Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 77842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Grabbing a random bag of apples, I shove them in the basket and get the last few items I need, without coming to a full stop. Zigzagging through people and cutting them off to get to Blair’s lane, I dump my items on the belt, and she starts checking me out.
“You okay, Rain? You look sick.”
Digging in my purse for my card, my eyes looking over my shoulder, I reply, “Um, yeah. Just in a hurry.”
“Did Heston find you?’ My head snaps up, and I almost drop my purse. “He came in looking for you a few minutes ago.” I freeze, I knew someone was watching me.
“Did he say anything to you?” I frantically ask. Looking up from the scanner, she gazes at me, a confused look on her face from my sudden change in demeanor.
“You know what, here’s forty, keep the change.” Setting the two twenty-dollar bills on the belt, I grab my bags and rush to the exit. Outside, my feet make haste, my arms squeezing my bags against my chest. I hurry to my car, praying Heston doesn’t find me. After the way he was last night, the idea of us being alone together is terrifying. Jerking my car door open and shoving the bags into the passenger seat, I turn the car on, make sure my doors are locked, and peel out of the lot.
Glancing in my rearview, I anxiously rub my neck. What am I going to do? Heston knows where I live, where I shop, and who I talk to. Maybe I should toughen up and sit down and talk to him. But his voice last night, and the words he chose to roar into the night, make me second-guess being anywhere near him. No, I should get a restraining order. That’s stupid though, they don’t work. Heston can show up to hurt me and I’ll only have a piece of paper to protect me.
What I need is a taser or, better yet, a gun.
33
Pulling into the driveway, I shut off the vehicle and shove my door open, stepping out onto shaky legs. Even after the drive home, I’m still upset.
“Just in time.” Looking up, Rhodes is heading my way with a couple of grocery bags of his own. Noticing my unease, his face falls serious, and he quickens his step.
“You alright? What happened?”
“Heston was there looking for me.” Tears fill my eyes, and Rhodes pulls me into his arms and rubs my back. His jaw tenses, eyes going sharp as anger washes over him.
“It’s alright, he ain’t here. You’re okay.” He reassures me, and I exhale a trembling breath.
“I used to think he was a good guy, but lately, I’m scared of him, Rhodes.”
His chest rises, a complex look causing his green eyes to turn the color of a burned-down forest.
“I have some buddies I ride with, I’ll give them a call and see what we can do.”
Biker buddies, like in a motorcycle club? “No, I don’t want this to get any worse.”
“You getting hurt, or Paige, is the worst that can happen, and I’m going to make sure it doesn’t.”
“Rhodes, this is our home not fucking Sons of Anarchy! We need to call the police…”
“Tell me, Rain, how many times have the cops helped you in the past?”
Ready to argue, I think back to Cam and me and the times I was able to slip from his grip and reach the phone to call for help. An officer would show up and Cam would give them some story and that was it. They asked me a few questions and told us to stay away from each other the rest of the night. That’s it. That’s the help I got.
“That’s what I thought.” His voice gets rougher, and I give in. My daughter is at risk because of a guy I brought into our lives, a wolf in sheep’s clothing that couldn’t handle a break-up.
“Okay,” I accept his help, not that saying no would have stopped him. Rhodes is a man who has his own set of rules and he would have gotten into the middle of this situation either way. I still don’t understand why though, since we’re just neighbors, if that.
Inside the house, light noise comes from the living room. Paige is curled up in a corner of the couch, her elbow on the arm rest, her head using her hand as a pillow. She’s expressionless; even as the people on the TV laugh, her eyes are sad.
“Hey baby, I’m back,” I say, setting the food on the counter and masking my emotions so she doesn’t sense something is wrong.
“Hey,” she mutters, not lifting her eyes or head to look at me.
I should have taken her with me, got her out of the house for some sun and fresh air. Then again, I’m glad she didn’t go because of Heston. Rubbing my forehead, I can’t help but wonder how long it’s going to be like this with him. When will he actually move on?