Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 60852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
“Okay.”
Rolling to my side, I clench my eyes shut.
So many things run through my mind, and I want to scream with the tension building up inside me, but nothing I do will change what’s happening. Muff is lying to me, but I don’t know what it is he’s lying about. Is he seeing someone else? That seems unlikely, considering everything was perfect until those police officers came to the door. Has he done something illegal and is going to be locked away? Is he trying to make it so I won’t be hurt?
“Will you be coming back?” I whisper into the darkness.
Silence.
Then, in a low, raspy tone he growls, “Yeah.”
He’s telling the truth this time.
So what the hell is he keeping from me?
“OH HELL NO.” CIARA wiggles her finger before throwing her hands on her hips. “We’re following him.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good—” I begin, but Serenity cuts me off with a shake of her head.
“Honey, we’re following him.”
I give her a look, but she holds firm.
I glance at Addison, but I don’t bother expecting her to say anything different. She gives me a sympathetic smile but agrees with the other two. “We have to find out what’s going on,” she explains. “The only way to do that, is to follow him.”
“I’m afraid of what we might see.” I swallow. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea.”
“He’s hiding something, and nobody is saying what. The only way to find out what that is, is to see where he goes,” Ciara explains. “You deserve answers.”
“Muff is such a good guy,” Serenity murmurs to herself. “It seems so weird he would do something hurtful.”
“I don’t think he is doing anything intentionally.” Addi pulls out her phone. “I think something has happened and he’s trying to protect Janine. I’m going to call Cade, we’re telling them that we are having a girls’ night. They can take the kids, and we will see where Muff goes. When is he leaving?”
I glance down at my watch. “In about an hour.”
“Then we need to move. We need a car he won’t recognize to follow him. Any suggestions?”
“I have a friend from the bar who would swap with me,” Ciara says. “I’ll call her now.”
Exhaling, I nod.
I’m still not sure if this is a good idea, but the curiosity is getting the better of me and I need to know what’s happening. He must be hiding something bad if he was willing to lie about someone dying to cover it up. Muff is a good man, the very best kind, so whatever he doesn’t want me to know is enough to break me.
That part scares me the most.
I call my mom and tell her I am having a girls’ night. She agrees to come and spend the night with Max and Ebony, so I quickly go back to the house and wait for her, gathering some stuff before getting back to the club just in time for Muff to be mounting his bike. His eyes swing toward me when he walks in, and I try to keep cool as I walk over, smiling even though everything inside me shakes.
“Didn’t think you were comin’ to say goodbye,” he murmurs.
I step up to the bike, the warm motor radiating over my legs. I reach out, taking a thick lock of red hair flying in the breeze, and I tuck it behind his ear. His eyes never leave mine, and something inside me is praying that this isn’t the last moment we’ll have like this. I can’t help myself; I lean forward and press my lips to his, kissing him softly, slowly deepening it until he’s growling and curling an arm around my waist, pulling me close.
We kiss, the wind whipping through his hair as he holds me close, and, for a moment, it doesn’t feel like there is an impending dread washing over me. Our tongues dance and his hand grips me like it’ll be the last time he ever gets to hold me. When I finally pull away, I can see the love in his eyes. I know he cares about me deeply, but whatever he’s hiding seems to be worth more than that to him right now.
“I love you,” I say, my voice soft.
I mean it, with every ounce of my being.
I need him to know that.
He reaches out, sliding his thumb over my lower lip. “Love you too, Jaybird.”
Then, just like that, he’s gone.
The moment he is out of sight, I rush out the front gates and into the waiting car. The girls are all ready, as planned, and the moment I’m strapped in, we take off. Addison is behind the wheel, and I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing. The woman is crazy and she’s not about to let up. Putting her foot on the gas, she catches up to Muff alarmingly quick.