Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
“There’s no way to get a parole officer switched?”
“Yeah, but not really,” Coach said, shaking his head.
“Do you have one?” I asked.
“Not really. I got county parole, which is done by the cops and, luckily, that wasn’t much of an issue.”
Because, I imagine, they bribed many of the cops in town.
“But you do have one?” I asked Colter. “How did you leave town for so long?”
“Because my P.O., Mick, is four times divorced with alimony on all those exes, plus child support for three kids. He’s drowning in debt and all too happy to take a bribe to look the other way.”
“And Nancy can’t be bribed?” I asked.
To that, there were a few snorts around the room.
“Nancy thinks she is the law. She gives no one any leeway,” Riff explained. “And while no one on parole is supposed to drink, do drugs, engage in illegal activity, or be in contact with any criminals, because of Rook’s past, he’s also not allowed to have any tech.”
That was why he was always on the computer in the office at Nyx’s studio. Because he wasn’t allowed to have it at his place in the apartment above.
“Would it be possible for any of us to visit your mom for you?” I asked. “Just to bring her a message from you?”
“No. It’s family only,” Rook said, exhaling hard. “Thanks for caring, though.”
I did.
Care.
More than I could even begin to express to them. They’d been giving me something I hadn’t had in so long. People who cared about me as much as I cared about them. Family.
I honestly don’t believe my recovery would be going so well if not for each and every one of them.
I mean, more so with Riff.
Without him, I think I would still be in a cocoon most hours of the day.
But without the others, I was pretty sure I would still be terrified of other people, of leaving the house, of never feeling safe around crowds again.
Colter and Coach led Rook off into the living room, sharing some beers, and trying to decompress.
Drama over, Riff and I silently grabbed a hoard of snacks and made our way back upstairs as well, climbing wordlessly into the bed, eating junk, watching mindless TV, and just being close to each other.
And when, at some point, the urge to kiss him again overtook me, he let me set the pace and pressure. He let me explore a bit with my hands. And while he held me and stroked my hair, even softly teased his fingers over my face and neck, he never demanded more, just let me take the lead until I felt like I was at my limit. Then tucked me in at his side and held me.
I lay there in his arms, desire pinging off my nerve endings, doing some of my guided breathing to fight back the rush of memories and fears that reared up.
And I drifted to sleep surprisingly quickly, safe next to Riff.
For the first time in a long time, I didn’t have nightmares.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Vienna
Nyx, quite frankly, kicked my ass in class.
Once we got through the basics of self-defense, she’d said it was time to put in some mouth guards, and actually try to fight each other.
Needless to say, she was more experienced and had a lot more muscle on her than I did.
So, yeah, I felt like a walking bruise when I got back to the clubhouse.
When I realized that Riff was at the gym with Detroit and Colter, I gathered some bath stuff, and made my way into the bathroom, scrubbing the tub, and then filling it with super hot water.
I dropped a few bath bombs in, watching the bubblegum pink and lilac shades swirl and fill the water before I stripped and slipped under the water, feeling the warmth chase away the ache in my muscles.
My eyes drifted closed.
And my mind immediately drifted to all the many times over the past several days that Riff had been home that he’d let me kiss him, when he’d kissed me back, gently teasing me with his lips, tongue, and teeth until the ache of longing made it hard to breathe.
Alone in the tub, the need reignited, a heaviness in my breasts, a thrumming sensation between my thighs, and a pressure on my lower stomach.
The water that had been nothing but comfort a moment ago suddenly felt sensual as it moved over my skin and I shifted my position to ease the ache between my thighs.
When pressing my legs together did nothing to ease the ache growing between, instinct had my hand slipping down my body, little sizzles of desire left in its wake, before my fingers teased between my thighs.
There was a second where I tensed before I took a deep breath and filled my mind with thoughts of Riff, something that chased away anything else that threatened to steal this moment from me.