Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 78227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
And oh my God…
What I find in there is enough to make me swear off men forever, if I weren’t so in love with Brock.
Gas station bathrooms aren’t the best anyway, but I may as well be in a latrine in the woods. I have to hold my nose the entire time I’m in there, and then I wash my hands vigorously, wishing I could take a shower in hand sanitizer.
I leave the room, my eyebrows raised.
I meet Jesse and the rest of the guys outside. “You people are pigs.”
“What the hell was that for?” Jesse asks.
“Instead of waiting in line to go into the women’s restroom, I decided to give yours a try.” I pinch two fingers over my nose. “I can still smell the stench. I’ll never make that mistake again.”
“For God’s sake,” Dragon drawls.
“Seriously, what’s with the smell? I felt like I was in a Porta-Potty.”
“Don’t blame us if they don’t clean the bathrooms,” Jake says.
“I have never been in a women’s room that smells like that.”
“You weren’t in this women’s room either. For all you know, it could be just as nasty.”
I wrinkle my nose. “I doubt that.”
“Well, we’ll never know, will we?” Dragon says in his dry tone.
“Shit,” I say. “I forgot to get myself a Diet Coke.”
“Got you covered, sis.” Jesse tosses me a bottle.
“Thanks.” I open it, holding it away from my body just in case Jesse’s throw caused it to fizz up. It releases a little bit of pressure, but all the contents stay in the bottle.
I down about half of it.
“I wouldn’t drink it that fast,” Jake says. “We’ll have to stop again, and you might be forced to go into a disgusting men’s room.”
“Never again,” I say.
“Let’s get back on the road,” Cage says. “My turn to drive.”
Jesse and I get back into his car, and soon enough, we’re back on the road.
I check my phone.
Nothing new from Brock.
What in the world is going on in Wyoming?
Since we’ve been together, we’ve never gone this long without talking. Except for that first time, when we had our date on a Monday evening and then didn’t get together again until the weekend. But that was when the relationship was brand-new. It wasn’t even a relationship.
Should I text him?
I’m at a loss because what if he’s in some strange situation and can’t be bothered?
Of course, if that’s the case, he would’ve turned the ringer on his phone off, so if I text him, no one will be the wiser.
Unless—
He’s been put into a situation quickly and wasn’t able to turn his ringer off.
Oh my God…
Gruesome images invade my mind. What if, what if, what if?
This isn’t leading to anything good.
“You okay?” Jesse asks.
I clear my throat. “Why are you asking me that?”
“Because you’re holding your phone with the grip of death.”
“Just keep your eyes on the road.”
“It might help you to tell me,” he says.
“You just want to know what’s going on with the Steels. And if I’m honest? None of us really knows.”
“It’s pretty clear you haven’t talked to Brock since you got up this morning. We’ve been together most of that time, and I would’ve known.”
“He’s busy in Wyoming with his dad. Business.”
“Right. Okay. But you’re leaving for a week-long tour. Wouldn’t he want to talk to you?”
You’d think. In fact, I know he would. Which is why…
“I’m a little bit worried.” I bite my lip.
“Rory, what the fuck is going on with the Steels?”
CHAPTER TWENTY
BROCK
My heart is hammering, and it’s beating so fast I’m not sure I’ll survive this. Tachycardia, I think it’s called, when your heart goes ballistic and starts racing like this. I heard the term when I was with Rory at the hospital.
This can’t be good for my body, can it? My heart beating so wildly I can actually see my chest moving?
I breathe in. Out. In again.
Normally that calms me, but not this time.
I have my gun out now, trained on the barn door. Dad’s is still on Doc Sheraton.
Brittany is holding on to my other hand.
Her palm is cold and clammy.
She’s frightened. Is she being aboveboard with me? Does she truly not know what’s going on here? But those fingernails… And her history with Rory and Callie…
She’s far from innocent.
But is she innocent in this instance? Regarding these barns? Is Doc? They both claim to be, but something doesn’t sit right.
Not at all.
The door hovers in front of me, and with each step, it doesn’t seem to be getting any closer.
Until it nearly hits my face.
I crack it open.
Inside, dogs are growling.
“There’s at least one dog in here,” I say.
“Cochise!” Doc Sheraton yells.
Two Dobermans lope out of the barn, no longer growling.
They’re big and strong dogs, obviously well-fed, which means someone comes here regularly.
“Down.”
The dogs obey Dr. Sheraton.
“That’s your secret command?” I say. “Cochise?”
“Yeah. I suppose I’ll have to change it now that you know it.”