Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 145728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
“Why should we?” one of the bikers demanded, speaking to Lachlan but still staring at me.
“Because if you want to fight for her, you must go outside and beat each other up,” Lachlan said, in that same cool, powerful voice.
“Hey, yeah!” the first man said, finally letting go of my arm. “We’ve gotta fight for her, Grimes!”
“Fuckin’ A,” the other man snarled. “I’ll beat your ass, Stevens!”
They both got up and I got out of the way fast—I didn’t want to be in the middle if they decided to start pounding each other before they got to the parking lot.
“But before you go,” Lachlan continued. “You will both give Emma every bit of money you have in your pockets and wallets.”
“What?” I turned to stared at him with wide eyes. Lachlan only winked at me, one corner of his mouth turning up in his familiar sarcastic grin.
“You heard me,” he said to the bikers, who seemed to be hesitating. “You want to give your waitress all your money. Think of it as a tip to pay for your rudeness.”
“Yeah. Yeah, we gotta give her everything,” the first man muttered.
“You’re right—and then go beat each other up,” the second man agreed.
I watched with wide eyes as the two of them emptied their wallets and pockets, leaving a pile of bills and change on the table in front of me.
Then they went out into the parking lot and began pounding each other, landing heavy blows that could be heard even through the plate-glass windows.
Naturally, this fight got the other bikers out of the I Scream and onto the pavement. Some of them screamed for more, while others tried to separate the two combatants. Either way, everyone was finally out, leaving nothing but dirty dishes in their wake.
“Oh, thank God you guys came when you did!” I threw my arms around both Lachlan and Bran at once, pulling them into a three-way hug.
They hugged me back and for a moment I let myself feel safe between them.
“Are you all right, Emma?” Bran asked gently. “We had the feeling something wasn’t right, so we came before you called.”
“I’m so glad you did!” I pulled back and looked up at Lachlan. “How did you do that?”
“They were already fascinated with you,” he replied, shrugging. “All I had to do was work a bit of suggestion into the spell you’d already laid.” He nodded at the pile of money on the abandoned table. “Take that—I’m pretty sure you earned it.”
I picked up the wad of cash—debated giving it back—and thought better of it. Lachlan was right—I had earned it. Those guys had been creeps—grabbing me like that! As far as I was concerned, they both deserved to lose their money.
I put the wad in the front of my apron without counting it just as Joey came out from the back where he had been flipping burgers and making fries all night.
“Hey, what’s going on? Where did everybody go?” he asked, frowning.
“Joey, maybe we’d better shut down now,” I said as my boss squinted through the window to see the fight. “They’re getting kind of out of control out there.”
“Think maybe you’re right,” Joey nodded. “Did most everybody pay?”
“Uh, yeah.” I thought of the wad of cash in my apron pocket and felt kind of guilty again. Some of them had definitely paid more than others. But then I looked down at the red finger marks that still hadn’t faded from my wrist and felt less guilty. What exactly might those two have done to me if Bran and Lachlan hadn’t come along when they did? I might have been in real trouble!
For the first time, I began to understand that being Fae-level gorgeous in the human world wasn’t exactly safe.
“Okay, we’re closing down,” Joey said, interrupting my thoughts as he locked the door and turned the sign in the front window around to “Closed.”
“You want me to stay and help with the dishes?” I asked, looking at the tables still stacked with dirty plates and silverware.
“Nah, I got it.” Joey shrugged. “You go have fun with your friends. I’ll see you later.”
“Thanks.” I wasn’t sure if he was letting me go because he was fascinated with me or if he was just being nice but either way, I was taking it. The I Scream diner used to feel like a safe space to me but at the moment, I felt like I might literally start screaming if I had to stay there one minute more.
Giving a hand to each of my guys, I nodded at Joey and we left, going out the back to avoid the knock-down-drag-out that was still going on between the two bikers and their shouting, jeering friends.
49
“That could have been bad, you guys. Really bad,” I said, as we sat on one of the overstuffed couches of the Norm Dorm later.