Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 122097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Her voice is soft and low. Like an easy breeze blowing ever so slightly over a flower petal. I turn and she attaches the suspenders to the back of my trousers.
Then she says, “Turn again,” in that same low and sexy tone.
I do as I’m told, facing her once again as her fingertips continue to wrap me up in a web of magic. She finishes the last four buttons and then takes a step back as she sucks in a breath.
“Wow.” She lets that breath out. “You look…” She doesn’t finish her thought. Just nods her head and bites her lip.
“You look that good too,” I say back.
And this makes her smile.
There are two ways in and out of Disciple, West Virginia. Just one main road going east and west. Both directions are packed with cars when Lowyn and I leave her house and make our way over to the Revival tent at a walk.
I want to hold her hand, but I can’t. Not until I give her that explanation. But it’s still a very nice walk. The air is crisp, but not cold. Lowyn put on a little sweater—pale yellow with pearly white buttons that she did not button up. She’s wearing that cute cloche hat and holding her tiny purse—just big enough to hold her cell phone—by the silver chain.
There are hundreds of people already lined up at the main gate that leads into the tent grounds, but we go down a side street where the side entrance is, and that’s where I find Amon, Nash, and Ryan—all dressed up the same way I am—checking people through as they pass.
Lowyn grabs my hand. “I’ll see you later, OK?”
“Yeah, OK.” And I’m just getting used to that hand when it slips out of reach again.
She waves her fingers at Amon and the guys. “Have a good day, men.”
I almost fall over with desire for that woman. And when I turn to Amon, he’s smirking at me.
“What?”
“You’re staying at her house, aren’t ya?”
“Where else am I gonna stay? You’ve torn up my whole house. And what the hell are you two doing here?” I look Ryan and Nash up and down, noticing the slight differences in our costumes. “You’re not even part of this.”
“They’re on the contract now. Jim Bob came by the compound last night. In fact, I’ve got forty-seven people on the contract with us.”
“What? How’s that work at the end of the year?”
Amon nearly guffaws, pulling me away from Nash and Ryan, telling them to check people in as they pass. We only go about a dozen feet away. “Don’t worry. None of them are figured into the bonus structure. They’re all hourly.”
“What about Nash and Ryan? We can’t pay them hourly. They’re partners.”
“In Edge, yeah. But they’re not from here, Collin. Even if I wanted to give them bonus money—and I don’t”—he gives me a stern look here—“there’s no way.”
“So why are they here?”
“They offered.”
“Well, how the hell did they get a fuckin’ costume?”
“They’re wearing mine. We get three sets.”
I look around, sighing. “I dunno, man. This is turning into a much bigger thing than I signed up for.” I look back at Amon. “Did you know there’s a fuckin’ script?”
“Yeah.” He laughs. “And for a couple of assholes who walked out on this place a dozen years ago, we get to play a pretty big part.”
“See, this is what I mean. We’re supposed to be security. Not… gangsters.”
“It’s just a costume. Oh, I brought your Glock. It’s in the security barracks.” He nods his head to a tented building off to the left. “There’s a safe in there where I’ve stashed the weapons. The dogs are in there too.”
“Weapons? Dogs? It’s the fuckin’ Revival, Amon. What kind of heat are you expecting?”
“You never know. I like to be prepared. On a lighter note”—he nudges me with his shoulder—“how are you and Lowyn doing? Good, right?” He winks at me. “I mean, you’re living at her house now. That was some quick work there, Creed. In town less than a week and already lining up the old lady.”
“Shut up. Where do I go? What do I do?”
“Do you wanna dog?”
“Do I need a dog?”
“What’s that got to do with anything? It’s a dog, Collin. It’ll keep you company.”
This guy, I swear. “Sure. Why not.”
Amon grins. “I knew you’d say that. Be right back.” He goes inside the barracks and comes back out a couple minutes later with a dog. She is an all-black German Shepherd with light-brown eyes that almost look yellow. Her fur is rather long for a Shepherd, and fluffy, not sleek, so she doesn’t look as menacing as some of the dogs that Amon keeps in the kennel. “This is Mercy. She’s only just turned two, but she knows all the standard commands in German, English, Russian, and Hungarian.”