Series: The Circle of Monsters Series by Sam Crescent
Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 41985 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 210(@200wpm)___ 168(@250wpm)___ 140(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 41985 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 210(@200wpm)___ 168(@250wpm)___ 140(@300wpm)
She had no idea who he was or why he’d saved her. Clearly, someone was looking out for her. She nodded and gave him a tight smile.
“Do you have any belongings?” he asked.
Skye shook her head. She didn’t exactly have time to collect her things after witnessing her employer commit murder. No, she’d been terrified, and if it weren’t for the son she’d been taking care of, she’d have never known the secret hideouts or shortcuts he’d shown her one day.
She was so stupid. There were so many warning signs to what she was getting herself into, but rather than take note of them, she’d carried on doing a job she loved. She adored children and one day hoped to have many of her own, but that was never going to happen.
“Let’s go.”
He still held her arm tightly, but Skye didn’t fight him, even as she knew his grip would leave bruises later. She had to get out of there. They left the motel room, stepping over what was left of the doorframe.
“I have to return my key,” Skye said.
Maybe she could sneak out the back of the reception area. Not going to happen, as this man didn’t let her go and within seconds she was being marched across the parking lot.
The car he drove surprised her. She expected something fancy, but instead, it was a tiny car with only two doors. He shoved his backpack behind the seat and pushed her into the passenger side. When she didn’t think he was looking, she tried the door handle, hoping for a way to escape.
This man was not there to save her. The ink, the scar, the fact he was terrifying, gave her all the clues she needed to know that this man was fucking dangerous. Maybe he was worse than the men he’d killed.
He climbed behind the wheel, turned over the ignition, bringing the car to life, and then it didn’t matter. She was alone in a car with a stranger. When had her life gotten so complicated?
Skye ran her hands up and down her arms, trying to get warm as a sudden chill hit her, which made no sense in the boiling-hot summer temperatures.
“Who are you?” she asked.
Silence.
“Who do you work for?”
More silence.
“Thank you for … doing what you did back there. I don’t think those men deserved to die. They were probably doing their job, but thank you. I guess they were going to kill me.” She hated these kind of silences. Her nerves always got the better of her, and rather than keep quiet and deal with it, she had to keep talking. “I’m not a bad person. I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Do you ever shut up?” he asked.
“Do you have a name? Should I call you my hero? My … muscle-bound savior?” Her cheeks were starting to heat up. She shouldn’t be looking at his tattoos, or any part of him.
He was a good-looking man.
The scar didn’t make him ugly—not to her. Of course he didn’t seem to smile either, and the hat stopped her from seeing his hair and a clear view of his eyes. His body, though, it was like he stepped out of a sexy dream. All hard muscle and heavily inked.
Was this why she ended up in the position she did? She was a sucker for some ink. Ugh, maybe people should just kill her now. She got herself into this mess. She had to be the one to get herself out of it.
Looking out the window, she didn’t know where they were going. None of the signs made sense to her. Nibbling her lip, she tried to focus but that wasn’t happening.
“Galen.”
“What?”
“That’s what you can call me. Galen.”
“Oh, well, I’m Skye.”
“I know.”
“How?” she asked.
“Because I know your name.”
“You were sent to save me?”
“Actually, Princess, I was sent to kill you and was just about to take the shot when your fucking boss decided to stiff me out of my money. I don’t like that, so you’ve just become one of the luckiest women in the world. You’re now worth more to me alive than dead.”
Fear raced down her spine and she felt a sickness twisting her gut. As far as speeches went, it was one of the worst she’d ever heard. She was hoping he’d say he was there to save her but that would be too lucky.
“You’re going to kill me?”
“Not anymore. Don’t you listen?”
“I don’t have to listen to you.” She clenched her hands into fists, wanting to hurt him, to attack him, do anything but allow herself to succumb to her situation. She wasn’t a coward.
“If you want to live, you’ll have to listen. Do you think those men will be the last that come for you?” he asked. “Trust me. Your boss is sloppy but he wants you dead, which tells me you’ve got a whole lot of important information in that pretty little head of yours.”