Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 64362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
He’d said a lot of things to me, but he hadn’t said anything about what we were or what it was we were doing. There hadn’t been much time for discussion. A few times, he had said things that sounded as if he loved me. Like…like he had always loved me. I struggled with believing that. He’d said I made his soul whole. That was pretty deep, but was it enough for him to just want me? When he’d had a buffet of gorgeous young strippers for years?
I was terrified of trusting him, but I wasn’t sure if I had any control over it anyway. All it took was one smile from him, and my heart went crazy. I’d had the same reaction when I was a teenager. I had convinced myself that it was a childish response from the excitement of first love and that once I matured, it would go away.
How wrong I had been.
“Like Amethyst, Nixie needs to move on. Tex was never keeping her. She was his current plaything here. Just like he kept one at Devil’s in Ocala,” Pepper said, then swung her eyes from Nina to me, wide-eyed. “I didn’t mean that. I, uh…well, I did. Tex used to have several someones, but he went through them and tossed them. Never kept one. Ugh,” she groaned. “I need to shut up. You don’t want to know all this. Besides, you two have reconnected, so all that will stop.”
Would it though? He hadn’t said it would. Just that he closed his eyes and saw me. Did that mean he wouldn’t need them if he had me now? What if he was wrong and missed it—the different girls?
“She’s gone pale,” Nina said in a scolding tone. “He’s not wanted any of them because it was always you. Don’t look so grim. Pepper is blurting out shit without thinking.”
I managed a smile. “It’s okay. She’s telling the truth. I need to remember it.”
Nina frowned. “No, that will fuck with your head. You both have lived other lives, but you found each other again. This is your new start. You get a chance at a redo.”
The back door opened behind me, and Nina looked over my head toward it, stopping whatever else she was going to say. I turned to see Liam, followed by Rome and Micah. My gaze went directly to Rome. It always did, even when I didn’t want it to. He was headed in our direction like the others, but his eyes were locked on me. My heart began its crazy dance. The determined expression on his face didn’t even slow it down.
I licked my lips nervously.
Had something new happened? He had been gone with Liam for hours.
“Please tell me I am going home and back to my bar,” Pepper said hopefully.
Was that it? Were we free to leave now? What did that mean? If I left, would…would Rome still come see me? Would we date? He’d be here with Nixie.
Anxiety, jealousy, and fear that I was going to be hurt again spread out through me like a virus.
I said nothing but gripped my hands tightly together in my lap.
“Yes, you’re free to leave, Pepper. But there are conditions. Micah can go over all that with you. Those who would want to harm you are no longer free, and Blaise Hughes has made it clear that if anyone gets close to you or even thinks about hurting you or your bar, they’re dead, along with everyone they love,” Liam replied.
My nails cut into my palms, and I tried to make myself relax, but I couldn’t. I’d opened myself up to the feelings I have for Rome again, and now…before we even had a chance to explore things, I was leaving while he lived in a place where naked women walked around.
Rome stopped beside me, and I didn’t look up at him. I couldn’t. Not right now. I needed to be alone. If I had a panic attack in front of all of them, I’d be humiliated. I took deep, slow breaths and kept my gaze locked on a spot in the grass where a wildflower had bloomed.
“But Salem will need to stay here,” Liam’s gravelly voice said.
It took a second for me to register his words, and Pepper was already asking him why by the time I swung my eyes back to Liam to see him watching me. Did he expect me to argue like Pepper was doing? Should I be?
“If I’m safe, why isn’t Salem?” Pepper demanded. “She has a life too.”
“There are other things involved in Salem’s safety,” Liam said.
Rome’s large hand cupped the back of my neck and gently squeezed, as if to reassure me or get my attention—I wasn’t sure which. This time, I tilted my head back to look up at him. His pale green eyes met mine.