Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 57499 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 230(@250wpm)___ 192(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57499 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 230(@250wpm)___ 192(@300wpm)
So on that day, when Matt had called at the end of his rope, I had high tailed it out of the office, dead Mexicans and illegal drugs forgotten, heart racing and mouth dry; until I'd run my friend to ground just outside county lines.
I felt the side of my mouth with my tongue, where I could swear it was still tender from when Jus had socked me, because I wouldn't get out of his way and let him go murder the cheating son of a bitch, who had hurt his baby sister.
I'd had a hell of a time talking that boy down from his murderous rage. In the end, we'd gone to a bar outside of town and tied one on, until the wee hours of the morning, when Chief Spalding had come and taken us home to our respective houses, so we wouldn't drive drunk. That wouldn't have looked too good on my record. He'd brought two of the brothers to bring our vehicles back.
I'd spent the time on that bar stool learning more than I wanted to know about Shania's personal life, and I'd been aware that if Jus hadn't been two sheets to the wind, he wouldn't have divulged so much personal information about his little sister.
"What am I saying, I'm sure you'll be at the welcome back party, after all you're pretty tight with her brothers." Once again Scott's voice intruded on my thoughts, and brought me back from my reverie.
"I might have to work." Yeah right.
"Aw come on Lieu, you work too hard, besides you just finished that big case. I'm sure the captain will give you the time to drop in on an old friend. The whole town's probably gonna be there."
"If that's the case then I wouldn't be missed now would I?" I left my desk to grab a cup of coffee from my personal brew that I kept in the corner of my office. Station house coffee was just one step above horse piss in my opinion, and I refuse to drink that swill.
If there's one thing I can't abide, it's inferior coffee. No matter how much ribbing I took from my peers, I was adamant about having my own special blend on hand. Now half the department found an excuse at least once a day to find themselves in my office on some pretext or another, and never left without a cup of Joe.
The fact that you could smell the stuff two streets over was no help. If I was half the ass some of them accused me of being, I would start charging them, Brazilian blend didn't come cheap.
"I can see her any time Scott, it's not like she'll only be here for a few days, there's plenty of time."
"I guess you're right, I for one won't miss it for the world. You know I've never told anyone this, but I've always had a soft spot for her."
"You don't say." I felt the cold knot forming in my gut. The thought of any other man being in love with her didn't sit too well with me. When she'd been out of my reach, on the other side of the country, out of sight, it had been okay, barely.
I hadn't spent my every breathing moment pining for her, or even thinking about the feelings she's been stirring inside of me all these years. But now that she was coming home, things were different.
Everything had changed since her brother had shared so much with me. She was within my reach once more, and I'd be damned if I was gonna let some other man poach on my territory, fuck that. No one was going to have her but me, no one.
Chapter 4
I'm almost grateful to the sorry son of a bitch who'd broken her heart. If he hadn't been such a jackass, she might've been lost to me forever. This might be my last chance to grab her, and I planned not to hold anything back.
Women like Shania didn't come along everyday, and I know it wouldn't be long before some other asshole tried putting the moves on her. Even now, Scott looked like he was giving that very idea some thought.
"Not that I would ever do anything about my little crush, a woman like that would have no use for a guy like me. Besides, her brothers would probably beat me to a pulp, gun or no gun." He grinned from ear to ear.
I studied the younger man closely to detect the level of seriousness in his statement, and though I could sense some infatuation, I was relieved to note that the kid hadn't fallen head over heels, or at least not all the way over. Shania could do that to a man.
Not that it would've mattered, no one was going to stand in my way this time, not even Shania herself.