Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
“I…” I would rather swallow broken glass. There are a million red flags waving like crazy in my head, telling me not to give this guy any way of contacting me.
“What’s your problem?” he snaps. “What, am I the bad guy here? Two guys attack me, and I don’t deserve any help?”
“Hey! The fuck do you think you’re doing?”
It’s like magic. All it takes is the sound of that voice—loud, sharp, full of anger—to release whatever valve is inside me, holding the pressure back. It releases all at once and almost makes me sink to the floor. I have to grab hold of a nearby table to steady myself as Brody turns around to face both Easton and Preston, standing by the door.
Thank god. I never thought I’d ever be happy to see them, but this has been a weird day.
It doesn’t hit me until they’re halfway across the café that I shouldn’t be so relieved, because it’s not Brody they’re glaring at. It’s not Brody they’re marching toward. It’s me.
“The fuck are you doing with him?” Easton almost shouts. There are gasps and laughs all around us, but he doesn’t care. He doesn’t even notice them.
“After what I told you? What, did you meet him here?” Preston glares hatefully at me before turning to Brody, who jerks his chin defiantly. “What, have you been working together?”
“What would we be working together on?” I whisper. “Try to think critically for once.” Because dammit, they cannot just storm in here and make a scene. They can’t just embarrass me like this.
“I’ve had enough of your smart-ass shit,” Preston warns.
“Just leave her alone,” Brody grunts, trying to put himself between me and the two of them. Oh, great. What has my life become if this scumbag is defending me?
Easton’s teeth are bared in a snarl. “I will put you in the ground if you say one more word to me. The two of you will have to have your little meeting someplace else.”
“It wasn’t a meeting.” Why am I even bothering? They’re not paying attention. They’ve already made up their minds.
The way I made up my mind right away about them.
“Shut up,” Easton spits. The way he’s looking at me, you would think I was in the middle of screwing this guy right here in the café. Like I’ve done something filthy, deplorable, and even though I know that’s not true, my skin burns with shame, anyway. “I’ll deal with you in a second.”
Deal with me?
My hackles rise and my jaw tightens, and all of a sudden, the idea of throwing this drink looks a lot more appealing. “Get out of my way,” I mutter, pushing my way past them before I can do anything stupid. I don’t want any part of their bullshit. I didn’t ask for any of this. Or did I, when I decided to defend somebody who, it turns out, wasn’t worth defending at all?
“Wait a second. I’m not finished with you.” Easton is behind me, but that doesn’t stop me. If anything, it makes me hurry to get out of the café, hoping I can get to the car and far away from here. So much for treating myself. I should know better by now. I should go straight home and lock the door and hide from these maniacs.
“I said wait!” He’s right behind me as we step onto the sidewalk, where he closes a hand around my upper arm and turns me around.
“Take your hand off me,” I whisper, pulling myself free. Right now, he and his brother, coming up behind him, are the symbol of everything that has gone wrong in my world lately. And they have the nerve to stand here in front of me and act like I owe them anything? Like their word is law?
“What are the two of you doing?” Preston asks, red-faced, breathing hard. “I fucking told you what he did, and you’re still meeting up with him for coffee?”
“That’s not—” Something stops me before I can defend myself. There’s nothing for me to defend. I did nothing wrong.
Maybe I shouldn’t do it, but then they shouldn’t glare down at me like I owe them shit. Like I committed a crime. “We had a very interesting conversation,” I tell them with a bright smile. “In fact, he asked for my help. I’m thinking of giving it to him.”
“Giving him help?” Easton barks, taking a menacing step toward me, scoffing when I don’t react. Bullies. That’s all they are.
“Yeah, he wants me to testify to what I saw in the parking lot. If he decides to press charges.” It’s a satisfying moment. Something almost like pleasure washes over me, starting from the top of my head and rolling down my body because that got them. They are completely off-balance.
Preston’s mouth falls open. “You wouldn’t do that.”