Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 62696 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 313(@200wpm)___ 251(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62696 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 313(@200wpm)___ 251(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
“He still could come back.”
“No. We made sure all the guys got a good look at him. He is persona non grata here.”
He grinned.
“Besides, we told him if we saw him again we’d take something more valuable.”
She held her arms out and he lay down beside her. They stayed like that as the sun came up.
Chapter 30
Donahue
Donnie woke up with a start. The bed beside him was empty. He sat up and gripped his hand. He'd jacked it up punching that weasel in the face over and over again, making sure to rearrange some of his features.
He wouldn't have such an easy time finding women to terrorize looking like that.
The thought of that guy hurting Sally, for all those years, it made him see red. Speaking of which… where was she?
He stretched and went downstairs. His mother was there. Sally was not.
"Where's Sally?"
"She headed out a while ago son. Asked which way was town and off she went."
"What? You just let her leave?"
Donnie knew what she was doing. She was running again. That's what Sally did to protect herself. And now she was running from him. He felt rage and fear welling up inside him.
He wasn't going to let her run away this time. She could try, but he was going to catch her. And he was going to keep her. He ran into his house and grabbed something from his kitchen drawer. Then he was running for his bike.
"Son, wait!"
Behind him his mother called out for him but he didn't stop. He couldn't.
Donnie was on his bike in two seconds and blazing down the dirt road at full speed. It was a ten minute ride into town and a thirty minute walk. He made it in five. If he could catch up with her he would make her understand that she belonged with now.
They belonged together.
Donnie cruised past her house but she wasn't there. Then he pulled around to the main drag, scanning the streets for her all the way to Mae's.
Nothing.
Damn, where the hell had she gone?
He pulled the bike over when he finally saw her coming out of the fancy new coffee shop that had just opened on the far side of town. She was wearing her tight jeans and one of his old flannel shirts. She looked damn good in it too, bruises and all.
He felt his stomach settle back into the place it was supposed to be, and out of his throat, where it had been keeping his heart company.
Sally was carrying one of those cardboard take out trays with two large cups in it.
She hadn't run. She was just getting coffee.
The little caffeine addict.
He scowled. A man was talking to her. He recognized the guy… It was Jerry, that guy who ran the place where she learned self defense. He'd done a damn good job too.
She’d kicked butt. He was damned proud of her too.
Donnie was about to congratulate him when he saw the way the guy was looking at Sally. She looked annoyed about it. He was too far to hear what they were saying but he sure as shit saw it when she dumped coffee on the guys lap.
Donnie laughed.
"Dammit Jerry, now I have to get more coffee!"
Well, he heard that.
The guy was still there, lurking around when Donnie pulled his bike in front of the coffee shop. He took one look at Donnie and took off. He leaned back on his bike waited for her to come back out.
"You're a coffee junkie, you know that?"
She smiled at him and sipped her coffee.
"I got you one too."
He grinned at her.
"I liked the way you disposed of the first one."
She blushed and said nothing, just inhaled more of her precious caffeine.
"Come on, let's go home."
"We better drink it now, it'll spill on the bike."
"I'll get a coffee maker."
She clutched her coffee cup even tighter. He sighed. She was too cute.
"I'll get it today."
Chapter 31
Sally
The sun was shining. It was impossible not to smile as she rode being Donnie on the way back from town.
Sally followed Donnie into the other house, the one he lived in. She looked around curiously. It was just as well kept but a bit messier, and definitely lacked a woman's touch.
"Do you want me to make some eggs?"
He'd convinced her to throw out her coffee and get on the bike with him but she was hungry. Plus, she wanted to do something nice for him.
"Not now. I want to show you something."
He locked the front door and pulled something out of his pocket.
Handcuffs.
"That's not funny, Donnie."
"I'm not joking."
"But- I have to work later!"
"Not today.
"But Mae-"
"I called her already."
She started backing away from him. Right into the stairwell. She took a step up, trying to reason with him. He did not look like he was in the mood to be reasonable.