Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 85183 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85183 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Marney and Rich have both been monitoring Stan's calls. This morning I found out Joe comes back tomorrow, landing in Nashville, and that Stan is scheduled to pick him up. I need Stan to be so desperate he will do exactly as I tell him. You can threaten someone's life all day long, but it doesn't have the same effect as when you threaten the life of someone they love.
I hope luring this girl will work, because I don't want to resort to actually kidnapping her by force, but I will if I must. I open the car door and step out onto the sidewalk, smoothing out the creases in my slacks. The bell dings as I walk inside and, just as luck would have it, Sofia Solomon is rearranging books on the far right wall. Her ink-black hair is tied up in a neat bun, her high cheekbones stained with makeup. I walk past her, pretending to browse but keep drifting my eyes over to her. Finally she glances up, smiling when our eyes meet. I grin and blatantly drag my eyes over her body, deepening my smile as I do. Her cheeks flush and she quickly turns around to tend the books laid over on the shelf. I run my mind back over the things she listed as her interests, where she's enrolled in school, what her major is. Social media makes it all too easy for fuckers like me to do things we shouldn't.
I wait a few minutes before slowly walking up behind her, and touching my hand to her shoulder. She jumps from the unexpected touch. "I'm sorry. Didn't mean to startle you, but I'm looking for the Apocrypha. Does this store carry it?" For fucks sake I sound like a fucking tool.
"Yes, we do have it." A bemused look plays over her face. "I'll show you.” I follow her down the aisle, and let the lies begin. "Thanks," I say. “I’m studying it for my dissertation. I'm getting a doctorate in historical religion."
She glances over her shoulder, smiling. "Me too."
An hour later we're discussing different religious theories and laughing. I shut the book and glance at my watch. "I've got to go." I pause and narrow my eyes on hers. "Do you want to get a drink or something?"
She bites down on her lip and giggles. "Yeah. Sure."
"Meet me at The Blue Monkey at eight?"
She nods, and I head to the counter, pay for the book and leave.
"How can you not like Taylor Swift?" she slurs over her fourth martini. Fuck me, she's annoying.
I glance around the dimly lit bar, force a smile, and shrug. "Just don't. You want another?" I ask pointing at the empty glass she's just slammed down onto the table.
"I probably shouldn't. I get really horny when I drink," she laughs. "And you are super-freaking-hot. I would do dirty, dirty things with you mister man."
"Mmm, is that so?"
"Very so," she says, leaning in to kiss me. I grab her chin to stop her and her eyes widen.
I stare into her eyes, gently stroking my thumb over her chin. "Oh, trust me. You don't wanna do that here. I'm not very good at controlling myself." I drop my hand, and she teeters on the stool. "I don't play like all those little boys do." I smirk, and I can practically see her swoon. I pull a hundred dollar bill from my wallet, lift her glass, and set it back down over the cash as I take her hand, and pull her from the barstool. "Want me to show you what I mean?" I growl.
She giggles and follows me up the stairs and out of the bar. My heart slowly picks up its pace. I am kidnapping this twenty-one-year-old girl. They look nothing alike, but all I can see when I look at her is Tor. She is innocent, and that pricks at a part of me I wish it didn't. I swallow as I open the passenger side door and watch her climb in, blowing out a hard breath as I walk around to the driver's side.
I start the engine and glance over at her. She glances up at me, a nervous smile playing over her lips.
"I've never done this before," she says timidly as I back out of the parking space.
"Neither have I." I've never fucking kidnapped anybody before. Shit...
"Somehow, I don't believe that."
I turn the radio up as I speed down the road and merge onto the interstate. I catch her anxiously fiddling with a piece of her hair. "So where do you live?" she asks.
"Not far from here at all."
I close the door, locking it behind me as I toss the keys onto the table. There's a nervous energy buzzing through me. My eyes lock on the back of her head and I try to calm my racing pulse.