Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 97724 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97724 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Lewis takes a step forward, and Riley loses his mind. He’s always so mellow and sweet that I forget that he also has this fierce side. He’s so well trained—thank the gods—and knows to protect me with his life if need be.
Come on, Beck. Please get here now. Please.
Suddenly, Lewis takes a gun from his pocket and aims it at my dog, and I shout, “No!”
“If you don’t want me to kill him, shut him the fuck up, Skyla.”
“Riley.” My voice shakes, but it’s hard. “Calm.”
He follows my command but whines and shifts back and forth on his feet in agitation. He knows this situation isn’t right.
“Now, leave the dog and come with me.”
“Lewis.” God, I hate saying that name. “I can’t go with you.”
“You can, and you will. I don’t know what you were trying to prove by moving here of all places, but I’m taking you home where you belong.”
“I am home.” I swallow hard when his face goes beet red. How did I ever think this man was handsome? “I am home, Lewis.”
“No.” He shakes his head and steps toward me, and it excites Riley again, making him bark and snarl and lunge at Lewis. Lewis hits Riley on the head with the butt of his gun, knocking my poor boy out. “Riley!”
I fall to my knees at his side, my heart breaking. No. Not Riley. There’s so much blood. I can’t lose him.
“Oh, my baby.”
“Enough,” Lewis snaps. He grips my upper arm and yanks me to my feet, almost pulling my arm out of the socket. I cry out in pain, but he doesn’t seem to notice as he pulls me along out of the building and toward a black Mercedes parked at the curb.
I know without a doubt that I absolutely should not get into that car.
“Help!” I scream, but then his hand is over my mouth. He simply lifts me off my feet and tosses me into the back seat of the car before he runs around and climbs into the driver’s seat and peels away.
“You’re going to learn to do what you’re told, tiny dancer.”
“Don’t call me that.” The words are out before I can stop them, and Lewis glares at me in the rearview mirror.
“I’ll call you whatever I want. Right now, I want to call you whore. How dare you cheat on me with that redneck cowboy? I saw the pictures, Skyla. I know he had his hands on you, and I will not tolerate infidelity. I would never do that to you.”
Jesus God, he’s crazier than I thought.
“Lewis, this isn’t going to work.”
“Shut up.”
“You and I, we just aren’t meant for each other. I think you’re a lovely man.” I have to swallow the bile that comes up with that lie and work to keep the panic from rising so I can get more words out. “And I know you’re perfect for someone else. I’m simply not that someone.”
“I said shut up!” He’s gripping the steering wheel so tightly, his knuckles are white.
“Lewis, you should stay in town for a few days. It’s really a lovely place. I think you’d like it here.”
“I’m going to forget you said that to me,” he says, and now that his voice is calm, it scares me even more. Jesus, what’s he going to do? “You belong in the city with me. We’re soulmates.”
I want to throw up and cry at the same time.
“I can visit the city another time, but I have—”
“I am going to shut your cunt mouth up with my cock as soon as we get out of this car, tiny dancer.”
He turns a corner, and my already cold blood goes even colder.
Because he’s just turned into the airport, and he’s headed for a private plane. Oh God. No.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
BECKETT
“I have to go, Brad. Skyla’s waiting for me.”
“Sorry, boss, I just had to get this handled before you go. One more thing—”
“No. Call me if there are issues, but you know this as well as I do. I have to go.”
He nods, and I wave, hurrying to my truck. The last class ends in fifteen minutes, and it’ll take me at least that long to get there. I don’t want my girl alone for even a minute. There’s no evidence that The Asshole has left Manhattan, but I’m not taking any chances with her safety.
Every day for the past month, she’s had someone, if not me, collect her from the dance studio. Family members have stepped in when I’ve been busy, or Benji has driven her home on the rare days that none of us are available. I hate that we don’t know where the fucker is or what his motives are. Does he know where she is? Hopefully not, but we’ve stayed vigilant, and this delay has me feeling on edge.