Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Boone, on the other hand, never forgot. His ever-vigilant eye constantly scans the room around us in hopes of spotting Travis. And it manages to make everything all right. Strip me of my fears and replace them with a warm and fuzzy feeling.
We head back to our table when the band announces they’re taking a break. I hold Boone’s hand and skip the whole way over. But reality comes tumbling in when Boone stays standing after I’ve sat down.
“Gotta use the restroom,” he says. “Are you gonna be okay alone?”
I hesitate to answer, but find my footing. “Of course. But hurry back, okay?”
Boone disappears into the crowd, and I grab my phone to distract me from thoughts I shouldn’t have. Nothing’s going to happen in the few minutes Boone’s away, but it’s easy for my imagination to run wild.
I barely get my phone unlocked before I see the frame of someone much smaller than Boone in the corner of my eye.
“Christ, I never thought I’d get you alone,” Travis Donaldson says before I even look up.
A cold chill runs up my spine, though I suppose it shouldn’t. Boone predicted this would happen. That Travis has come too far and wouldn’t be able to stop himself from falling even deeper into the insanity of this situation.
“What are you doing here?” My throat instantly dries up and makes my words come out shaky.
“Told you, didn’t I?” A sick grin stretches over Travis’s face. “I’d be seeing you again very soon.” He takes a seat beside me, steepling his fingers in front of his face. “So, let’s have a little chat about what happens next.”
12
BOONE
I’ve gotta hand it to Travis.
He’s got to be the bravest piece of shit I’ve ever come across.
What’s more likely is that he’s dumber than he looks.
With his back turned to me, I make my way over to the table without catching his attention. Callie doesn’t either, but that makes more sense when she’s staring down the man causing her a great deal of trouble.
Her eyes prick up when I stop behind Travis, but so lost in his own fantasies about how tonight’s going to go, he still doesn’t bother looking up. A relieved smile replaces the look of terror on her face, and I hope it stays that way with what I want to do.
“Listen, Callie, I don’t think you understand what I’m saying to you,” Travis says. I don’t interrupt. I want him to dig his grave a little deeper before I drop him in it. “This isn’t a request; it’s an order. And if you want to keep your job, you’ll do it.”
I’m not surprised. He’s a walking cliché. Using his position of power to bully people into submission. Bad luck for him that he happened to cross my path.
“How many times do I have to say it?” Callie’s brimming with confidence with me here. I love to see it. “I’m not interested. I’m not going back with you.”
“You belong to me, I’m jus—”
That line tips me over. Any restraint I had disappears. Without thinking, I grab Travis around the neck and drive his face forward into the table. I pin him to it, too angry to speak, but knowing I should if I don’t want to spend the rest of my night in the county jail.
I lean in close, growling low in his ear, “What the fuck did you just say?”
He squirms and squeaks from my weight pressing down on him. In a vain attempt to escape, he slams both palms onto the table and pushes up, but my muscles aren’t for show. They’ve been crafted from years of hard labor.
“So, you’re the big man, huh?” I grin, getting more satisfaction out of this than I thought I would. “How does it feel being pushed around by someone bigger?”
“What the hell are you doing?” he barks. “Let go of me.”
I press my weight into him until he wheezes breathlessly from all the air escaping his lungs. Satisfied with the result, I hoist him up to his feet and release him. He grumbles, clutching his chest as he sucks in long, deep breaths.
“I’ll say this once, so you better listen.” I shove my finger in his face. His beady eyes squint, trying to follow it. “You’re not gonna say another word, not to me, not to Callie, not to anyone. You’re gonna start walking, hell, start running, and with every step, you better thank the angel sitting on your shoulder that stopped me from breaking your fucking neck.”
His brow furrows, but he doesn’t interrupt me. Smart boy. He’s learning.
“But if I ever see you in my neck of the woods again, you won’t get off so lucky.” I drop my hand at my side, balling it in a fist in case Travis gets too brave.
He tilts his head, locking eyes with me. But instead of heeding my warning, he makes a big mistake.