Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 63702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
“I’m sorry,” I say, turning my face away. “I just...I’m not sure what’s going on.”
Pulling me into his arms, I close my eyes and breathe him in. The deal is going down probably as we speak, and I know this will be the last time I ever press my cheek to his chest. I’ll never smell his masculine scent, I’ll never feel his comforting arms around me, I’ll never experience a single blissful moment with him again. This is the end of the road for us, and he doesn’t know it.
“I think you need a break,” he murmurs, pulling back and cupping my face. “We’ll go somewhere, get away from this fuckin’ place for a while.”
He has no idea how incredible that sounds.
“That would be wonderful,” I lie, my voice croaky. “I’d like that.”
“You know I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy.”
I can’t take it.
I can’t.
“I haven’t been good to you in the last few months, Colt. You lost your sister and I’ve been a wreck. I don’t know why you’re still here.”
“Because you fight for the things you love. We’ve had a shit time, but we can get through it.”
I swallow the lump in my throat. “Of course.”
“You go home, get some rest. I’m goin’ to make some plans and we’re goin’ to get out of here for a while.”
I can’t cry.
I can’t.
I pull him to me once more, praying to anyone listening that he’ll forgive me one day for what I’m going to do. I pray that when he finds out what kind of monster I am, that he’ll remember these times and it’ll ease the pain. I pray he’ll find a woman who can love the hurt away. I inhale his scent one more time before pulling back, taking his face in my hands and kissing him.
“I love you, Colt.”
“Love you, too.”
As I turn and walk away, my heart breaks into a thousand tiny pieces.
The moment I’m out of sight, I lose it.
I cry as I pack my things, my body shaking, hot tears rolling down my cheeks.
I cry as I climb into my car, looking at the house I love so much, hoping that he’ll take care of it because I couldn’t bring myself to sell it.
I cry as I meet Bruce and take my part of the money, as we planned.
I cry as I leave the money in the drop off point for the monster who made my life harder than it already was.
I cry when that monster tells me I’m free now, I can go. I’ll never be free.
I cry as I drive out of town, not looking back because I know the pain it’ll cause.
I cry as my soul slowly shrinks into nothing and my heart feels as though it stops beating.
I’ll never be the same again.
For that, I cry the most.
20
“Do you think this will work?” I whisper to Colt as we stare down at the drop off point.
I told ‘Anthony’ that I had the money he wanted. I made up a story about finding out Chloe left me more money than I thought, and if I gave it to him, he needed to leave me the hell alone and never come back. He seemed to eat it right up. I don’t have the money of course, but the club organized to be surrounding the drop off point so we could catch this monster once and for all.
“He’s a greedy, hungry fuck. It’ll work,” Colt growls.
He’s right about that. This person is driven by money. Chloe must have found a way to give him what he wanted and now he’s found the opportunity to get it again from me. He’s clever and cunning and he thinks it’ll work for him. He’s about to find out that when you mess with a biker club, you’re going down. He won’t like it when they all step out, guns drawn, ready to take him down.
“Car approaching.”
The text comes from Bonnie.
“There is a car coming,” I whisper to Colt.
We both watch as the car slows down and pulls into the empty parking lot. It used to belong to a big business, but that business went bankrupt and closed down, so it remains abandoned. It was the perfect place to meet because there are no security cameras and no people around. Anthony jumped at the chance but made it very clear I was to leave the bag of money and disappear.
I knew he would be watching me, so I made sure to look like I came alone. I put the bag in the location he asked for and then got into my car and disappeared, messaging him it was there. I came through a back road Colt knew about, and we found a good spot that we could look down and see him arrive. Sure enough, here he is. A silver sedan rolling in, the dark windows making it hard to see who is inside. I hold my breath, desperate to confirm that I’m right, that it is the same Anthony I’ve been speaking to.