Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 169013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 845(@200wpm)___ 676(@250wpm)___ 563(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 169013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 845(@200wpm)___ 676(@250wpm)___ 563(@300wpm)
Wearing their cuts, beer bottles in their hands, their laughter echoing through the cool, summer night.
There was no missing the fact there was also a horde of women present tonight. No shortage of leather and lace, but I guess I was offering a bit of that, too.
Dressing myself up like my clothing was armor as I stalked my way toward the party.
I refused to cower or hide in Silas’s room after what had happened earlier today.
I was no shrinking violet.
I refused to let the incident be a stumbling block, and I’d be damned if I allowed it to send me tumbling all the way back to five years ago.
I refused to be her, even though I’d been foolish enough to let Silas get a peek of her.
Time to rectify that.
I honestly thought the fear I’d been holding at bay for years would keep its stupid mouth shut since it’d been close to nonexistent every time Silas came in the room.
Desire taking its place.
But for one flash of a second, the terror had sucked me under and panic had hit.
Blackened waters that rose to cover my face.
But somewhere inside, I’d also known I could reach out and find safety.
I knew Silas wouldn’t let me drown.
I thought he wouldn’t notice that flicker.
Really, he shouldn’t have.
It really wasn’t that big of a reaction, and I knew I would have been able to tame it if I’d been given a couple of seconds.
Leave it to the foreboding man to be the one to see right through me.
Like he was an extension of me.
The terror zapping from my nerves and becoming one with his.
It was wild that I found so much comfort in it.
Never once in my life had I felt as secure as I did the moment he was holding me by the face.
His breaths mine.
His care distinct.
Reading a piece of me I never left exposed.
A week ago, the last person I would have attributed those qualities to was Silas Mercer.
From the get-go, I’d deemed him wholly wicked and cruel.
A part of him was.
I wasn’t blind.
I could only fathom what had happened to the man who had tried to kidnap me.
I could feel the violence skimming from Silas’s hands just as sure as he’d been able to feel the horror rippling from mine.
Maybe I had taken a quick jaunt into becoming a horrible person because I wasn’t so sure that I could even count the retaliation as unjust.
“Are you sure this is a good idea? Don’t get me wrong, your girl here is always down for a party. But after what happened today, I’m not so sure my brother is going to be all that welcoming.”
I was jarred out of my spiraling thoughts by Elena who stumbled along at my side, trying to keep up.
You know, since I was basically marching toward my destruction.
“You can go back,” I told her offhandedly, but inside, I was hoping that she wouldn’t.
I needed backup.
A pal.
Or if I really got myself into trouble, a cell mate.
“Ha. You want my brother really mad at me? That is not going to happen.”
She’d dressed up, too.
Wearing a cute floral dress that hit her mid-thigh and white sneakers on her feet. It was a whole lot more country than biker.
Me, I’d gone full biker babe. At least, I hoped that’s what I was pulling off since I didn’t have a lick of leather in my closet.
A short black dress.
Fitted up top and frilly at the bottom.
Hoping to fit in with these other women and no one would really notice.
“Then we’re in this together.” Grabbing her hand, I weaved our fingers together.
I was thankful for the support, even though I wasn’t quite sure what my intentions were other than proving to myself that I could walk out the door without crumbling.
I’d already spent two hours in the shower bawling.
No more of that.
Elena swung our entwined hands between us and sent an adorable grin my way. “So, you basically need an accomplice?”
She nailed it. Spot on.
“Is this a crime?” In innocence, I widened my eyes.
She arched a brow. “Have you met my brother?”
I let go of a shallow laugh. “Unfortunately, I have.”
“Unfortunately?” Both her brows lifted that time, like I’d been caught with my hand in the cookie jar and had chocolate smeared all over my face.
Okay, fine, that kiss wasn’t terrible.
Not even close.
If I was being honest, it was wonderful and exhilarating and probably the best thing I’d ever felt.
Because it was raw and unbridled and not muffled by the voices that would forever haunt my mind.
I mean, they’d obviously been there. Lurking in the background and waiting around for the opportune time to gobble me up.
It’d been there with that instinct to freeze, the memories swarming me for a flash.
But they hadn’t owned me the way they normally did.
I huffed. “I guess he’s kind of growing on me.”