Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 119011 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 595(@200wpm)___ 476(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119011 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 595(@200wpm)___ 476(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Leo’s gaze followed her to the door, but she must have forgotten it was locked and yanked uselessly at the handle.
“No, babe! Come on, that’s not what I meant. It’s just that our… goals align.” But he didn’t want her to feel trapped, and opened the lock.
She only looked back at him once she was in the hallway. “They clearly don’t. I thought we were having a bit of fun, and you want to marry me after such a short time. Who does that? It’s like you’re already preparing for a divorce in the future.”
“Why would you say that?” He shut the ring box, and it snapped with a sound of finality.
“Leo… you’re… really exciting and all that. Hot. Fun. But I don’t really feel our lifestyles align.”
Leo bit his lip hard. “The fuck does that mean?” Leo worked hard on controlling himself. Especially around women, but even he had limits.
She exhaled, crossing her arms, as if she had the right to being frustrated by this situation. “That is why. You guys are fun to be around, but you’re reckless and rude. And not all of your business is legal. I’m sorry, but I don’t want that kind of energy in my life.”
This time, Leo managed to bite his tongue and just stood there while his gaze threw daggers at her. He clenched his fists, yet could do nothing as she backed out down the corridor.
“I’ll let you process this, and maybe we can hook up again in a while. Let’s just let things cool off,” she said, already descending the stairs
Leo didn’t have an answer to that either and stood still, watching Amanda leave. The sound of her footsteps quickened and eventually dispersed into the noise outside while he remained in place, stunned by disbelief.
It took another few seconds for him to snap out of it, but he screamed and punched the wall again and again, so hard an indent appeared and his knuckles got bloody.
Fuck Amanda. Fuck the party. Fuck everything.
Why couldn’t he ever get what he wanted?
Leo shut the door to his room and paced around with hands entwined at the back of his neck. He should have never told Rain about his plans. She’d ask about Amanda the moment he left this room, which meant that he could never go out again.
A terrible racket forced his attention away from his failure and to the window. Bikes were revving outside. He wasn’t sure what happened but the shouting downstairs made him move.
He couldn’t wait to focus on something other than Amanda’s rejection.
He reached the window in just a couple of footsteps and looked into the courtyard in time to see a cavalcade of bikers ride through town, right past the Smoke Valley MC compound. Below, some of the Smokeys ran for their own machines, enraged by the boldness of this provocation.
“What the fuck?” Leo whispered and headed to the door before speeding down the stairs. His blood had already reached the boiling point when he entered the lounge, teeth clenched and ready to bite.
The motorbikes buzzed like a swarm of angry hornets, trapped in the compound while the prospect hurried to open the gate.
Leo ran straight to his dad as soon as he spotted his gray head. “What’s going on?” he yelled over the noise.
His old man glanced over his shoulder, the yellow light of the lamp above making his face appear more wrinkled than it was. “The new guys want our attention. I suppose they’ve gotten it, but if you ask me, a dog that barks so loud won’t bite,” he said, shaking his head when a couple of the guys drove out the moment the gate opened.
Leo took a deep breath. “Those… what are they? Jackal Brothers?”
“Yeah, the fuckers have moved their little caravan camp closer to Hawk Springs.”
“Do you want me to ride out?”
Dad’s many signets glinted as he combed back his hair. “Nah. No point spoiling the party because of those fuckers. Some wanted to follow, and if that’s their idea of fun, I’m not gonna stop them, but I say we deal with them tomorrow. I bet you’d rather take Amanda upstairs anyway,” he said, winking knowingly.
Leo looked away. Even hearing her name was like a slap to the face. “We broke up.”
Dad’s face twisted. “What did you do? She was happy ten minutes ago.”
Leo cracked. A man had his limits, and his had just been reached. “I proposed, okay?! But clearly I’m a terrible human being, not worth considering a future with! I was good to her! I was so fucking nice! But no. I’m fine as a biker thrill ride, but not good enough to marry.”
Dad’s shoulders dropped. Leo braced himself for offensive words coming his way, but in the end, Dad opened his wallet and handed him a couple of bills. “You need to go and have some fun then. It’s on me.”