Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 73208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
“You got time to talk to this one?” she asked me point-blank.
I lifted my eyes to her and nodded. “Yeah.”
She swung her eyes to Storm. “Keep it quick. She’s got another set in fifteen, and she needs a break.”
Storm looked amused but nodded his head once before those hazel eyes of his shifted back to me. He lifted his hand to place the glass to his lips and took a sip, his eyes never leaving me. I fought the urge to squirm in my seat. Even his hands were sexy. Large, veiny, tanned. I bet they were rough from working with the horses.
“You got Pepper fooled real nice, don’t you?” he drawled, breaking the silence.
I glared at him, no longer focused on his hands. “What do you want, Storm? Or did you just come here to degrade me and call me names? I’d have thought by now, that would have gotten old. Lost its entertainment value.”
He chuckled and set his glass down, then leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table. “Just thought I’d come to make sure you’re not fucking over a friend.”
I leaned forward and narrowed my eyes. “I’m an excellent employee.”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “Until you get what you want and bolt.”
Inhaling sharply, I moved back some, not liking how close we were. I could smell him, and he smelled damn good. I didn’t need that reminder.
“What I want is for you to leave me alone. I’m aware how Pepper is connected to … y’all. And I assure you that I want no trouble with any of you. If you’d all stop showing up here and let me just get on with my life, that would be great.”
A twenty-dollar bill landed on the table in front of me. I lifted my eyes to see Brick, one of the larger members of The Judgment, standing there, looking down at me.
“My ole woman wants you to sing ‘Stand by Your Man.’ ”
Goldie, his wife, was one of my favorite women in The Judgment. She was friendly, bubbly, and always smiling. The two of them didn’t seem like they fit. He was so grumpy, and she was the complete opposite. But when he looked at her, the worship in his gaze was clear. I had found myself longing for that more than once. To have a man look at me that way. I’d never know what it felt like, but I couldn’t help the way my heart squeezed when I saw them together.
“First one I’ll sing in the next set,” I told him, but moved the twenty back toward him. “No need for this. I’ll happily do it for Goldie.”
“Take it,” he said with a bark to his tone I was used to.
“I don’t—”
“I said, take it,” he interrupted me, turning and walking off.
With a sigh, I took the twenty and folded it up before looking back at Storm. He seemed to be trying to read my thoughts with the way his eyes were locked on me so intently.
“What?” I snapped.
He took another drink, then licked his bottom lip. “Just trying to figure out why you didn’t snatch up that money since that seems to be your goal in life.”
My stomach twisted as a sour feeling burned my throat. Why did I let this man and his hateful words bother me so much? He wasn’t important to me, and I didn’t need his approval.
I pushed back my chair and stood up, tucking the twenty into my pocket. “If that is all you need, then I’ll be heading on back. Don’t choke on your food,” I said, getting the hell away from him before he could say anything more.
I couldn’t go onstage angry. I had to get away from everyone and calm down before I had to walk back out there.
He was gone before my next set ended. Thankful that I didn’t have to feel his judgmental, disgusted gaze on me, I began to enjoy the night. I had even done two of my own songs and put my backup drum track on for “Honky Tonk Women,” which had the entire place cheering and filling the dance floor.
By the time I finished my last set, it was almost one. Pepper sent her guys through doing last call and clearing the place out as I took my tip jar and went through straightening and counting the money backstage. It had been a good night if you left out the fact that Storm had shown up to try and ruin things.
Heels on the hardwood floor caught my attention, and I looked up to see Pepper walk around the corner. She was smiling, clearly pleased with the night’s success. By my third set, the kitchen had run out of fried pickles, fries, and tonight’s special—the pulled pork coleslaw burger.
She held up a roll of bills. “This was left for you,” she said, then held it out.