Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 133849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
“I’m not letting you do this to me.” Outrage sparked through her, but she had to also remember he was a dangerous man. How easy would it be for him to say he walked in on her and she attacked him like she had his brother? He had to take her down.
“Or, you could take the bag sitting on the bar, get into your car, and run.”
“So you can hunt me down?”
Ted shook his head. “Why would I do that? If the police find you, there’s some small chance one of them will believe you. It’s better if you’re simply not here. If you’re on the run, the focus remains on you. See, that’s what I call a win-win. I mean except for Micah, but then this is what happens to dumbasses who don’t listen to solid advice and embezzle a shit ton of cash so he can try to pay off his mob connections. I’m afraid my brother likes to gamble.”
How was this happening? Surely this was some nightmare. “Are you insane?”
“No, I’m quite of my right mind, Nora. And I think I’m being rather kind giving you this shot. That bag has everything you need. I know you have access to another car. You were planning on running anyway. I assure you Micah wouldn’t have handed you a bag with ten thousand dollars cash and a couple of burner phones and a credit card and false ID you should change as soon as possible. I want to give you a day or two to get as far as you can. Unless you want to come to a different arrangement.” He was too close now, and the hand not holding the gun came out as though he wanted to touch her.
She stepped away.
His hand flattened out, and he gave her some space. “No? It might not be so bad. You could be my dirty little secret. I’m not as violent as baby brother here. The current situation notwithstanding. I don’t feel the need to smack my woman around. Too much effort. It’s better to find a damaged one and bring the bitch to heel. But since you won’t have to be out in public…”
God, he was really doing this. He had her in a neat trap, and she couldn’t think of a way out. She only knew one thing. She wasn’t giving in to him. “I assure you if you try to lock me away, I’ll make what you did to Micah look like a restful evening.”
“There’s the spark I knew you had. I know you won’t believe me, but I always knew you were too good for my brother. Let’s see how long you can last. You should run.”
So she did.
Chapter One
Willow Fork, TX
Two years later
Joshua Barnes-Fleetwood was only half listening to the argument currently going on between his sister and Dad. He was far too busy watching the brunette. She moved across the dining room floor with the grace of a woman who had never once before carried a tray of drinks in the midst of a rural diner where people let their kids run a bit wild.
She barely managed to stop when Austin Parker chased his brother across the room, nearly cutting her off and sending all of those drinks right to the floor.
Her jaw clenched, and she seemed to take a long breath before making the decision to continue her dangerous journey.
Damn, but she was pretty.
She’d started working at Christa’s Café a few weeks before, and Josh barely knew her name. Nicole. He only knew because a name tag was part of the uniform. His Aunt Christa called the fairly short pink dresses with a white apron retro chic, but Josh thought it was sexy as hell.
On Nicole. His aunt did not wear one, thank god.
“Dad, don’t be ridiculous.” His sister was using their weekly family outing to protest their father’s schedule.
His sister butted heads with their father from time to time. Dad, not Pops. Pops pretty much gave Livie anything she wanted. And him. And Grim and Mom. Sam Fleetwood was a sunny man who didn’t try to hide the fact he was a marshmallow on the inside.
Jack Barnes made up for it with loving authority and long discussions of discipline. His dad was big on discipline.
Josh was wondering if that pretty lady liked a little discipline.
He glanced over and noticed he wasn’t the only one looking. Grim’s eyes were on the brunette, and Josh knew that look. His best friend was hungry, and not for the chicken fried steak he’d ordered.
“Josh went out last quarter. He spent two weeks in Broken Bend at the Rockin’ R. One would think it’s my turn. It’s almost like you don’t want me to be the face of your company,” his sister complained.
“Baby, you know that’s not what the problem is.” His mother took a sip of her tea and shook her head. She sat where she always did. In between Dad and Pops. They had been together, living openly as a threesome, for his whole lifetime and people still stared.