Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 80699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
“He’s mad at himself, not you,” she says. “We have one more stop to make. The liquor store is on the way back home.”
“Can you get me a bottle of vodka?” She narrows her eyes at me, but I ignore her judgment. “It’s my birthday.”
She frowns but nods her head in agreement.
“Don’t tell anyone,” I plead. “I’m not trying to get anyone in trouble. I just want to forget for a while.”
I opt to stay in the car while they go into the liquor store. I’m wrapped in guilt at Em getting me alcohol. I don’t drink. I’ve tried a beer before, and I could go a lifetime without tasting that again. Girls at school used to brag about how easy vodka is to drink, and it’s clear and odorless. I figure I can give it a try.
Kid walks out carrying a large cardboard box; several different bottlenecks can be seen peeking out of the top. I lower my eyes when he sees me watching through the windshield, and I keep them down the entire way home. A text from Em on the way back to the clubhouse informs me that she’ll bring my bottle to me later.
Climbing out of the SUV at the clubhouse, I walk around to the back to get my boxes.
“I’ll get those,” Kid says reaching into the back before I can.
“I got them,” I tell him.
He pulls his arms back allowing me to grab them.
“Sweet Girl, will you please talk to me?” He shifts, so his body is close to my back as I bend in to get the small stack of boxes.
“Don’t,” I say before he can touch me. His hands on me would be my undoing. I’d forgive him in an instant, losing part of myself along the way. I shift away from him, unable to look him in the eye and walk into the clubhouse. My heart breaks just a little bit more when I close myself back into my room.
Chapter 38
Kid
The guys made the trip back safely. Bryan, of course, took Aviana straight to a room with only a head nod in my direction. I’m glad he was able to be a hero to his girl. The smile on her face when she came in was a testament to the mutual feelings she has for him. I know he was worried she wouldn’t reciprocate the way she felt for him, or that she’d have been so damaged when he found her that she’d be unreachable. It happens to a lot of girls who are abducted.
Snatch has a new girl on his arm; the one that came from Vegas with Bryan and Aviana. I don’t know her story, but from the looks of it, he’s going to have his hands full with her. She looks like a feisty ballbuster.
What has my blood pumping with fire and rage is the sight of Khloe across the room leaning a little too close for my liking with Itchy of all people. I’ve seen her getting up and leaving the room several times this evening, never taking her hand off of that damn water bottle.
I knew what was going on the second Em asked me for the best vodka for a first timer. She tried to play it off as if it was for her, but I knew better. I let her believe I didn’t know she was buying that shit for Khloe. Kincaid wouldn’t approve of her helping get a minor drunk, but I’m not going to deny Khloe a single thing that she wants, within reason.
I’m here; I knew I could keep her safe. Vodka is much better than the pills she was popping the first day we met. How can I judge her when I spent the night before last so drunk I couldn’t manage to crawl my sad ass into the clubhouse?
I seethe as I see Khloe repeatedly placing her hand on Itchy’s knee. Each time he lifts it and places it back on her own lap. He looks across at me, obviously uncomfortable with the situation but too much of a gentleman to call her out and make her stop.
She just smiles at him and continues talking, her hand once again roaming from her own leg to his. I bite my lip and take a long sip from my beer. She’s swaying back and forth, clearly intoxicated. Each time she blinks, her eyes take longer to open than the last time. It doesn’t help matters that she changed from her jeans earlier into a little dress. I commend Itchy for not glancing at her breasts that are damn near in his face.
“Hey, baby,” I hear whispered breathily as arms ending in long red fingernails reach over my shoulders from behind my back.
I jerk, standing from the couch, turning to face Snapper, who has the fucking gall to look affronted by my reaction to her; it infuriates me.