Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 95732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
One that Reese didn’t particularly like. “I can what?”
“You heard me. Know you’re not gonna like it bein’ done like that, but it’s the best way. The only way.”
“That’s not your decision.”
“The fuck it ain’t. It’ll protect the both of you.”
“How’s that?”
“’Cause the less you know, the better for her. This is one time it’s smart to be dumb. Trust me on that.”
“I’ve had self-defense training. I’m ready for that asshole.” The satisfaction she would get while putting that abusing bastard in his place... She could almost taste it. That was what kept her up at night. And when she did finally sleep, that was all she dreamed about.
Revenge.
She’d never been a blood-thirsty person until she saw her sister lying in that hospital bed broken.
“That’s cute.”
“I kicked your ass,” she reminded him.
He snorted softly. “You didn’t kick my ass. You took me unawares. I was comin’ to help you, not hurt you, and you used a fuckin’ stun gun. Not even close to bein’ the same as kickin’ my ass. And, for fuck’s sake, I didn’t fight back. You’re a woman. I don’t hurt women. If you were a man and pulled that shit, I woulda been doin’ more than just rubbin’ my fried tit and cursin’ you the fuck out.”
She hated that he was right, but he was. And she understood the need to keep Reilly’s location a secret. But not knowing made it feel like any control over her sister’s situation was slipping from her fingers.
And she needed to hang on, even if it was only by her fingernails. “Well, at least tell me where to send money. I’ll cover her expenses, of course.”
“Think you’re bein’ slick.”
Damn it.
“Will tell you this much, she’s at my place. Since I’m here, it’s empty. That’s all you need to know. Not the location.”
“She’s there by herself?”
“Ain’t by herself.”
“Then, I have to assume she’s with people you trust completely.” She sure as hell hoped so.
“Yeah. Not just men, women, too. They’ll take care of her. Promise.”
Promise.
Could she trust him and his promise?
Simply trusting someone blindly, or a group of people, wasn’t easy for her. And Reilly hadn’t made the best decision when it came to allowing Billy Warren into her life.
Reese needed to help her sister make better decisions from here on out. Until she proved she was capable of making those decisions for herself.
“I put her through college so she could be smart. Make good decisions.”
“Since when does college make people fuckin’ smart?”
She hadn’t realized she’d said her thoughts out loud. But, again, he was right. An education made a person more well-rounded, not necessarily smarter.
She only wanted the best for her sister. In every aspect of her life.
“So she could be independent.” And not rely on any man. She hoped that a college degree would give her a good foundation to build a great life for herself. A better one than their parents had provided. Or not provided.
And it still could. Billy Warren was just a speed bump in Reilly’s life. A speed bump Reese would like to demolish.
Being early April, the night air was cool, but comfortable. She wasn’t sure if it was the pot she got a whiff of or the fresh air that was reducing the throb of her headache.
She was just glad it was almost gone.
She sighed and stared up into the sky again, getting lost in its vastness. “She’s young. She still believes she needs a man in her life. She hasn’t learned that lesson yet, though this situation should teach her. She thought she loved him. She didn’t. She only liked the thought of him. Of taming a bad boy.” She had no idea why she was telling him this. He probably couldn’t care less about why her sister hooked up with Billy. She turned her head to see him studying her. “One like you. Tattoos, beard, even piercings. You probably ride a motorcycle, too, right? You fall right into the stereotype of the bad boy and think no woman can resist you.”
He huffed. “Right. I’m totally fuckin’ irresistible. ‘Cept to women like you who think you’re too good for a man like me. Think you’re smarter, better.”
This time he wasn’t correct. She wasn’t too good for him. She had enough experience to know a man like Deacon was simply not good for her. Just like Billy had been bad for Reilly.
“Believe it or not, I wasn’t born with what I have. I worked hard to pull myself up from where I began, to build what I have, to create the life I now live. I learned never to rely on anyone but myself. Wanting a man and needing one are different. And if I want a man, it doesn’t mean I need him to make me a complete person. I can do that on my own.”