Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 91042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Dammit, Forge, can you not keep your mouth shut?!
I cut my eyes to my brother as he pulled out leftover pizza. “I forgot it.”
That wasn’t what he had been asking. He wanted to know why I had been in his truck. It was black and inconspicuous. Easier to be overlooked, parked on the side of the road. My Hummer stood out more.
Taking a bite of my sub, I held my brother’s gaze, daring him to question me. Not that Forge feared me in the least. He was the middle child and had been creating chaos since he’d entered the world. Which meant my reaction had piqued his curiosity.
“All right. What did you do? Who did you slice up?” he asked me.
I chewed, then swallowed before answering, “No one.”
He gave me a smirk that said he didn’t believe me. “Bullshit. You took my truck, so I need to know what crime it’s gonna look like I committed.”
As if he was worried. Had I taken my knife to someone, he knew there would be no traces left behind. I had both sets of eyes on me now. They weren’t going to let me enjoy my fucking lunch.
Setting it down, I sighed. “I slashed the sidewalls of a cocksucker’s tires. Your truck is easier to blend in than my Hummer. Can I eat now?”
Forge let out a laugh. “Who the hell pissed you off?”
“My guess is, it was the Mr. Rogers clone,” Bane drawled.
I shot him a scowl.
“Who?” Forge asked, looking confused.
“Mr. Rogers—that weird guy that did that kids’ show back in the ’80s or whenever,” Bane explained.
“I know who the fuck Mr. Rogers is. I mean, who is his clone?” Forge replied.
I let out a heavy sigh and put my elbows on the counter. “Can the two of you find another topic?” I asked.
Forge shook his head. “My truck was involved without my permission. I get the details. It’s only fair.”
Jesus H. Christ. I should have gone with Ransom to get wings.
“Winslet was with a coworker at the Corn Husk Festival on Saturday,” I said with disgust. “And he’s been driving by her apartment in the evenings several times slow.” That was why the tires had been slashed. I’d had enough of his creepy behavior.
Forge continued looking at me, waiting for more. “Winslet—is that Perry Gerard’s sister, the one you abducted, right? Or am I getting the name wrong?”
“That’s her,” Bane said with a smirk I would have wiped off any other fucker’s face.
Forge narrowed his eyes. “I thought you hadn’t fucked her. Did that change?”
My hands fisted. He could not shut the hell up.
“I didn’t fuck her. I am just keeping an eye on her. Someone needs to. Her brother is in prison, and she needs someone to watch over her,” I said. “Not that Perry could do it properly—or did,” I added.
Forge let out a laugh and threw his head back. I was rethinking my don’t beat the shit out of your brother rule. It seemed to be expiring rapidly.
“Okay, wait,” he said, holding up a hand. “You are stalking a woman and slashing the tires of a man she went out with, who is also stalking her?” he said incredulously. “I think I need to sit down.”
I glowered at him.
“If I stand up from this stool, your ass had better run to Momma,” I warned him.
He laughed some more. “I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s just…dude, come on. Do you not think this is the least bit funny?” he asked, his gaze swinging to Bane.
Bane pressed his lips together—at least trying to smother his amusement—and shook his head.
“Yes, you fucking do.” Forge pointed at him and laughed some more.
That was it. I was over this bullshit. I shoved my stool back.
“Run,” Bane told him.
Forge was still grinning. “I haven’t eaten yet. At least let me eat.”
“THEN, SHUT THE FUCK UP!” I snarled at him.
He didn’t even cower. Dickhead.
“Fine. I’ll stop.”
I started to sit back down.
“But, like, how far has this stalking thing gone? Are you following her around all the time? Is that where you’ve been disappearing to at night? And she’s got two stalkers? Can I see a picture of her again? I must have miss—”
When I shot up from the stool this time, Bane let out a shout of laughter as Forge took off at a sprint toward the door.
“I was kidding!” he called out over his shoulder. “Just let me get something to eat!”
Twenty-Five
Winslet
My palms felt sweaty, and my stomach was in knots as I walked into Principal Clairton’s office. He had stopped by my classroom the last hour of the day and asked me to please come to his office once school was over. There had been no smile, no reassurance in his expression. He’d seemed very well…severe. As if I had been caught doing something wrong and was about to be scolded.