Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 76082 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76082 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
"Best I know." Eagle-eye stands up and starts to pace with Jupiter by his side. "But we’ve got both his daughter and his old lady here, so I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of him. Using the Unwanted, though? Doesn’t feel right." He pauses a moment to gather his thoughts. "Okay, this is how it's gonna go. We'll play it out, and keep them on the hook for as long as possible. Once we know what's going on, we go scorched earth. What’s the deal with the girl? Can we use her?"
"Natalie?" I ask, bristling a little at the suggestion. "Not sure. Crusher said she owes them money.”
Quickshot sighs. “He’s gonna expect to see what we’re doing with her, at least until we’ve paid what we owe.”
“And what exactly is that?” Eagle-eye asks darkly. He doesn’t much give a shit what adults do on his turf, but I’ve seen him crack down on anyone who takes things too far, and straight up selling people? That’s definitely too far.
Badass is the first to dare. “We don’t exactly have it in writing, but he thinks we bought a virgin to fuck around with until we got bored and then we’ll either pimp her out ourselves or send her back so they can do it.”
“They think you’d fucking do that?” he growls.
"He was a little surprised, but it’s the sort of shit he’d do if he was in our place so it wasn’t hard to convince him," says Quickshot, scratching his chin as if he's thinking hard. "It might help our credibility if he thinks we’re interested in expanding our business."
"Fine. Set up the meeting, but keep it out of the compound. Do it at the Eagles' Roost. We can talk there, and I don't want those fucks anywhere near our family. Get the girl on board. She’s your stray, keep her out of trouble."
I salute. "Yes, sir. No problem."
Quickshot raises a curious eyebrow in my direction, and Badass shakes his head but doesn't say anything. I know what they’re fucking like though. None of us will let her leave until we know she’s safe, so all we have to do is convince a girl who thinks we’re a bunch of fucking criminals that she wants to stay with us and pretend to be our plaything.
Yeah, no fucking problem.
10
NATALIE
What just happened?
I offered myself to them on a silver platter!
And what did they do? Turned me down and stashed me away to go talk to their boss.
I perch on the edge of a sofa in Animal’s room. It’s not exactly fancy, but at least there’s no crunchy shag carpet or sheets with lipstick on them. Compared to the Unwanted, it’s nice. Even… ordinary? Like a place I could easily imagine a guy in his twenties living, with a comforter hastily thrown over the bed and clothes draped on the other end of the couch. Cans of beer and soda are collecting on top of a small fridge, and there are what I’m assuming are motorcycle parts strewn over a scuffed table. Messy, sure, but not filthy and gross.
How long are they going to be gone? Sitting here by myself makes me antsy, but where would I go?
I pick at the corner of a fingernail until it nearly starts to bleed before I close my fist with determination to stop, pressing it into my lap and curl my other hand around it. I could tidy up. Sandra loves to tease me about it, but when I’m stressed out, cleaning always helps, and maybe I can show these guys that I can be useful in other ways, too.
I don’t want them to send me back.
Being very careful not to get nosy, I make the bed and start sorting the dirty clothes into a plastic bin in the corner. I grab a handful of paper towels and peek behind a door, hoping to find a bathroom with a sink I can use to wet them. There is, but there’s also another door on the far side that I’m guessing leads to a different guy’s room, so I get out of there ASAP. I’m wiping down the crate Animal uses as a bedside table when the door opens.
They’re back.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Animal stands in the doorway with his hand on the knob, and his friends are right behind him. They’re all staring at me like I’m insane.
“I—I—”
“Are you fucking cleaning,” Badass asks in disbelief, before busting out a deep, belly laugh.
Quickshot joins in. “I told you this place was a fucking sty.”
“Shut the fuck up. My quarters are fine.” Animal rushes over and grabs the paper towels out of my hand, throwing them into the corner and missing the trash. “God dammit, girl. We didn’t buy you to be our fucking maid.”
“I know, but you didn’t want to have sex with me, so—”