Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 60965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
“Whatever happened between you two…” I can’t finish the thought.
My voice is caught in my throat for a moment, my eyes going back to the exit where I can clearly see the guests. My heart pounds once then twice as time seems to pass in slow motion and I have to think quick. Liam takes a large step forward, closing the distance between us and I instantly take one back, although it’s on the edge of the sidewalk and my heel slips. I almost fall backward, and he catches me.
He chuckles and reeks of liquor. I push my hands against his chest as I find purchase on the sidewalk, turning my body so he’s no longer between me and the exit.
He’s drunk and he’s angry, so I’m careful as I pry his hands off me as respectfully as possible and desperately try to put more space between us.
“He’s coming,” I tell Liam breathlessly. I have to clear my throat and repeat myself to sound surer of what I’m saying, but it doesn’t fool Liam. Either that, or he doesn’t care.
“You really want a man like that?” he asks me. “After what he’s done?” he says and squints his eyes, and my throat closes with fear with the tone he takes. What does he know?
“What?” I say, licking my lips although in the cold air it only makes them feel chapped. “What exactly did he do?” I ask Liam, taking another step back. I watch as he looks toward the door and then takes another step closer to me, his hands slipping into the pockets of his slacks. “Business partnerships don’t always—”
“I’m going to make him pay,” he says, cutting me off and raising his brow as he reaches in his pocket for something. I involuntarily tense up, but it’s only a pack of cigarettes. He takes one out, then offers the pack to me as he slips a cig between his lips and tilts his head back.
“No thank you,” I tell him, “I was just heading inside.”
“No you weren’t,” he says as he lights the cigarette, the tiny flame illuminating his face. He takes the cigarette out of his mouth, pinching it between his forefinger and thumb as he says, “You just came out here.”
“I made a mistake.” I’m quick to answer and it only makes him smile.
“Yeah you did,” he says and the smile morphs from cocky to something else. Something sinister.
“I have to go,” I say and turn my back to him, heading for the door. But I only take a single step before his hand is wrapped around my hip, pulling me backward and into his hard chest.
“Get off me!” I yell out and drop my clutch as I try to pry his fingers away from me. He’s holding me with a bruising force, the tips of his fingers digging into the flesh at my hips.
“Hey now,” Liam says, nearly laughing the words as he spits out the cigarette and covers my mouth with his other hand. “Hush, hush, it’s okay,” he whispers against the shell of my ear. The cocktail of smoke and lingering alcohol mixes and fills my lungs as I heave in a breath. This is not happening.
I yank my elbow back with everything I have and shove it into Liam’s gut. He releases me and I don’t waste a second, I run for the door straight in front of me. My shrug falls off and I’ve already lost my clutch, but as far as I’m concerned, it can stay wherever it is forever.
My palms slap against the glass door, forcing my body to come to a halt and the doorman looks at me with complete surprise as I stand there doubled over and desperate for air.
I’m shaking and completely wrecked. I’ve dealt with drunken men and roaming hands before. But never from a man angry with my supposed fiancé. I can barely wrap my head around what happened. He grabbed me. He held his hand over my mouth.
The door opens and even though I feel like I’m going to be sick, I walk in, trying to hide what’s happened, but completely unable to compose myself. My legs are shaky and I still struggle to come to terms with being grabbed like that. I don’t know what to do. I grip onto the man’s arm and try to clear my head from the fog of shock, but I’m not given long before a strong grip pulls me away from him.
I yell out in surprise and fear until I realize it’s Mason. He holds my forearms and forces me to look at him, and I lose it.
“Jules?” He says my name, compassion and worry evident. I shake my head, and say the only thing I can think of. “Liam—” I say but then my voice croaks, unable to get out the rest of the words. Unable to express what just happened moments ago.