Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 46095 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46095 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
“Fine, fine fine,” she sighed. “Sure, let’s have a beer.”
“A” beer turned into two, actually. We ended up finding some girls from one of the survey classes we were both in, and they turned out to be pretty cool. We were each grinning and talking excitedly to each other about God knows what, going for our third drink, when the two big guys stepped in front of us, blocking the way.
“Sup, ladies?”
Kenzie glanced at me and then turned to glare at the guy wearing the too-big button up and a backwards baseball hat with the scraggly looking chin-strap beard.
“Can we help you?”
He elbowed his buddy, some guy in a hoodie with slicked back hair and a goofy looking goatee. “Maybe we can help you?”
I rolled my eyes. “We’re good, thanks.”
We both went to move around them, when the two of them quickly got back in our way.
“You ladies come here alone? Need someone to get you some drinks?”
“Pretty sure we can handle that ourselves, thanks,” Kenzie said dryly, stink-eying them.
“You know, there’s a private party going on upstairs,” chin-strap said with what I’m sure he thought was a sly grin. “Just the four of us and some good times. How ‘bout it?”
Kenzie’s eyes narrowed at him. “I have two boyfriends, dumbass.”
The guy with slicked back hair hooted. “Well shit, guess you like to party, huh?”
“Let’s go,” I hissed, grabbing Kenzie’s wrist and pulling her away. I yanked her after me, ducking into another room looking for an exit, when suddenly, a hand snagged my wrist and pulled me around hard.
“Listen, babe.”
It was chin-strap again.
“Me and Brett here are pledged brothers here, and this is our fuckin’ party. How about a little gratitude?”
“We’re leaving,” I said icily.
“Nah,” Brett moved around in front of us, blocking the doorway. “Nah, I think you girls are gonna stick around so we can all party.”
“Please get out of our way.”
Chin-strap chuckled, moving closer to me as Brett moved towards Kenzie.
“C’mon, baby. One drink upstairs with us, and I promise you, you’ll have a great time.”
My pulse roared in my ears — the mix of adrenaline and alcohol and fear making my body tremble and my head spin.
“Let go of me,” I hissed.
“C’mon, baby.”
“Let go!” Kenzie yelled, trying to yank her arm out of Brett’s grip.
The two assholes chuckled as they glanced at each other and nodded, before they turned and started to drag us towards a flight of stairs.
“Get the fuck off of me!” I screeched. But the music was so loud, and it was so dark, no one even turned.
“Let go of—”
Chin-strap went crashing into the wall, his grip on me releasing as he crumpled to the ground. Brett whirled, just in time for the huge shape to barrel right into him, a fist crashing across his jaw and dropping him like a rock.
“Get your fucking hands off of them!”
The huge, booming voice thundered through the hallway. The two guys on the floor flinched, and even Kenzie and I jumped a step back. That is, until the two big shapes stepped into the light, and my heart jumped into my throat.
It was Nolan, and Max.
“Let’s go,” Nolan growled icily, grabbing me, his hand tender but firm on my arm. He turned to Kenzie and narrowed his eyes at her. “You too, Miss Gates.”
Her jaw dropped. “Professor Jameson?”
“I'm not asking again,” he growled lowly, anger flashing on his face. “And don’t make me ask you for your ID, because we both know you shouldn’t have that drink in your hand.”
Max, silent with his arms folded over his muscled chest, just nodded, his eyes burning right into me and making me shiver.
“Let’s go.”
“I’m fine right here, actually,” I snapped.
Nolan and Max’s brows arched sternly.
“I’m not telling you again, Cora,” Nolan muttered.
“So don’t. We’re staying.”
Kenzie gave me a look like “are you fucking crazy,” but I ignored her, staring at the two guys instead. They both met my fierce defiant gaze unblinking, until finally, Nolan’s lip curled in a snarl.
“Fuck this, let’s go.”
He started to pull me towards the door, but I yanked on his arm, whirling him into me. His shoulder obscured my face from the other two, and I leaned in close, my lips right by his ear.
“You think just because you fucked me, you get to tell me what to do?”
He froze, his grip tightening on me, before slowly, he pulled back, just enough so that his lips just barely missed brushing my ear.
“Yeah,” he purred into my ear. “I do.”
I gasped as he whirled, took my hand in his, and pulled me right out the side door to the house, with Kenzi and Max trailing behind.
10
Cora
“What the fuck were you thinking?”
The front door to Nolan’s house slammed shut behind him. I whirled on him and Max, anger roaring through me as I narrowed my eyes at them. What I was feeling was…well, I wasn’t quite sure what it was. A mix of embarrassment, and adrenaline, and maybe a little anger that they’d barged in on my life like that. Or maybe it was excitement that they had.