Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 106(@250wpm)___ 88(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 106(@250wpm)___ 88(@300wpm)
Marie
Adrenaline starts racing through me and I practically suffocate from my heart jumping up my throat. I turn the corner and gun it, sprinting as fast as I can in these damn heels. If they didn’t have buckles, I’d have taken them off or left them behind. But being fucking brilliant, I wore shoes with buckles around the ankles.
“Shit!” I hear the man behind me swear and the thudding of his boots gets louder and closer together. Fuck! I push with everything I have, running on the balls of my feet so I don’t trip like a dumbass and make it easy for the asshole behind me. He’s closing in on me. Tears prick my eyes again, but I force them back. I knew this would happen. Shit. My heart is beating out of my chest and the heated sweat coating my neck is at odds with the freezing cold air battering my exposed skin. I take ragged breaths and they send sharp pains down my lungs. It’s too cold for this shit. I pump my arms, trying to go faster as he comes up behind me. I scream and flail as his arms wrap around my waist and he pulls me into his muscular body.
“Hold up. Just-” His deep baritone voice is sexy as hell, but I don’t listen. Fuck that. I throw my elbow into his side and it makes contact exactly where I need it to. His arms release their hold just enough for me to wiggle free and land on the balls of my feet. I don’t hesitate, not for one second. Even with my hair in my face, I take off stumbling.
My heels slam ruthlessly against the cold concrete as I turn back to catch a glimpse, hoping the prick is still stunned. Fuck, he’s huge. If he wasn’t pissed before, he’s going to be pissed now. My anxiety spikes again and the rush of blood in my ears is so fast and loud I can’t hear a damn thing. My muscles are already burning, but I push through the pain and run like my life depends on it. I look back again and I’m struck by the sensation of running right into a brick wall. A brick wall of solid muscle. Muscle that’s holding me so tight it’s going to squeeze the life out of me.
I try to scream, but a hand moves over my mouth, practically covering my entire face. My body starts to shake as I scream helplessly and attempt to break free. Nothing. It’s no use. No, no, not like this. Through the tears threatening to fall, I see a blurred vision of the man who was following me. I try to break free again but the hulk of a man holding me makes it impossible. Tears burn down my face. It’s hopeless.
* * *
Blake
* * *
Out of all the people to run into, it had to be Maddox. She couldn’t just listen to me, could she? I shouldn’t have let her get so far ahead. I shouldn’t have let her walk off on her own in the first place.
She got a good hit in, I’ll give her that. But then she had to run straight into him. My nerves start getting the better of me, but I can’t let it show. Snatching up girls isn’t his style. He’d break his own neck before he laid an unwanted hand on a woman. Not only is it not necessary since he gets the pick of the litter at the clubhouse, being VP and all, but it’s also too risky. Too easy to get caught doing stupid shit when you have bigger things to hide. I can’t have him thinking that I’m into that kind of shit. But fuck, this looks bad.
“Blake,” he gives me an asymmetrical grin as he nods in greeting, “I think I just caught your kitten.”
I snort a laugh in response as I finally reach them. He’s a big motherfucker and his size makes her look all the smaller. I’ve still got a few inches and pounds on him, but it’s not just his size that makes Maddox a threat. It’s his connections, his power. That, and how ruthless he is. He may be smiling now, but he smiles just the same as he puts a bullet in a man’s skull. I know, I’ve been right by his side, giving the same fucking smile to the poor bastard.
Her feet are barely even touching the ground with the way he’s got her held up. He doesn’t have to manhandle her like that. Well maybe he does since she’s a spitfire, but I still don’t fucking like it.
“I wouldn’t call her a kitten,” I say and give him a forced lopsided grin as I add, “she’s more of a hellcat.” He laughs like I told him the funniest joke he’s ever heard. I can’t help but notice that she’s quietened down and gone still and seems to be listening. Good, I’ve got her attention. I have to think quick to get both of us out of this mess. I can’t trust him with this, even if he’s basically my brother. Seeing as how he’s right outside the club, he could have anyone with him, friend or foe, and an innocent like her shouldn’t be around either.