Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 106(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 106(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
When the guy beside me shifts, cold metal brushes my side and the situation becomes clear. Too clear. “Why aren’t you taking Raider’s threats seriously anymore? You’re not even acting scared of him.” A far cry from cowering behind the couch as he’d done when Raider arrived at our home.
No one answers me, but sitting up in my seat, I look around the car and count four weapons. Some of them are beneath the seats, others are shoved in waistbands. My skin turns clammy.
“You’re not planning on giving him the money, are you?” I ask Roger. “Did you even come up with it?”
“Just let us handle this, Delilah,” he grits out, a second before his frame tenses. His knuckles turn white on the steering wheel, gaze locking on the rearview and I know Raider has already found me. “Whatever happens, sis, you stay down. It’s show time, boys.”
“No.” I smack the back of Roger’s headrest. “You can’t d-do this. You can’t hurt him. Didn’t you just say he took the blame for your crime?”
“Didn’t you just say he wanted to kill you?”
Had I? My heart still doesn’t want to believe it. “I-I don’t know. Just pull over and let me talk to him. I’ll straighten it out.”
“Talk to him?” Roger bursts out. “No fucking way. If we let him get close enough to talk, he’ll crush us all.”
Raider’s van pulls up alongside Roger’s Mercedes. My first glimpse of the wildness in Raider’s eyes expels the breath from my lungs. The guy on my right raises his gun and aims at Raider…and I don’t think, I grab his arm and jerk up, blasting a bullet hole into the ceiling. Raider’s bellow reaches me across the road, along with my brother’s much less powerful one, then suddenly the Mercedes is spinning, screeching, coming to a dead stop.
It takes me a second to gather my bearings, but as soon as my vision clears of spots, I search through the windows for Raider’s van, finding it parked a short distance behind the Mercedes. All three men begin to load their guns, faces intent, obviously preparing to shoot my giant.
“Don’t shoot!” I scream, my voice echoing in the car’s interior. “Don’t shoot him. You can’t. Please.”
“Stay out of it,” says Roger. “It’s for your own good, sis. I’m protecting you.”
“No, I don’t want this.”
There’s only one man blocking me from getting out, so I reach into his lap and twist his nuts in a fist. While he’s distracted by the pain and shock, I hurtle myself out through the back door with a shout of denial. I run as fast as I can, throwing myself at an approaching Raider. He hoists me up into his arms, cradling me close, his heart hammering a million beats per second beside my ear.
“Delilah,” Raider says raggedly. “The car…it spun…are you hurt?”
“No.”
He releases a relieved exhale. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. You can see your brother. Okay? If that’s what you need to be happy, I’ll try not to hide you away from anyone but me. Please come back to me. Don’t run away.”
Hot tears push at the backs of my eyelids. “You have to go, Raider. They’re going to kill you.”
His scoff vibrates my whole body. “Only way I’m going is if you come with me.”
“But I heard you on the phone.” Somehow what I overheard seems absurd now. I can feel his anguish over losing me. How could this same man want me harmed? “You said you’d changed your mind and wanted to get rid of me. I thought—”
His anguished huff shuts me up. “You’re back to you thinking I want to kill you, Delilah? Really?” There’s pain in his eyes when they connect with mine. “I was talking about selling my car. So I can provide for you—like you deserve—until I get the garage open.” He brushes a wayward blonde strand out of my face. “My whole life is about making sure you never feel an ounce of pain as long as you live. I could never hurt my beautiful doll.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, my insides puckering. “I’m sorry I doubted you.”
“I’m the one who hollered at you.” His eyes close. “I can’t stand thinking about your pretty nose getting red.”
“Step away from her, Raider,” Roger calls, appearing behind Raider’s shoulder, gun raised. “This is between us. Leave her out of it.”
“I don’t want the money,” Raider shouts back, his eyes back open and trained on me. Hungrily. “But nothing will stop me from keeping your sister.”
“Like hell. Pretty sure her climbing out of the bathroom window means she doesn’t want to be kept.” My brother spits on the ground. “Never had a problem with you, man. But you can’t just go around stealing people.”
Lord, all I can think about is kissing my giant and apologizing for doubting him until I’m blue in the face, but I force myself to focus on the problem at hand. “Roger, guys, put the guns down. I won’t let you hurt him.” I brush his scarred cheek with my thumb. “He won’t hurt me, either.”