Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 79940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
“I’m gonna ask this nicely only once. Go on back to your truck and leave,” the blue-eyed man said as he turned his gaze toward the trucker.
“I ain’t scared o’ some purty boy,” he replied, turning around to fully face the other man.
This would be the time I should get away. Take my suitcase and go inside the service station. Someone in there could help me. I started to move when I heard the trucker make a strangled noise. Unable to help myself, I glanced back to see the blue-eyed man grinning as if he were having a casual conversation, but standing very close to the trucker, who was now making small gasping sounds.
“You’ve got five minutes to get your ass in that truck and leave,” he drawled as his eyes glanced past the man to look at me. Then, he winked before turning his attention back to the trucker.
“Jesus H. Christ. You’re fuckin’ crazy,” he stammered, then began walking away at a quicker pace than I would have thought he could, seeing as how top heavy he was.
What in the world had the other man done? The big body of the trucker had blocked my view. And why did I care? I needed to get my butt inside. Turning back to the door, I went to grab the handle when a large, tanned hand reached it first, then pulled it open.
I knew before I even looked who had opened it. I should ignore him, but I couldn’t help myself. My eyes went in his direction anyway.
“After you,” he replied with one of those respectful nods that Southern men seemed to have perfected.
Nervous for so many different reasons, I hurried inside, muttering, “Thank you,” without glancing his way again.
As attractive as he was, I needed him to stop getting closer. He was a stranger, and he was a man. I didn’t trust either.
Monsters could come in pretty packages. I knew that only too well.
• two •
“She had no idea what a picture she made to all the fucking swinging dicks out there.”
King
She was skittish as fuck. The bruise covering the side of her face and swollen lip made the reason why real clear. Not to mention the way she was favoring the left side of her body. She was hurt in other places, too, and not just physically.
Getting her to trust me was going to be more difficult than I had imagined. Typically, women came to me willingly. I didn’t have to do more than smile, wink, and they were putty in my hands. This one wouldn’t be softening anytime soon. There was a fighter shining back in those pretty sea-green eyes of hers. She had seen shit. Lived through hell. And now that she had the hope of freedom, she wasn’t letting anyone or anything stand in her way.
Problem with that was, she was a looker. All that thick caramel hair in long, wild ringlets, that heavy upper lip of hers, and don’t get me started on the eyes. She would turn heads and draw attention from men. All kinds of men. Just like the bastard I’d been forced to shove my pistol into his gut to get my point across.
Stepping inside the store, I watched her as she surveyed the place. Her back ramrod straight, her hand gripped so tightly on the handle of the suitcase she was pulling beside her that her knuckles were white. The side of her lip that wasn’t swollen and cut open was caught between her teeth. She was looking for someone. My guess would be anyone who appeared trustworthy and not of the male variety. Which left me standing back and keeping an eye on her from a distance. She spooked too easily, and if I tried to get her in my truck right now, she was likely to get back in the Mercedes and take off again.
She walked over to the snack aisle and picked up a bag of cashews, but her eyes never stopped scanning the area. I saw her lock in on an elderly woman who was walking out of the restroom. That particular lady had come inside with a younger man. Possibly her son. They were traveling together with a younger woman and two kids who were currently arguing over which gum they were going to buy.
When she took a step in the older lady’s direction, the younger man turned and called out, “You want me to get you Raisinets, Gram?”
The older lady beamed. “Yes! And a bottle of that soda pop I like.”
The woman’s shoulders dropped, and she moved back, turning away, and faced the snacks again. Not taking my eyes off her, I made my way toward the drinks and pulled out a bottle of water as she continued searching the place. She picked up a bag of pretzels next and then walked over to the fast-food area, where they sold pizza, burgers, corn dogs, and fried cheese sticks.