Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 67324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
One thing is for damned certain—that man doesn’t like me.
And I intend to keep it that way.
“EXCUSE ME?” I GASP, staring at Alarick in absolute horror.
He stomps around his deck in obvious frustration. “I didn’t stutter, Waverly. You’re going to live with Mykel until this is over.”
“This is a joke, right? You’ve got some sort of camera on me so you can record my reaction, and laugh and laugh at my expense?”
Alarick’s expression doesn’t change.
“Please, for the love of god, tell me you’re joking.”
“He’s not joking.”
I turn. Zariah walking into the room, followed by Briella and Kendric.
Zariah walks right up to me, places her hands on my shoulders, and tells me, “This is the best option right now. My house is being watched, and if you’re seen, it’s going to blow everything out. We can sneak you in here; we can’t sneak you in there.”
“There is a club full of bikers!” I protest. “I can stay with any one of them!”
“Mykel has a place out of town, good security, and he lives alone. We looked at every option, believe me, but his place is without a doubt the safest, and you’ll be protected there.”
I shake my head, putting my hands up. “You cannot, I repeat, cannot leave me alone with that man. There’ll be a murder—a gruesome, gruesome murder.”
Alarick snorts. “You’ll be fine. He’s mostly here or working anyway. You’ll barely see him.”
“No, Alarick. No.” I shake my head. “Nope. No way.”
“It’s happening.”
“Does Mykel know about this hideous plan?”
Alarick glances at Briella, who gives me a sympathetic smile. “No, not yet.”
“He’s never going to go for it,” I cry, throwing my hands on my hips. “You can’t honestly think he will.”
“He’ll do what he’s asked to do.”
“No.” I laugh, shaking my head. “Oh, no he won’t.”
“Yeah.” Alarick grins. “Yeah, he will.”
“I know you’re not happy about it,” Zariah tells me, trying to smother her clearly evident grin. “But it’s for the best—it really is. Mykel has the safest house, and we need to protect you even more now.”
“Why him?” I cry. Briella, surely you have a better plan?”
Briella gives me a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry, honey, but I have to agree. I’ve seen Mykel’s place and it most certainly is the safest.”
“Look,” I say, pointing my finger in his direction. “I get you’re all trying to keep me safe, but what if I stay at a hotel? You can keep watch and nobody will be any wiser. It won’t matter if they see me coming and going from there, right?”
“The plan is settled, Waverly,” Alarick says, before turning and walking out of the room.
I give Zariah a desperate look, and she just smiles back. “It’ll be fine, I promise.”
“It won’t be fine—you’ll see. If I don’t show up for a few days, don’t go looking at Dax’s house. Check Mykel’s because I’ll probably be shoved under a concrete slab somewhere. If he starts building a new shed, you ask questions, do you hear me?”
Zariah laughs and steps forward, hugging me. “This is all going to be okay, I promise.”
She’s wrong.
It’s not.
It’s really, really not.
2
WAVERLY
The big house looms in front of Briella and me. She gives me a smile, and then assures me with a soothing voice, “I promise you, it’ll be fine. He’s not a bad guy. He’s really kind.”
“You and I know a different man, sister,” I mutter. “That man is not kind. He hates me.”
“He doesn’t hate you. He’s just going through something.”
“And I’m going to be shoved in his house while he’s going through it. I can’t bloody wait.”
Briella giggles as we walk up the front steps to the patio. I try not to admire the place, but I have to admit it’s damned beautiful. It is huge, with well-manicured lawns that I know he doesn’t do himself because he’s always at the club. It is two stories high, with beautiful big verandahs and a warmth that I can feel even before walking inside. I can’t help but wonder how he got this place. Did he inherit it? Work for it? Maybe some of the nice drug money from the club got it for him.
“Are you ready?” Briella asks, raising her hand to knock.
The door swings open.
I guess that’s my answer then, isn’t it?
Mykel stands in the doorway, with a scowl on his face that makes me want to retreat and run back to the car. He’s not happy with this plan, and I can’t say I blame him. I’m not happy about it either.
“There are rules,” he growls before either of us can speak. “You stay out of my way, and I stay out of yours.”
I stare at him. “Is that it?”
“That’s it.”
“That’s a rule, then. No other rules,” I point out.
“Second rule,” he mutters, his voice rough and pissed, “no smart mouthing me.”
“Well, that won’t be a problem, considering we’re not going to get in each other’s way, so you can take that off the list.”