Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 100225 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100225 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“You make it too easy.” She smirks, sucking on her straw to take a drink of her soda. Her eyebrow lifts up in a silent dare when she looks at me.
I just laugh, holding my hand up in surrender. “I’m not going to argue with you. I’ve had too much fun tonight.”
“You mean you’re not going to try and get the last word in?”
“Not at all.”
“Damn.”
“What?”
“I think I’ve just witnessed a miracle.”
“Smartass,” I mumble.
“I’m serious. Maybe you have changed after all.”
“Everyone changes,” I point out.
“This is true,” she agrees.
“Where did you go just now?”
“Huh?”
“Your whole mood changed. Are you okay?”
“Just thinking about things. I told you, Dom. I came home to evaluate my life and figure out what I wanted.”
“Any ideas?”
“Not a damn one,” she admits with a sigh.
“On that, I can relate.”
“What are you reevaluating, Dom?” she asks softly.
“So fucking much that I’m not even sure where to start first,” I admit with an honesty that I haven’t given anyone before.
I expected Thea to give me some kind of sarcastic comeback. I expected her to make fun of me and point out how badly I needed to do exactly that. She doesn’t do anything of the sort. Instead, she does something that rocks my world. She reaches across the table and puts her hand over my arm, patting it in support.
“Start with one small thing and move to something a little bit bigger once you get it resolved. The best thing to do when climbing a mountain is to tackle it one step at a time.”
“That’s very wise advice,” I respond when I can finally find my voice.
“I can’t take credit for it. My dad told me the same thing after my accident. It has always stuck with me. It helped me make it through all the bullshit, you know?”
“I think I do,” I answer and when she gives me her smile, I give her one back and this one doesn’t feel forced.
Thea doesn’t know it, but tonight, she’s given me hope. I’ve felt like I’m drowning for so long, I didn’t realize how much I needed a lifeline. I don’t know how I’m going to find myself again, but Thea is right. I’ll have to do it one step at a time …
Chapter 3
Dom
I should have learned the lesson that life could change on a dime. I’m getting tired of the fucking sucker punches. That’s not whining. It’s just stating a fact. I feel like I’m currently trapped in a nightmare. I felt so much hope the night I had dinner with Thea. It felt good. Now, it hasn’t even been two weeks and my kid brother is lying in a hospital bed fighting for his life.
T is the last person to deserve all this shit, and it’s my fault. He got shot during some uproar at his new club. It’s all my fault because if I had manned up, if I had taken charge and not left things up to Gabby, T would still be in Kentucky, a member of the Savage Brothers and not barely breathing.
The silence in this waiting room is slowly killing me. I jerk as I feel a warm hand wrap around mine. I look over at my hand first and then slowly lift my gaze up to see Thea’s face smiling at me with a sad look on her face. “It’s going to be okay, Dom.” Her voice is hushed to the point I have to strain to hear what she’s saying. She squeezes my hand and I return the squeeze. She tries to pull away, but I don’t let her. I keep her hand in a firm grip, and she stops trying to pull away. I feel someone’s eyes on us and look up, but it’s not my father staring at us, and I thought that may be the case—well, either my father or hers. Dad is still in T’s room with Mom and Lyla. No, this guy is the one T’s woman, Lyla, mentioned gave T blood. T is a very rare match. The fact that some stranger could give it is surprising. I mean, I guess it happens, but it can’t happen very often. He’s giving me a pissed off look. It’s one that could freeze a man where he stands. There’s also a look of visible hate on him. It instantly has my guard up. I take a step away from the wall to block Thea with my body. There’s just something about this asshole that I don’t like. Before I can go up to him and find out what his problem is, an alarm suddenly blares down the hall.
We all filter out. There’s not one of us that isn’t scared something is going on with T. My heart is hammering against my chest. I’m pretty sure the only damn thing that is keeping me from losing my mind is Thea’s hand wrapped around mine. As we make it into the hall, nurses are moving into T’s room. Thea moves closer into my side and I hold her tight. I can’t seem to force air into my lungs as the nurses work on T to figure out what’s going on. The sound of Lyla's begging and crying reaches me. I hear Mom and Dad, but I can’t pay close enough attention to figure out what they’re saying. I feel like I’m about one step away from falling apart.