Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 158848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 529(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 158848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 529(@300wpm)
Every second I’m on this stage, I’m slowly falling apart, like an old book with pages slipping from their binding. My brave front crumbles piece by piece. And the cameras are preserving every moment of my vulnerability.
“Did it bother you to see your man have a connection with another woman, Molly?” Matt asks.
“Knock it the fuck off,” Griff says. “There was no connection.”
“Do you agree, Kiki?” Matt asks.
I blow out a relieved breath that his attention’s off of me.
“No, we definitely had a connection,” she says.
Naptime scowls at her and it’s the only thing that probably stops me from screaming.
“I thought so,” Matt continues, as if he’s ever had a serious thought in that empty plastic head of his. “Then things seemed to…fizzle. What happened there?”
Giff sits forward, drawing Matt’s attention. “Nothing happened.”
A low, interested hum moves through the audience.
“Molly?” Matt’s gaze locks onto me. “Do you believe that? Deep in your heart of hearts, did you always have faith in your man?”
“I…” My mind races. Everyone back home will know I’m a liar when they watch this. I steal a glance at Venom. Griff confided in him about what happened. He’ll know I’m lying too. Griff squeezes my hand, giving me courage.
“Of course,” I manage, my voice strained. “We have a true connection. We’ve known each other for years. I knew he wouldn’t do that.”
Liar, liar, liar. That’s what should have happened.
“Well, that is a relief!” Matt tips his head back, like he’s praising God.
“Of course I didn’t screw Stonewall.” Kiki tosses her hair over her shoulder and thrusts her chest forward.
Naptime rests his hand on her leg. “Thass right,” he slurs.
“Why would anyone think that?” she asks.
“Well, we had it right there in black-and-white.” Matt points to the screen, still frozen on that creepy overhead shot of the couple in bed.
“Thass me!” Naptime jumps off the couch and pounds one fist against his chest.
He seems oddly proud of those fifteen seconds of awkward, dull rutting under the covers.
Kiki reaches up and grabs Naptime’s hand, pulling him back to the seat next to her.
“Whatever connection we shared fizzled out because,” Kiki slants an evil glance our way, “once I knew he was one of those guys, I lost interest.”
Griff snorts.
“One of those guys?” Matt asks, a creepy lilt in his question.
She leans forward, staring into the audience like she’s trying to become besties with every one of them. “Everyone knows guys who only date virgins are always bad in bed, right?”
Cold shock seizes my insides.
A wild, collective gasp comes from the audience.
Griff’s hand tightens on mine.
Fuck. This. Bitch.
What should I do? Defend Griff? Defend myself? Run screaming from the stage?
I don’t want to discuss my sex life in front of all these people.
Remy was right. Everything about this is lose-lose.
“This kind of trashy bullshit is why none of us wanted anything to do with your skanky ass,” Woolly shouts.
“Amen!” Bear Trap adds.
Griff lifts his fist and nods in their direction.
More of the fighters add noises of agreement. Maybe they’re as sick and tired of this being the Griff and Kiki show as I am.
“Who’s trashy?” Naptime yells. “Who y’all callin’ trashy?”
“You.” Venom doesn’t need to raise his voice, his deep rumble easily carries over the other chatter. “And Ring Bunny Barbie over there.”
Venom’s been fairly quiet since I came out on stage. I can’t even see his wife on the other side of his large frame. It’s probably for the best. She didn’t seem to like me much last night. After today, she probably hates me for sure.
“What’s wrong?” Kiki jumps off the couch and steps over Naptime’s outstretched feet. “Little girl can’t speak for herself?”
Is she talking to me?
Yup. Her hot glare burns right into me. I don’t even know this girl. Why does she seem to hate me so much?
After years of living in fear of my father’s unpredictable temper, Kiki’s aggression triggers an immediate response in my body. She’s not my father—she’s a hundred and ten pound-bully in six-inch heels. I spring off the couch, ready to defend myself.
As Kiki invades my personal space, a tug on my pants pulls my attention away.
She’s right in my face, taunting me. “Nothing to say? You just let everyone else speak for you?”
I open my mouth, a fuck off, bitch burning on my tongue.
But her hand lunges forward.
I twist just in time. The blow misses my face but her palm hits my shoulder. Her long, sharp nails tangle in my shirt.
An explosive surge of rage and instinct sends my fist through the air.
Pop! My knuckles hit her jaw. Kiki’s head whips sideways and she collapses on the floor like a bag of rotten apples.
It all happens so fast.
Oh my God. What did I just do?
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Griff
“Oh my God. Oh my God. I can’t believe I did that,” Molly whispers over and over against my neck as I carry her off the stage.