Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 19640 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 98(@200wpm)___ 79(@250wpm)___ 65(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 19640 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 98(@200wpm)___ 79(@250wpm)___ 65(@300wpm)
I reach the bathroom to find a long line waiting on one stall. I huff softly, the stickiness in the air going to my head and making me feel dizzy and woozy all at once. I lean against the wall and luckily Damien is there to steady me. I accept his gentle embrace, a small smile trailing over my lips as I realized how good of a friend he has been this last year of college. We will walk together for graduation in two short weeks, only a few exams standing between us and our psychology degrees. Damien will go on to get his master's degree, and that was originally my plan too, but now I think I should take a break for the summer or longer because being away from Shane and my family has taken a toll.
I lift a hand to my head, sweat dripping off of my brow as my throat grows parched, even though I've only just had half a bottle of Damien's water.
"I think I'm gonna be sick."
"I'll walk you home." Damien smiles, his eyes warm as he guides me through the crowd and out into the fresh cool air. I breathe a sigh of relief, but it's short-lasted as the throbbing climbs up the base of my skull and lodges in my frontal lobe.
"I didn't drink anything today."
"Not a drop of alcohol?"
I nod. "I just need a nap."
"My apartment is right around the corner, you're welcome to crash on the couch."
I nod again, thinking for the first time that crashing on anyone's couch sounds like a great idea. I don’t think I have the stamina to walk the 10 blocks to my apartment. Besides, no one will be there waiting for me anyway. Shane made sure I had an entire apartment to myself because he doesn’t trust any roommate for me, and I’m glad for it. Being an only child makes me comfortable with alone time. Anyway, the only person I want to live with is Shane. Sadness comes over me then, before I vow to call him first thing in the morning and arrange for a breakfast date or something, just to spend time with him. I’m almost addicted to the scent of his skin and the curve of his lips when he smiles at me over a plate of home-cooked food. Pleasing him is my favorite thing to do on earth.
Chapter Three
Shane
My vision turns red as soon as I see Shelby, my baby girl, walking out of the door of the club hand-in-hand with some asshole. I can tell that she's been drugged. Shelby doesn't drink and every stumble of her steps makes her look inebriated or worse, much worse. Her huge tits are nearly falling out of her small skin-tight dress. She looks beautiful. She's always stunning, but tonight she must have drawn the eye of every man that she walked past.
I want to kill them all.
Without even looking for a parking spot I pull up onto the curb, Gio yelling from the backseat, but all I see is red. All I can see is her hand in his. All I can think is that he needs to die. I launch out of the car and over the curb, running straight for her. She's so far gone she doesn't even see me coming. She doesn't notice I'm here until I rip her companion's hand out of hers and level him with a right hook that lays him on the ground. I climb onto him, pummeling his face with my fist and shouting at him that I'm going to kill him.
Shelby screams but by the time she realizes who I am, Rafe is there and holding her back. She trembles while I continue to pummel her companion.
"I know what you did! I know what you did and now you're gonna die for it. No one fucks with my baby."
Only gurgling sounds come in reply as blood trickles down his face from his nose and his lips. One is already swollen and distorting his features. He was a handsome guy. But he will make an even more handsome corpse.
"You're going to kill him!" Shelby yells.
"He drugged you, you're damn right I'm gonna kill him. And that would be too easy of a fate. Some lowlife fuck like this doesn't need to be on the streets harming other innocent women like you. I'm doing the women of Chicago a favor."
Shelby is quiet, then her hand moves to her sweaty forehead as her eyes round with awareness. "I do feel drugged. I didn't drink anything. I followed your rules–I never had any alcohol."
"Did you drink anything from him?" Gio is there then, locking her fingers with his and forcing her gaze to his warm eyes.
She shakes her head. "A – I had some water," she finally admits.