Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 80261 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80261 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
On my way into Hayes’s office to tell him I was there earlier than I was supposed to be, I stopped dead in my tracks in the hallway the second I heard a loud crack. It sounded like a body was being thrown against a wall.
With wide eyes, I waited until I heard Hayes roar…
“I warned you, motherfucker!”
Ten
Hayes
Moving in an autopilot state of mind, my fist collided with Taz’s jaw and his head whooshed back, taking half of his body with it. He stumbled, trying to shake it off, but I didn’t waver. Gripping onto the front of his cut, I slammed him back up against the wall and he hit it with a hard thud, knocking the wind out of him.
I never took my eyes off of his as I delivered blow after blow to his body.
“You piece of shit!” I snarled, punching him in the stomach and then in the ribs. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out you asked for her fucking number? That I wouldn’t have seen you on the surveillance videos these last few weeks?” I hurled his body across the room, knocking over the chairs, leaving nothing but destruction in my path.
He peeled over onto his stomach, gasping for air.
“You think you can disrespect me in my bar, motherfucker? Who do you think you’re fucking with?”
I was about to kick him in the stomach again, but the door flew open.
“Oh my god!” Haven shouted, rushing to his side. “Hayes, what are you doing?!”
“If you help him, Peach. You’re going to have to deal with me.”
She immediately halted her steps. Her stare shifted back and forth between us before her eyes landed on me. Instantly taking in my bloody hands.
I stepped toward her, but she stepped back. Holding her arms out in front of her as she fervently shook her head.
In a harsh tone, I exclaimed, “Don’t look at me like that.”
“How do you expect me to look at you?” Her eyes moved to him. “Hayes…” she coaxed in an eerie voice. “He’s not moving.”
“He’s fine.”
“Fine?” she bit out. “What part of him is fine? He’s the opposite of fine!”
“Do I look like I want to be yelled at?”
Her glare locked with mine. “I don’t care! What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“I’m a man of my word, Peach. When threats fail, I use my fists instead.”
“Yeah? And how often do you do that?”
Taz groaned weakly.
“See.” I simply nodded to him. “He’ll live.”
“He needs to go to the hospital.”
“Not this time. Now if he values his life, he’ll stay away from you from this point forward.”
“I… I… I don’t even know what to say to you.”
“That’s a first.” I grabbed my phone, texting one of my old man’s prospects to come get this lowlife, like I was any better than him.
I knew I’d have to deal with my father over this encounter, but I didn’t give a shit. If anything, it’d work in my favor. He’d see how serious I was when it came to her, and he wouldn’t hold her over my head. He’d be fully aware of what I’d do if he did.
This wasn’t just another warning for Taz. It was one for my old man too. I could see the look in his eyes every time I was near her. His mind was just spinning with seedy thoughts of how he could use her against me.
As soon as the prospects walked into my office, I demanded, “Clean up this mess,” before walking out of my office.
For some reason, I thought she’d be long gone after I finished washing myself up, but of course she wasn’t. I was quickly learning, there was no scaring Haven away from me.
Which only fucked with my head that much more.
Once I was back at my desk, she shared, “I can’t believe you just did that to him.” She was sitting on the couch, her head in between her hands.
“He’s lucky I waited this long. I’m not a patient man. I only did that for you.”
We locked eyes.
“For me?” she remarked. “How noble of you to wait and almost kill someone for me.”
“Relax. I just roughed him up a little bit.”
“Tell that to all the blood on the floor, Hayes.”
“It won’t be the first or last time there’s blood on my hands, Haven.”
“What does that even mean? Is that what a one percenter does?”
I sat in my chair. “Come here.”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Peach…”
“I’m not going anywhere near you until you start answering my questions.”
Leaning into my seat, I set my feet on the desk. Might as well get comfortable, she wasn’t going to stop bitching at me.
She repeated, “What’s a one percenter?”
“I heard you the first time.”
“And still you haven’t answered me.”
“Sweetheart, I don’t answer to you.”
“Then who do you answer to?”
In one breath, I replied, “Me.”
“You’re unbelievable.”