Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 105506 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 528(@200wpm)___ 422(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105506 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 528(@200wpm)___ 422(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
Clarence was in a lot of my classes and just seemed to turn up wherever I went. It wasn’t that he wasn’t attractive... His features were pleasing, soft, and he even worked the thick rimmed glasses he wore.
But I didn’t want a soft boy who followed me around like a puppy dog. I wanted a man.
Not the man calling me, of course. I had convinced myself of that.
I was answering only to get away from Clarence. No other reason.
“This is important,” I informed him. “Gotta take it.”
“Maybe we can catch up later?” he asked hopefully.
I sighed, vexed that all of my attempts to let him down gently had failed. Men very rarely accepted gentle rejections, yet when we did it firmly, they either called us bitches—in the best-case scenario—or resolved to raping or murdering us—worst case scenario.
“Let’s not and say we did, Clarence,” I told him without a smile. I held the phone up. “This is my outlaw biker boyfriend, and unfortunately, he’d beat the shit out of you if he knew you just weren’t taking no for an answer.”
“Hey, honey,” I crooned as I answered the phone, staring at a pale and quickly retreating Clarence as I did so.
I was waiting for some cheeky shot at me for answering the phone that way, but I got nothing.
“Sariah, baby, need you to be calm when I tell you this. It’s about Violet.”
I stopped in my tracks, and it really felt like my heart stopped too. “Colby, I know you’re experienced with women and are reasonably smart, so you know that telling a woman to be calm elicits the exact opposite reaction.” I tried to keep my voice even but failed.
“Fuck, I know,” he groaned. “I would’ve flown there and got you myself, but then you’d probably try to maim me for making you wait for the info.”
“You’re making me wait for the info now,” I snapped.
There was a pregnant pause on the other side of the phone. One that made me want to empty my lunch all over my brand-new shoes.
“Gonna start this off by sayin’ she’s okay.”
“Okay,” my voice shook. “Now give me the rest.”
“Just remember when I tell you the rest, that she’s okay,” Colby repeated in a calm voice.
“Give me the fucking rest, Colby!” I shrieked, so far from calm it was laughable.
I knew there was only one reason Colby was calling, speaking like this.
Something had happened to her.
And although he was adamant that she was ‘okay,’ ‘okay’ was a pretty fucking broad definition. I was one to know.
“Violet was attacked at the club today,” he began. “By the—”
“Serial killer,” I finished for him in a horrified whisper.
The images from various crime scenes filtered through my mind. Gruesome. Brutal. Cruel.
“The b-baby?” I stuttered out.
“Baby is fine,” Colby said.
I sagged in relief. The baby might have been unplanned, but it was already very loved. “I’ll take the first flight—”
“Already got you sorted, poppet,” he said, his words surprising me. “I’ll text you all the details.”
I’d been spending all these months focused on not letting Colby call the shots. Been careful not to submit to my desire to let him in, let him take care of me as it was obvious these men did.
But it was all that I could do to inhale and exhale right now.
“Okay,” I wheezed.
“Breathe,” he ordered. “It’s all going to be okay.”
For the first time, I held onto Colby, submitted to him. Because I had no other choice.
‘Okay’ was definitely a relative term.
Violet was okay in that she was breathing. That her baby still had a heartbeat. But she was lying in a hospital bed. And I didn’t even need to look at her to see just how bad it was; all I needed to do was look into Elden’s haunted eyes.
It knocked me for a six, seeing her lying there. Made my world tilt and confronted me with how important Violet was to me. What a gaping hole there would’ve been if things had ended differently.
I did my best to put on a brave face for her. The last thing the bitch needed was me falling apart and her having to comfort me after she’d faced off with a serial killer.
So I waited. Until I was out in the hall, down from her room.
Then I let the tears fall.
Unfortunately, I had an audience.
I should’ve known Colby would’ve been nearby. He was a Son and one of Violet’s friends. The parking lot had been filled with motorcycles.
He’d picked me up from the airport. I’d fallen into his arms, given myself a moment to sink into his embrace, and then I’d stiffened. “Take me to her,” I’d demanded.
For the life of me, I couldn’t remember the drive there. All I could think about were the crime scene photos I’d poured over. All I could see were the countless stab wounds, the brutality. The excuse for a man who did that had hurt Violet.