Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
His eyes meet mine again.
Why can’t she see the deadliness behind them? The threat? For someone so smart, Susan is so blinded by the charm dripping off him.
They all are.
All of them except me.
“I couldn’t protect you before, Scarlett.”
Susan’s voice is softer now, snapping me from my trance. I swing my eyes in her direction and hold them. I feel bad for her. In that, I really do. She didn’t know what was happening, none of them did, and when I first told her, she didn’t believe me. It was only when he nearly took my life, that she realized I was telling the truth and took action. I know she lives with that guilt. I know that’s part of the reason she’s so hard on me.
“I’m sorry,” I say, my voice soft. “I didn’t think of that, and it was selfish. I don’t wish to fight with you, Susan. You know I respect you as my manager, but I’m asking you to respect me, also. I want Amalie on my team. I only ask that you come and watch us play, just once, and at least consider it.”
She studies me, long, intensely. “If I agree to that, will you agree that you won’t disappear again, like you did tonight?”
I nod. “I promise.”
“Okay, well, tomorrow we’ll watch you play. For now, I need some rest and so do you. You have a show tomorrow night in San Francisco.”
I nod, she nods, and then she disappears from my room.
I go over to the window and stare out at the bright lights of the city.
Will he follow me to San Francisco?
I hope so.
-6-
MAVERICK
“Any news?” I ask Mal as I kick back in my motel bed later that night.
“Nope. We can’t track the fucker. He’s well hidden. And he’s smart. He’s got everyone else doin’ his dirty work. I’m sure he’s linked to the attack on the club. I just can’t fuckin’ find him.”
I exhale, pushing the fucking god-awful memory of that day out of my head.
“I’ll come home soon. I’ll help. Send me anythin’ you have. I can still help when I’m on the road. You got Koda onto it?”
“Yeah, he’s trackin’, but like I said, the man is fuckin’ smart.”
“We’ll find him, Prez, and when we do, we’ll gut him throat to navel.”
Mal laughs. “Like the way your twisted mind thinks, brother.”
“Yeah,” I grunt. “Me too.”
“I’ll leave you to it, we got work to do around here. Home soon, Mav. Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Later.”
I hang up just as a knock sounds at my motel room door. I get up, shirtless, jeans unbuttoned, and walk over, opening it to find an attractive, busty blond wearing next to nothing standing in the entrance. I look her up and down. She’ll do. I’m not fussy. “Make it quick, I need to sleep.”
She walks in, batting her eyelashes, and I toss some money at her. She counts it, tucks it into her purse and then looks at me with sultry eyes. “What do you want, big boy?”
“A fuck, bitch. Isn’t that what you get paid for?”
She smiles, showing surprisingly white teeth. She saunters over, and I’m not in the mood for her show. I could have gone out and done this the quicker and easier way at the bar, but tonight I didn’t have the energy. And after sitting with Scarlett all night, feeling her body heat next to mine, smelling that perfume, I’m so fucking horny I could burst. I stand up, dropping my jeans, but not before pulling a condom from my wallet and tearing the packet open with my teeth. I pull it out, roll it on, and then growl, “Panties off.”
“No foreplay.” She giggles. “I like it.”
I wish she’d shut up.
I grab her by the hips, turn and fling her onto the bed on her knees, jerking her panties down for her. She’s wet already, and she wiggles her ass in anticipation. I get onto my knees, take my cock in my hand, and shove it into her, not being at all gentle. She makes a wheezing sound, then puts on her little show as I start fucking her, hard.
I close my eyes and drown out her moans of pleasure.
I think about Scarlett.
I think about how sweet her pussy would taste.
How tight it would be around my cock.
How hot her skin would get against mine.
And I cum. I cum with a ragged grunt, spilling myself into the condom, and the random woman.
Wishing like fuck it wasn’t her.
For the first time, wishing I felt something other than release when I fucked.
Wishing for that familiar feeling of home I haven’t felt ...
Since her.
Fuck.
~*~*~*~
SCARLETT
I stare out the back of my bus as we make our way to San Francisco. I just stare at the horizon, praying to see his bike appear in my line of sight, praying to see that gorgeous grin as he follows my bus. But so far, I’ve seen nothing but cars and traffic. No bike. No him. My heart sinks, and I reach for my guitar, humming a tune as I keep forming a song in my head. The song that, every time I think of it, reminds me of him.