Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 94205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
But Butch wasn’t.
“Are you scared you’ll get attacked again? I understand. You don’t trust me to keep you safe. But I promise I will. However, if you don’t want to go back to Dirty Delights, we all get it.”
She sighed. Men. Sometimes they could be so dramatic.
“I’m not scared I’ll get attacked again. Of course I trust you to keep me safe. And I definitely want to go back to Dirty Delights.”
“Then . . . I’m confused.”
She patted his hand. “It’s all right. I’m sure it happens often.”
“More often now than it used to.”
Poor Butch.
“I want you with me for you.”
“For . . . me?” he asked.
“Yes, because you obviously need to be with me to keep yourself calm. You know . . . for your nerves.”
“For my nerves.”
“Uh-huh.”
Why did he keep repeating what she was saying? It was like he was the one who’d been hit on the head.
“Okay. Sure. You want me close by to settle my . . . nerves. You know what? That works for me because I was fucking terrified I was going to lose you, baby girl. Fuck, I don’t know how you lived with that bitch for so long.”
“It wasn’t always bad. Just when things didn’t go her way. And most of the time, things did. Chandler made sure of that. He gave her everything she wanted.”
“He likely turned her into the monster she now is. Fucking bastard. Should have rearranged his face when I had the chance.”
“Do you think Emily will go to jail?”
“Yeah, but she’ll probably get a lighter sentence for turning on Chandler. Hopefully, they can use the information she gave them to find him.” Emily was apparently singing like a canary, telling on everyone she could think of in order to make a deal. The Feds weren’t interested in her, anyway. So, the only charges against her would be from her assault on Lara.
She grimaced. “And my mom?”
“I’m sorry, baby girl, I can’t pretend to be worried about that woman. She was supposed to protect you and she didn’t. I don’t know how she got into Dirty Delights tonight, but I don’t want her near you ever again. Either of them. We’ve got feelers out for them. Alec has some friends who have their ear to the ground.”
“I don’t . . . I don’t know if I want them found,” she whispered. “It’s just hard, you know? When my dad first died, she tried to keep his memory alive with stories. We even made a scrapbook of photos and notes about him. Then after she met Chandler . . . well, she no longer wanted to look at it. She didn’t even like me mentioning it or my dad. It was like she wanted to forget he ever existed. Maybe she wished I didn’t exist, either. Then she’d have had a perfect life without me.”
“That’s not true,” he said fiercely. “You’re amazing. And if none of them saw it, that’s their problem.”
“I keep telling myself she was in the dark about what Chandler was up to, but maybe she wasn’t. And I don’t think I want to know. I just want them all to stay far away from me.”
“I won’t allow them near you ever again. That I promise you.” He settled next to her on the bed, wrapping his arm around her. “I know it must be hard to think about her on the run or getting arrested. But do you really think she didn’t know what was going on?”
She swallowed heavily. “No, I don’t. I think she knew but was in denial.”
“Maybe you’re right. But she should have protected you. She never should have chosen them over you.”
She wrapped her arms around his chest, burying in against him. “How did I get so lucky to have you, Butch Malone?”
“I think you have it the wrong way around, pretty girl. Do you still have that scrapbook?”
“Yes. Would you like to see it?” she asked shyly.
“I’d love nothing more.”
“I love you, Butch Malone.”
“Good, because I am never letting you leave me. You’re stuck with me. Forever.”
“Sounds perfect to me.”
EPILOGUE
Lara clung to Butch’s hand as they entered the cemetery.
A memory stirred of being here a long time ago, holding on tight to her mom’s hand. But she wasn’t sure if that was an actual memory or her mind playing tricks on her.
After going through her scrapbook of memories with her, Butch had suggested they go on a short trip and visit her dad’s grave. She hadn’t been here since he’d been buried.
It wasn’t going to be easy. But she hoped it might be healing.
They walked through the neatly trimmed grass to where the headstone stood. It was simple. Unpretentious. Like she thought he’d been.
She wished there was someone else that she could talk to about his memories. Share them. But there was no one else who’d known him. At least she wasn’t aware of anyone. She guessed he’d had friends, but she didn’t remember them, and as far as she knew they’d never tried to get in contact.