dangerous, and he’d kill Joshua first. I know he would. Probably in front of me. I shouldn’t even be seeing him. I told myself when I moved here it would be enough without friends or a partner, but then I met you and Jerry and Joshua and it isn’t that easy. I still have to protect all of you, though. So, you see, just being my friend could put you in danger.”
Molly stared at her a long time in silence. She heaved a sigh and put the last of her club down. “I knew it. Damn it, why should we have to be the ones hiding and living in fear for our friends? For ourselves? Afraid to have any kind of a relationship. It isn’t right, Sonia.”
“You’re telling me.”
“I told you about Blake. His family is a big deal, and his pockets are deep. If he’s looking for me, he’ll eventually find me. I don’t want you or Bastien caught up in my drama. Still, I told you, I took that chance, but you didn’t say a word about your problems.”
There was a small note of hurt in her voice that Sonia couldn’t fail to hear. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, glancing around the café. They had the table she preferred, her back to the wall and looking out onto the street. Molly always got that table. “He’s more than deep pockets, Molly, and he’s ruthless. Completely ruthless.”
Molly pushed her mostly empty plate away. “Did he hurt you? The way Blake hurt me?”
Sonia shook her head. “No broken bones. No locked in a closet. He just tried to kill me by planting a bomb in my car.”
Molly gasped, one hand flying defensively to her throat. “He really did?”
“Yep. I was lucky and the car blew into the ocean. I went the other way. I’m not certain what tipped me off, but at the last second, I dove out of the car.” She hated lying, but there was nothing else to say. She couldn’t very well admit her leopard had saved her.
She would never forget the pain of that first shifting. The terrible sound of joints cracking, the feeling of teeth filling her mouth. She had kicked off her shoes because her toes had curled alarmingly, the ends stinging and burning, just like her fingers. She’d ripped off her tee and shoved down her jeans because she hadn’t been able to stand the feel of anything against her skin.