Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 63565 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63565 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Jayme stares down at me with a mixture of shock and admiration.
“Please tell me you’re fucking joking, Acacia.”
“I wish I was, but I’m not. I didn’t plan it, but it’s the truth. Now, Marek knows, and he wants to take over everything.”
Jayme runs a hand down his face, letting out a long, frustrated groan. “Fuck.”
“I know it’s bad, and I swear I’ll tell you everything when speaking doesn’t hurt so much, but for right now, please, I need you to make contact with Mex. I need assistance.”
“You trust him to give it to you?”
“No, but he’s the only choice I’ve got right now. Please, Jayme.”
Jayme stares at me, then, with a frustrated growl, he turns and walks out. I close my eyes again, and I faintly hear the jingling of his keys as he leaves the apartment to go and do as I’m asking. He’s a good friend, the very best, because most people wouldn’t do this for me.
I must drift into an uncomfortable sleep, because it seems like only seconds pass before I hear the sound of the door opening and my eyes flutter open. My vision is blurred at first, but I can make out Jayme entering the apartment followed by Mex and Colt. Thankfully, it’s only the two of them. I don’t have it in me to deal with the others right now. These two are enough.
“Fuck,” Mex grinds out. “What happened to her?”
“I’ll let her tell you that. We had no other options for pain relief right now,” Jayme explains.
Walking over to the sofa, Mex stops as he lowers himself to sit on the edge of it, his eyes running over me. He has no idea just how bad it is. I know he can see the marks on my arms and legs, but it’s what’s on my body that concerns me. I look up at him, and weirdly I have so much I want to say, yet the only thing that comes out is, “I need help.”
He glances up at Colt, nodding, then he looks back down to me, reaching out to run his finger over just one of the many burn marks on my skin from that cattle prod. “Who the fuck did this?”
My eyes move to Jayme, who stares at me, no doubt wondering if I’m going to tell them the truth.
If they know how easily I can access Marek ...
“It’s a long story,” I whisper. “I just ... I can’t take the pain any longer. Please.”
Colt steps up beside the sofa and reaches down, opening his hand to present two pills. I take them without hesitation, then swallow them down with the water he hands over to me. Wincing as I settle back into the sofa, I know I’m going to need to clean all of these wounds to prevent infection. While they’re mostly burn type wounds, one wrong move and it could go very badly for me.
“You got a first-aid kit here?” Mex asks Jayme.
Jayme nods. “I’ll get it.”
Then Mex turns to Colt. “Salt water, warm. Any kind of washcloth you can find to use.”
Colt nods.
Mex looks back down to me. “Gotta take these clothes off. They’re filthy and you’ll get an infection.”
I don’t fight him, I simply nod.
Leaning forward, he carefully lifts me up. A pained wince leaves my lips as I try to lift my arms, but the excruciating pain is just too much. Tears burst forth, and I shake my head, putting a hand on Mex’s arm to push him back. “I can’t.”
“I got an idea.”
He stands, walking into the kitchen and returning a moment later with a knife. Slowly, he reaches for my shirt and begins cutting the material away. Little by little, he removes it, and the entire time, I keep my eyes closed, tears rolling down my cheeks. This pain, it runs deep. Deeper than I’m willing to admit. Even as I lie naked, I can’t think of anything else but the agony fighting a war inside me.
“Sheet?” Mex orders.
A few moments later, a soft sheet lands over my body.
Then, Mex leans down and orders, “Open your eyes.”
I open my tear-filled eyes and look up at him.
“This is goin’ to hurt, but those pills will kick in soon and hopefully they’ll knock you out. You need more, I’ve got you. I have to clean this up.”
I nod. “I know.”
“Tell me who did this.”
“You know I can’t do that,” I whisper. “Mex, I can’t.”
His jaw tightens, and his eyes flash. “If you help us, we can offer you protection.”
I want to laugh, but that would be rude. It’s not that I don’t think the club is powerful, I know they are, it’s just that I know there is nowhere in the world I could hide that he wouldn’t find me. No, I have to do something else, I have to change this so I can walk away not owing a single person anything. I have to figure out a way to give Marek what he wants and give the club what they want.