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)
I surprised her when I replied, “I had no choice.”
“What does that mean? Did he bribe you?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“He used my mother against me.”
She jerked back.
“You wanted answers, there’s one.”
“How did he use her?”
“It’s a long story.”
“I have time.”
“I don’t.”
She opened her mouth, but my cellphone rang.
“I have to take this.”
“So take it.”
With a stern tone, I informed, “I need some privacy.”
Her eyebrows pinched together. “Oh,” she exclaimed. “Ummm… yeah. No problem.”
I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but it was obvious I did.
“Peach—”
“I’m going to change. I’ll see you out there.” With that, she turned and left. Closing the door behind her.
“Fuck.” I shook my head, rubbing my temples from the splitting headache that was forming. “Yeah,” I answered my phone, feeling like the weight of the world was on my shoulders.
Haven
Who is he talking to?
The question plagued my mind as I cleaned up in the employee shower, wanting to wash away the sweat from the game. When I was finished, I changed into ripped jeans and a crop top and fixed my hair and makeup before making my way out to the bar. For the next hour, I waited on my tables until I saw Billy sitting at the corner booth with his usual biker friends surrounding him.
There was just something about the way he was sitting there without a care in the world. Completely unfazed with what he put me through at the warehouse that triggered my anger, and the longer I thought about it, the further my fury arose.
The guy who spanked my ass, backed me into the wall behind me.
“Why are you running, baby? I just want a taste.”
“A taste of what?”
“That sweet pussy.”
My heart dropped to the floor as I opened my mouth to scream, but I barely let out a shriek when he put his hand over my lips.
“Shhhh… No need to make a scene. Besides, no one’s going to hear you out here, baby.”
I shook away the memory and the fear I felt deep in my bones, and just snapped. With one determined stride after the other, I was standing in front of him before I realized what I was doing.
Unable to hold back, I spewed, “I don’t know what stunt you were trying to pull last week, but it’ll never happen again. From that point forward, I stopped working for you and now I work for your son instead. Who let me remind you, is a far better man than you.”
“Hate to break it to you, but I’ve taught him everything he knows.”
“Well, thank God, he’s nothing like you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, darlin’. He’s exactly like me. We’re cut from the same cloth. I’m in his blood.”
I didn’t hesitate. “So is his mothers.”
His eyes widened. “What do you know about his mother? He’s told you about her?”
“I know she’s the reason he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. He’s protective. Caring. Loving. Will do anything for me. Unlike you, who uses girls to push whatever sick agenda you’re trying to pull. Let me make it crystal clear to you, if you think for one second you scared me away by sending me to that warehouse to get raped, then you have another thing coming. Your plan backfired. It only made us get closer.”
“Rape?” one of his biker friends chimed in.
“Yeah,” I asserted, looking at him. “You don’t know what your Prez did to me last week?”
Billy roared, “You need to shut the fuck up.”
I stepped up to his face. “Or what? Newsflash, asshole! I’m not scared of you.”
“You will be.”
Before the last word left his mouth, Hayes was suddenly placing my body behind his.
Shit.
It was only then it dawned on me what I just started.
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll back the fuck up or I’ll do it for you.”
Billy viciously smiled. “My son. The fucking hero.”
I glanced around the bar, thankful a crowd hadn’t gathered. The place was packed, and the music was too loud. Nobody was the wiser.
“All my life, I’ve fucking hated you,” Hayes admitted. “Not just me…but your wife did too. You’re nothing but a piece of shit wearing a biker cut, Billy. It’s all you’ve ever been.”
“And what about you? Huh? Like you’re any better than me. You’re the reason your mom’s gone.”
My mouth parted.
He was?
I was on pins and needles. Aware this wouldn’t end well between them.
Us?
I never predicted what Billy alleged next…
Not in a million years.
“You’re playing with fire, Hayes. I know what you’re doing. She doesn’t. Because if she did, she’d be staying the fuck away from you.”
What was that supposed to mean?
I resisted the urge to ask exactly that.
If Hayes was shocked by what he insinuated, he didn’t show it in the least.
“Didn’t think I’d find out, did you? What, son? You think you can threaten me and I’m not going to dig? She’s the first girl you’ve ever given a fuck about, and I couldn’t understand why until now.”