Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 41918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 210(@200wpm)___ 168(@250wpm)___ 140(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 41918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 210(@200wpm)___ 168(@250wpm)___ 140(@300wpm)
He has no idea that the guy he's mouthing off to is the person saving his life right now.
I feel sick, knowing Jason has seen this magical thing unfolding between Luke and me, all while trying to insert himself back into my life.
And for what?
For power? Revenge? Some twisted desire to own me, control me, and keep me to himself? It's too much to stomach, and I feel so grateful that Luke is here to handle this mess.
I watch him step up to Jason face to face, the height difference making the intimidation factor skyrocket. It's not that Jason isn't a tall guy. He's pretty close to Luke's height. But Luke … well, he's on a whole different level of masculine strength.
"Jason, I am warning you now," Luke growls, and the anger in his voice is like a blade. Sharp, precise. I can almost see how his words cut the man standing in front of him. "You need to go home right now. If I see your face around me, Emma, or my club, I will be putting your face in the dirt."
"Let me get you out of here, Emma." Gunnar is suddenly at my side, hand on my shoulder. "You don't need to see this."
"No," I protest, shrugging the other man's hand off. "I'm not leaving."
Not when this is all my fault.
"Fuck you," is all Jason says, full of crazed bravado.
Luke has him by the collar too quick for me to even see, jerking Jason so close to him that they're almost nose to nose. Jason struggles, but Luke's grip is iron, the muscles in his back and arms bulging. "I gave you two outs, you little prick. Now I'm going to need to see you on your knees, apologizing to my woman. You hear me?" He shakes Luke once before dropping him unceremoniously. "Grovel. To Emma."
Now that he's felt Luke's strength, there's fear in Jason. For the first time, he seems to really see how big the crowd of Iron Guardians behind Luke is. How outnumbered he really is. But still, he resists.
"I don't owe her shit," Jason snarls.
"I will kill you," Luke growls, so quietly it almost seems to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once. He steps closer again and gets in Jason's face. "I said grovel."
And finally, after seeing that Luke means it, that he would kill Jason to keep me safe, the threat of the whole crowd of angry bikers at his back, Jason wilts. His shoulders slump, his hands drop to his sides. There's an unreadable expression on his face for a long moment, and then it passes. Jason gives me one more hate-filled look, and then turns and heads for his bike. The rest of the crowd parts like the Red Sea as he goes, giving him plenty of room.
That isn't what Luke demanded, though, and he grabs Jason by the shoulder and turns him around in a flash. Jason's feet scramble in the dirt, but Luke pulls him to me, forcing the man to his knees. It would be sweet retribution, except Luke's words, the words of the man I love, echo in my head.
‘I'll kill you,’ he told Jason.
‘I'll kill you.’ The same words the mugger said before he knocked Macy to the ground and cracked her skull open all those years ago.
The world is tilting again, a horrible deja vu hitting me hard, but Luke is there at my side. Holding me upright with one hand as the other pushes Jason to his knees before me.
I feel sick, I feel faint. My pulse is in my throat as I look down at Jason on his knees, at the hate in his eyes, and then Luke's words, so sharp they cut through my fear. "I told you to fucking apologize. You want to keep that face?" He leans in again, voice low. "Say you're sorry for what you did. To Emma."
A flash of rage, and then, finally, defeat. The words come out a sneer. "I'm sorry." He turns those hate-filled eyes up at me. "Sorry that I'm on the ground for this frigid bitch. Maybe if she'd put out more, you and I could share—"
And just like that Luke is dragging Jason away from me. The bikers around me are all shouting, surging forward like an angry mob. There are more hands on me now, gentle and comforting, and then I'm being pulled away from the scene by Gunnar, but I don't want to leave. Something hits the pavement, hard, the crack of it echoing through the roar of the Guardians, and I'm reminded again of Macy's head hitting the ground. It sounds so similar.
Was that Jason's skull? Are they killing him?
"Luke!" I yell, even as Gunnar pulls me away towards his bike. "Luke, stop! LUKE!"
I don't care about Jason's well-being, but the idea of the Iron Guardians, these symbols of protection and justice, killing him has panic welling in me. No, no, no, I think, screaming out with all of my heart, all of my soul, "LUKE!"