Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 28702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 144(@200wpm)___ 115(@250wpm)___ 96(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 144(@200wpm)___ 115(@250wpm)___ 96(@300wpm)
I start to pull out the blade from my boot when something wraps around me from behind, lifting me from my kneeling position on the side of the car. I know it’s Blake from the smell of his cologne. He’s got one arm wrapped around my chest.
Fear shoots through my body, but my training kicks in. I let my body weight sink, not fighting the hold as he thinks I’ll likely do. He starts to bend forward as I slip down, and I catch the smell of alcohol on him too.
When I sink low enough, I elbow his side as hard as I can as I use my other hand to grab for his fingers that are on my chest. I take hold of one and pull back with all my strength. I’m not strong enough to break a man’s wrist or hold, but I can get him to let me go. I can also break a finger if need be.
“Ahh! You little bitch.” He lets go of me but kicks one foot out, sweeping my legs out from under me. I hit the ground hard, all the air leaving my lungs. I taste blood, something having busted my lip. “I knew it was you!” We roll around until he’s got me pinned beneath him. It doesn’t matter how much training you have. Brute force is brute fucking force.
“Get the fuck off me,” I growl.
“You’re trespassing, Emma,” Blake points out. “What were you going to do this time?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was walking and thought I saw something, so I was checking it out.”
“You’re a lying little cunt.” He leans down, his face closer to mine. The smell of alcohol on his breath turns my stomach.
“You’re drunk.”
“I can be drunk. I’m at my own house,” he points out as he presses down harder on me. I feel his hard cock press into my stomach. Of course, he’d be turned on. Overpowering women is his thing. “I bet no one even knows you're here.”
“Emma?” I hear Melody call my name. A second later, she’s there. “What’s going on?” she half-screams. Blake pulls himself off me. I gasp, jumping to my feet.
“I should haul your ass in.” Blake glares down at me.
“She was helping me look for Teddy. He got out and I can’t find him anywhere.” The lie slips easily from Melody’s lips. She really has been hanging out with me too much.
“Welp, he’s not here.” I slip past Blake. I keep my voice casual, but my heart's about to burst out of my chest.
“I’m watching you, Emma Charles,” Blake calls after me as I make it to the sidewalk where Melody is standing. I lick the cut I feel on my bottom lip. How the hell am I going to explain that?
“I’ve been watching you, Blake Finley,” I say right back. Melody grabs my arm and starts to pull me down the sidewalk.
“So he’s on to you,” she mutters when we make it back to her car.
I just put a giant target on my back. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. I suppose it’s better than it being on some other girl’s back.
CHAPTER 17
VINCENT
“You woke up and decided to burn off some extra energy by jogging in the middle of the night. Because it was so dark you tripped and fell on your face on your way back home?” I repeat in disbelief. I’d woken up to find Emma’s side of the bed empty. When I went to check on her, I spotted her outside and went to find out what the hell she was doing lurking around in the dark, dressed like a bank robber. She proceeded to babble some ridiculous story that I wasn’t buying for a second.
Emma nods vigorously. “Exactly. I hope you don’t mind you’re dating a klutz.”
“I’m not worried about that in the slightest.” I’m mad she’s lying to me.
“Great.” She tries to smile but winces in pain.
My anger intensifies. Someone hurt her, and it’s my job to kill whomever did this to her. That she feels like she has to hide the truth tells me that it’s someone she doesn’t want me to know about. Unfortunately, I don't know the people in this town well enough to figure it out. Frank would know, but I don't think I should haul him out of bed in the middle of the night to ask. He’d probably give me a matching split lip.
“Best go inside and get some sleep then.”
She scampers to the door and pauses. “I probably shouldn’t be active tonight with my lip and all.”
“Not to mention your body aches.”
“Yeah but—”
I point to her head. “You have leaves in your hair. You must’ve taken quite the tumble.”
Even though it’s dark, I know she’s flushed. Her hand flies up to her head. “Right. When I fell, some must’ve gotten tangled up in my hair.”