Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 69777 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69777 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
The sun beat down on me as I stepped out of the stables and looked out at the land. Several horses were out. A few had riders. I had thought about riding Poseidon, but decided it was a bad idea. Noor needed to get out today. I’d do that later. The idea of someone else touching her triggered me.
“Storm.” Lula Mae’s voice had become nails on a chalkboard.
I crossed my arms over my chest and clenched my teeth, trying not to grab her by the neck and strangle her. Then at least she’d finally be gone.
“I’m sorry about Noor. I was just trying to help you. She needs to be ridden,” she said, getting entirely too close to me. “I want to help you. I hate seeing you hurting. I made you another casserole. I can bring it for dinner. You need to eat.”
She’d been leaving food on the front porch for the past two days. I’d tossed it in the outside trash, not wanting it in the house. I shook my head, but said nothing to her. I didn’t trust myself to look at her. If I threw her across the yard, that would be frowned upon.
Unable to take a hint, she stepped in front of me. “Storm, you need to talk about it. I can help you. I’ll listen,” she said, touching my arm.
I flinched and glowered down at her. The rage inside me threatened to unleash, fuck the consequences.
“You need to take your hand off him.”
That voice.
Disbelief and pure motherfucking joy rushed through me as I swung my head around to see Briar standing several feet away with her hands on her hips, glaring daggers at Lula Mae.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Lula Mae snapped at her. “You’ve done enough damage.” Lula Mae then put her other hand on my arm.
“No one asked you,” Briar told her. I wanted to go to her. Grab her. Fucking plead with her, but I stayed still. Not moving. Waiting. I couldn’t scare her off. Not now. She’d come to me.
“You aren’t needed. I can take care of Storm properly. In every way,” Lula Mae said running her hand up my arm. As badly as I wanted to fling her away from me, I watched Briar. If jealousy could bring her to me then I’d fucking take anything.
“He’s not interested in you. Your lies and throwing yourself at him just makes you look pathetic,” Briar replied as she narrowed her eyes at Lula Mae.
“Lies huh? Tell that to his pierced cock,” Lula Mae’s words sent ice cold fear shooting through my chest. Briar would think shit that was so far from the goddamn truth. I had to fix this. If Briar walked away, I would kill Lula Mae. My hand went to grab Lula Mae’s arm so that I could toss her lying ass to the ground but I paused as Briar bent down and slipped her hand inside her boot. I knew what she kept in there. I released Lula Mae’s arm as I watched the most beautiful, poetic shit I’d ever seen as Briar stood back up and pointed that pistol of hers at Lula Mae, looking like an angry angel.
“You’re provoking the wrong woman. I killed my own father, and I am done with your shit.”
Lula Mae’s hands flew up as she let out a cry.
I couldn’t take my eyes off Briar. Even if she hadn’t come to see me, she wasn’t letting someone else touch me. That was a good sign. A real fucking good sign.
The sound of clapping interrupted the scene unfolding, and I barely flicked my gaze to see it was Thatcher walking out of the stables, his eyes on Briar. My eyes went right back to her. Seeing her soothed all the demons that had been clawing inside my head.
“That’s the crazy bitch I knew was in there,” Thatcher announced as he stopped in front of Briar. “You just needed a little nudge.”
What the fuck was he talking about?
He pulled out a cigarette and lit up, then glanced over in this direction. “Go on home, Lula Mae, before either Briar or Storm kills you. I’d say right now, it’s a toss-up,” he said, then walked off toward the house.
“Are you not gonna stop her?” Lula Mae asked beside me, then let out a sob.
“Nope,” I replied, a grin tugging on my lips as Briar lowered the gun, still glaring at Lula Mae.
“Fuck no,” Thatcher’s retreating form called back.
The other woman finally let out another sob and ran off toward the cars.
I took a step in Briar’s direction. “You just pulled a gun on a woman for touching me.” The amusement in my tone was unavoidable. I wanted to fucking laugh.
Briar tucked it back into her boot then straightened and looked up at me as she raised her eyebrows. “She was touching you and she knows your cock is pierced.”