Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 76396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Her face softens, and she reaches out, touching my arm, “No, it’s okay. I’ve been in a similar situation. I understand fear, more than most people.” I doubt it. But I nod anyway. “I’ll go out, make sure everything is clear. You called someone for a ride, are they far away?”
“She should be here any moment,” I say, my voice still shaking from fear.
“I’ll go and check, stay here. I’ll lock the front doors for a while, so he can’t come back in.”
So thankful to this stranger, I nod, and a tear rolls down my cheek.
She smiles warmly, and then disappears back out front. I stay, frozen in spot, until she comes back with Erin by her side. As soon as I see my friend, I exhale and then cry. It’s pathetic, weak even, but I’m so damned grateful to see her right now.
“Shania told me what happened. Ellie, are you okay?”
Shania has been helping me, and I never even stopped to ask her name. I feel rude, but I hope she understands.
“Yeah,” I say, swallowing back my tears. “He came right in and sat by me...he...”
I don’t go on, because Shania doesn’t need any more drama when she hears what he threatened me with. I’ll tell Erin later, when we’re alone.
“Okay, you can tell me later. Let’s get you out of here, okay?”
Erin looks to Shania, “Did you see where he went?”
Shania shakes her head. “Only that he exited quickly after she splashed water on him. I couldn’t even get over and ask if he needed assistance. Sorry.”
“He wasn’t out front when I came in,” Erin says, “but I don’t trust it. I’m calling Slater.”
“No,” I cry out loudly. “No, please. Call Malakai. Don’t call Slater.”
Erin frowns, but nods.
Ten minutes later, the small café is filled with three gorgeous bikers, who have everyone stopping what they’re doing, and staring. They fill the small, petite space, and dominate it. Malakai, Mason and Koda all came to assist me out of here. Shania stares at them, her mouth slightly agape, her cheeks rosy.
“Thank you,” I say to her. “I’m so sorry I caused such a disruption.”
She waves a hand, and smiles, “I understand it, believe me. I hope you’re okay. And I really hope he leaves you alone. Being afraid of someone is an awful feeling.”
I have a feeling maybe she really does know.
And if she does, I feel for her.
I smile at her, weakly, and then turn to Malakai who is waiting for us.
“You ready?” he asks.
I nod.
We exit the café, me basically surrounded by the three big men until we reach Erin’s car. We get in, and they tell me they’ll meet us at the bakery, because I refuse to go back to Slater’s house.
As soon as the door is shut, Erin turns to me. “Now, talk.”
So I do.
I talk.
And I tell her everything.
~*~*~*~
THEN – SLATER
I’m a fuckin’ idiot.
I know it, I know it as soon as I’ve done it, but I thought I could get away with it. I thought I could take matters into my own hands, and twist things so it looked like Walter had been betrayed by another one of the dealers, little did I know he has eyes on me, everywhere I fuckin’ go. And my plan, my fuckin’ big plan, that I thought out - went to shit. Tried to tell him that I’d been underpaid, and for a bit, I thought he believed me.
I now know he doesn’t.
He doesn’t believe me.
And the money I stole to pay the mortgage, is now basically blood on my hands.
I’m a fuckin’ idiot.
I’m pacing my room, trying to figure out what the fuck I’m going to do when he comes after me. And he will. He will come after me. He’ll want what’s owed to him, and he’ll want blood for the money I so stupidly thought I could get away with stealing. I thought I had it all figured out, but fuck, I’ve ruined everything.
And now I’m in danger, probably everyone I love, too.
“Hey.”
I look up and see Ellie standing in my doorway. She smiles, weakly, but it’s there. She’s the most important person in this world to me, and the idea of anything happening to her is something I can’t handle, so I know I have to make her safe, and the only way for me to do that is to make sure she has nothing to do with me. I stare into her eyes, and I know what I’m about to do will kill her. If I don’t do it, and this mess doesn’t get cleaned up, she is in the firing line.
I can’t live with that.
“Hey,” I mutter.
“Listen, Slater, I’m sorry things between us have been so tense lately. I don’t want to keep fighting with you. I really don’t...”
“About that,” I say, and I swear to fuckin’ Christ I feel my heart tearing in half. I feel it splitting in two, like someone is going to rip it out of my chest with their bare hands. It hurts so damned much. “I think we’re in different places of our lives, Ellie. You’re young, and just finished school, and ready to begin your life. I’m at a point where I don’t know what I want, and...I’m not goin’ to bring you down while I figure it out.”