Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 87155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
It was a miracle I hadn’t needed to be institutionalized during that week every year. Nothing lit me on fire like delusional people who were only delusional because they refused to open their eyes. And Jonathan Caskey was the king of all delusional kings.
And there he was, in my driveway, wearing a smug grin and an impenetrable shield in the shape of a badge on his chest, while officers flipped my house searching for nonexistent drugs for no other reason than he had the power to make it happen.
“Get off my property,” I seethed, my body vibrating with an overdose of adrenaline.
He cocked his head to the side and shoved off his car. “You have a problem, Miss Hull?”
I lunged forward, screaming, “Get off my fucking property!”
Ramsey hooked me around the waist, dragging me against his chest while rumbling in my ear, “Thea, stop. You’re gonna make it worse.”
I couldn’t stop though. We’d been through enough without the Caskeys meddling in our newfound happiness.
He’d been home for a little over a week, but I’d only had Ramsey back for a matter of minutes.
We were fucked up and in love.
We were a we again.
For God’s sake, he’d been making love to me when the cops had shown up.
This asshole did not get to ruin that.
“You are not Thomaston PD.” I looked at Ramsey’s parole officer and repeated, “He is not Thomaston PD. He has no right to be here.” My hands shook as I tried to peel out of Ramsey’s hold on me. “Do you know his brother raped me?” I looked back at Jonathan, my stomach rolling as I stared into his blue eyes, which matched his brother’s. “Your brother was a piece of shit who bit me and hit me and then pinned me down and forced himself on me like I was nothing. He deserved everything he got.”
“Thea. Stop!” Ramsey boomed.
Jonathan’s eyes narrowed. “You sure it was Josh who did all that to you? Judging by that bruise on your neck, it could have easily been your loverboy there.”
My body jolted like I’d been shot, and Ramsey turned to stone.
However, it was Nora who exploded first.
“You son of a bitch!” she roared, charging forward.
Ramsey let me go and dove after her, catching her arm before she got her hands on Caskey—an act that would have no doubt landed her behind bars.
Like a hellcat, she kicked and fought against her brother, cussing and screaming incoherently. As pissed off and angry as I was, it was so painful to watch her melt down that it momentarily quelled the storm brewing within me.
Nora was nothing if not loyal.
Ramsey put a hand over her mouth and dragged her away, pleading, “Lee, come on. You know this is fucked up. He shouldn’t be here. I’m cooperating. We’re all fucking cooperating. But this is harassment.”
I glanced around, finding several of the Thomaston cops decorating my front porch. At least three of them had their hands resting on their guns. Their eyes were locked on my entire life as he dragged my best friend away from the brother of the dead boy who had wrecked us all.
How was this my life?
“Officer Caskey,” Lee started. “I thought I told you we’d handle this.”
Jonathan smirked, never tearing his eyes off of Ramsey. “You did. I just happened to be in the neighborhood. Figured I’d swing by in case you needed an extra hand.”
Lee tucked his clipboard under his arm and shot him an unimpressed glare. “I think we got it covered.”
“You sure about that?”
Lee’s lips thinned as he looked at Ramsey. He was juggling Nora into a hug with her feet dangling off the ground. He didn’t appear completely convinced, but he still answered, “Yeah. All good.”
Jonathan sucked his teeth and backed toward his cruiser. “You find anything, I want to be the first to know, yeah?”
“No,” Lee bit back. “But if you don’t get out of here and forget this address, your captain will be.” He arched a furry, gray eyebrow and mocked. “Yeah?”
My shoulders fell, thankful beyond all reason that the Caskeys didn’t own everyone in our area.
Jonathan chuffed, and I held my breath as he folded into his car. His arrogance never wavered as he backed out of my driveway. The bastard had the balls to wink at me before he finally drove away.
“I’m sorry about that, Miss Hull,” Lee said with genuine regret.
“Thank you,” I mumbled, adrenaline-fueled tears burning the backs of my lids.
He scratched the back of his head. “He knows better than to show up like that. I’ll have a word with his captain. It won’t happen again.”
Like a moth to a flame, my eyes found Ramsey’s only a few feet away. Nora had relaxed in his arms, but a hurricane raged in his gaze as he stared at me.
“That would be much appreciated, Lee,” I said absently.