Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 92782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
This was fine. I would be fine.
“Liberty?” Country’s voice called out, and my head snapped up from the floor I’d been staring at.
Had he followed me out?
“Hey,” I said, managing a small smile. I wanted to be alone, but considering Liam had made things ugly the last time I had seen him, I felt like I needed to be nice. He was my friend here.
A scowl came over his face as he studied me. “You okay?” he asked, then nodded his head back toward the door. “That in there got you upset?”
I swallowed against the lump in my throat.
I don’t want to talk about it, Country. I’ll cry. Go back inside.
I nodded. “Fine. Just a lot of people. I’m taking a breather,” I explained.
He shook his head and glared at the door. “That’s not right. You deserve more respect than that.”
Stop it!
I sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. My eyes stung, and if he didn’t stop, I’d lose it.
“That is fine,” I lied. “It’s been a long day, and I’m tired. I’m not worried about”—I waved a hand in that direction—“whatever that is.”
He wasn’t convinced. Acting had never been my strong suit.
Country walked over to me, compassion on his handsome face. “I’ve been worried about you. I’d have called or texted, but”—he stopped as a pained look came over him—“I didn’t think that would be okay.”
It wouldn’t have. I was glad he’d not done either.
“Things have been good. Really good,” I told him, not having to lie this time. They had been good. But there was no Demi in Ocala.
Slowly, the thought came to me that, although there was no Demi, Liam went to work every day in an office above a strip club. There were many potential Demis there. Did he have a favorite at Devil’s?
Fisting my hand, I placed it on my chest and sucked in a breath. I hadn’t thought of that. He didn’t seem to find it inappropriate for Demi to touch him here, so what happened at Devil’s? I wasn’t there to see it.
“Liberty, look at me.” Country sounded worried.
I just shook my head. I couldn’t look at him. He’d see the devastation on my face. I didn’t want his pity. I was so stupid. Liam was a biker. He was around gorgeous, younger, naked women all the time, at his disposal.
“Liberty!” Liam’s voice carried loudly down the hallway.
I lifted my head to see him stalking toward me. I tensed when my eyes met his. The rage glaring back at me shifted to Country.
Oh no.
“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!” he roared.
Country flinched, but he didn’t back away. He squared his shoulders and stood there like an idiot. He needed to run. I’d never seen Liam like this, and I wasn’t sure I didn’t need to run. He was frightening.
“She was upset,” Country said defensively, but the waver in his voice told me he was scared.
The door swung open again, and I glanced back briefly, afraid to take my eyes off Liam, to see others pouring into the hallway.
Liam moved then, and I stepped back, only to realize he had grabbed the collar on Country’s shirt. Opening my mouth to stop him, I watched in horror as Liam’s fist connected with Country’s face, causing his head to snap back.
Oh no, oh no.
“Liam, stop!” I shouted, reaching for his arm.
His eyes swung to me, and the earlier rage had morphed into something feral as his eyes gleamed in a way that caused me to freeze.
“Go to my suite, Liberty,” he ground out.
I shook my head. If I ran, he’d kill Country. Whatever was going on in his head right now was dangerous.
“No. Let him go,” I begged.
Liam let out a dark rumble in his chest, and his fist slammed into Country’s face again.
I screamed as blood shot from his nose and Country’s head drooped forward.
“GO TO MY GODDAMN ROOM!” Liam roared as his eyes bored into me, looking unhinged.
“He will kill him if you don’t,” Jars said.
A sob broke free as I looked back at the other man. Jars’s expression was severe. The others were silent. No one moved to help Country though. I wanted to help him and stop Liam, but the more I said, the worse it seemed to get.
“LIBERTY, NOW!” Liam shouted.
Crying, I turned and ran for the stairs. How I managed to get up them without falling while my vision was so blurry from the tears I didn’t know. When I hit the top step, I paused, looking back. Country was hurt because he had been worried about me.
I didn’t know that man I’d just watched. Liam had been someone else. Someone violent and cruel.
“Did you touch her?!” Liam’s voice carried up the stairs.
I couldn’t hear Country’s response. Was he even conscious?
I heard feet shuffling, then the deep rumble of another man talking, but it wasn’t loud enough for me to make out.