Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
My eyebrows shoot up in surprise, and I swing my dark-brown hair over my shoulder to stare him down. “Most people would send a ‘hope you get better soon’ card.”
His brow furrows in confusion, and it’s strange to see this man offer any type of expression. “You could be dead in the time I mail a card.”
“I’m not dead, Alek. Clearly.”
“No. But he will be if he keeps staring at your ass.” His jaw tightens again as he flicks his gaze to the patron who snapped his finger at me earlier. “And that crop top,” he adds with a hint of sass. I almost want to laugh at how strange it is to see him be anything but serious.
“Why does that even matter to you? If he’s tipping well, I don’t care.”
“Were you not satisfied by the funds you received this morning?” he says, and it looks like he’s about to shatter the glass.
Kara walks past as he says it, and her eyebrows shoot up.
I step forward, closing my fingers like a beak in front of him, miming that he should shut his mouth. “Can you not say things like that?” I lean over and quietly whisper, “You make it sound like I’m some kind of hooker.”
“There are plenty who make good money from such services. I don’t know why you’re looking down on it.”
“I’m not looking down—” I stop myself. “You’re awfully chatty tonight, and you can direct that to some other woman to fixate on. I am not Cinita. I don’t know where she is and want nothing else to do with this absurdity. If you keep showing up to my workplaces, then I’m tearing up that contract,” I say and walk away before he can reply.
Did the motherfucker really comment on how I look? As far as I’m concerned, he’s the only one who can’t stop staring.
When I return to the bar, I notice the patron who’d snapped his fingers at me has left. I notice him in the back of the bar, past the pool tables, stumbling to the door that leads to the back alley.
“Sir, no, that’s not the exit!” I shout, then curse under my breath. Why do they always go that way? It’s a closed-off alley that leads to nowhere, yet even when there’s a sign that clearly says “‘NOT AN EXIT,”’ a drunk fucker does it every time and sets the fire alarm off.
Annnd… off goes the alarm. Yep, just like said. I roll my eyes, and Kara is quick to bite out a curse. A lot of our regulars don’t even flinch as I go to find the man while Kara deals with the alarm. I look around, but Mal, the security guard, must be on his break.
I open the back door and find the man vomiting into the trash can. I sigh. Maybe quitting this job isn’t such a bad idea.
“Come on, sir, you can’t be back here. Come back inside,” I say with arms crossed over my chest.
He wipes away the vomit, and I notice then that tears are in his eyes. “She left me for him!” he sobs.
He steps toward me, arms stretched as if to hug me, but I put my hands up. “I’m sorry to hear that, but you need to come back inside.”
“You wouldn’t leave me, would you? You seem nice,” he says. A cold chill runs down my spine, and I put my hand on the pepper spray in my back pocket. It’s always there because a girl can never be too safe.
“You need to come inside,” I repeat, opening the door. Alek steps out as the man reaches for me. It all happens so fast that I can’t even scream.
Alek grabs his outstretched hand and breaks it, then slams his head against the dumpster. My hands cover my mouth, shocked by his violent outburst. Any fear I might’ve had from the drunk man is quickly replaced by this monster. When he looks back at me, those piercing green eyes stare at me as if from the darkest corner of hell.
A dog barks in the distance as the door slams shut behind me. I realize I’m aiming the pepper spray at Alek now.
“You intend to spray me with that?” he asks, brow raised.
“He didn’t deserve that,” I say, but my words sound distant.
“He also doesn’t deserve to put his hands on you.”
He goes to step toward me, but I raise the spray higher. “I will, Alek. I don’t care if you’re a sponsor.”
He steps forward, and I press down on the button. He’s so fast. His gloved hand covers the spray and my hand. His other lands on my hip as he slams me against the brick wall.
My heart races as I stare into those forest green eyes, my breath coming in hot and fast, my chest rising and falling as he consumes me.