Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 69993 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69993 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
“Gia, babe, look at me.” I hear the words, but they sound like they’re coming from under water. Even through the smell of gunpowder, though, I’d recognize that scent anywhere.
My eyes open to the most welcome fucking sight, one I didn’t think I would ever see again.
“Preacher Man. What a goddamn welcome vision you are.”
His full lips curve into a smile that fades as Bowie runs toward him at full speed. His gaze leaves mine for less than a second, just long enough to aim and shoot and send Bowie to hell where he belongs. Then his beautiful face turns back to me. “Good to see you too, Gia. Are you all right?”
I nod, so happy to see him, happier that he came for me, so delirious with joy that I can’t speak.
Preacher takes my hands gently and guides me over two dead bodies before he pulls me into the backyard, where the sun has already started to sink below the horizon. He cups my face and puts his forehead to mine.
“I’m gonna need you to say something, Gia. Prove to me that you’re all right.”
I smile and sag against his warm, hard body. “You know, the blood splatter on the face look is kind of working for me.”
He laughs, and even though it’s muffled, the vibration shoots through me and sends shivers throughout my body.
“Thank you for coming for me, Preach.”
With our foreheads pressed together, he wraps his arms around me and squeezes. “Always,” he whispers in my ear.
Always sounds pretty fucking good to me. It’s what I want. I know that now. He probably feels guilty that I was kidnapped on his watch.
“Thank you,” I whisper again and look inside the house to see Shades dragging Hector toward the door by his throat, and all I can think is, holy fucking hotness.
For the first time ever, I see real fear in Hector’s eyes.
Good. “Couldn’t happen to a more worthy asshole,” I say to myself.
Preacher puts a hand to my lower back and gives me a gentle shove toward the fence. “We should get out of here.”
“Yeah,” I say in a breathless whisper, my heart racing with fear, relief, and arousal and probably a good amount of shock as the adrenaline wears off. My hands are trembling, and my teeth start to chatter as the bike roars to life underneath me.
“Your girl all right?” Ace calls from his bike next to Preacher. His gaze slides to me, and for a quick moment, I see sympathy instead of mistrust.
Preacher reaches behind him and drops a hand on my thigh. “She’s all right.”
His girl? My heart speeds up at the thought of being Preacher’s girl for real, the fact that his brothers saw me as his girl. It has to mean something, doesn’t it? I lean forward just as he raises his helmet over his head. “Your girl?”
He turns to me, the slightest move curling his lips into a smile.
“Later,” he growls and tugs his helmet down. I hold on tight as we literally ride off into the fucking sunset.
Seriously, whose life is this?
Chapter Thirty
Preacher
Gia is silent when she gets off the bike and follows me through the garage and inside the house. I go into the kitchen and clean as much blood off of me as I can. It’s mostly on my face and arms. Clothes. Hell, I should take a shower.
Gia says she’s all right, but she’s not acting like the sassy, smart-mouthed woman I can’t get enough of. She’s quiet and subdued. I walk out of the kitchen, drying my hands on a small towel.
“Gia, talk to me.”
She flashes a sad smile and shakes her head. “Nothing to talk about, Preacher. I’m fine.”
“You’re quiet,” I tell her plainly.
She manages a small laugh. “Scary, huh?” Gia rolls her eyes. “I’m…I don’t know. Processing. I thought I was gonna die in that room, on the floor beside that dead girl, and now I’m going to live. It’s just a lot to take in, adjusting to the fact that I have a future I wasn’t counting on a few hours ago.”
My heart aches for her, and I pull her into my arms. “Then we should make the most of your second chance at living, yeah?”
She smiles, and it almost reaches her eyes. “Yeah, I guess we should.”
My hands loosen around her, and I take a step back to look at her, to really look at her and assure myself that she’s all right.
“Are you hurt? Injured? Anything…else?”
“Uhm, yes?”
I laugh and shake my head. “Try again, babe.”
At my use of babe, she smiles again, and this time it reaches her eyes.
“My head hurts a little, and my ears are still ringing. Other than a few bumps and bruises, I’m completely fine.”
Her hands slide up from my chest to cup my face.
“I promise, Preacher.”