Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 36975 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 185(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36975 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 185(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
“Come on, Demi. Asher’s my friend, too. Hell, you’re both family to me.”
“I know, but the threat on her is real.”
“And on me. If that fucker saw me anywhere near her, we’d have a real problem. I don’t have the answers I need yet. Don’t worry about anything like that. I told you already. Asher’s your concern. We’ve all had our share of scares in our Rider family, but yours has been hit the hardest.”
“Thank you, Cyber. You’re a great friend.”
“I know,” I say with a wink. She rolls her eyes and punches me in the shoulder. “That’s the Demi I know.” I pull her in for another hug, squeezing her tight.
“Detective Torres,” she gasps, looking past me.
I release her and spin around to see a good-looking cop, who glares at me. What the fuck is it? Do I have fucking I’m a prick written on my forehead?
“Can I help you?” I ask with a snarl.
“Actually, I think I can help you.” He looks like the only thing he wants to help me with is picking out my casket.
“Were you both at the Samuelson Symphony Center last night?” he asks with his eyes lingering on Demi.
“Maybe,” she answers with a bit of sass. Even I have to look at her with suspicion.
“It’s a yes or no. Demi?”
“You know this asshole?” I ask.
“He was one of the cops I met at my brother’s award ceremony last year.”
“Are you two…?” he asks her. Did he just fucking growl? I can’t wait to tell everyone.
“Why?” she challenges him with more sass than she gives any of us. There is more going on here than a simple acquaintance.
“Because you owe me a date.”
“What the fuck?” I bark out, pretending to be offended.
Demi presses her hand to my shoulder. “Calm down, Cyber.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down. Your brother is in the hospital, and this fuckhead is over here hitting on you like I’m not standing right here.”
She smirks at me, tilting her head. “Says the guy who was eye fucking a girl all night.”
She has a valid point, but this prick doesn’t know that I was mooning over Andrea Cole, my future wife, and that Demi and I are only friends. “Yeah, but he didn’t know that.”
“True. What do you have to say for yourself, Detective?” She whips her head back at him, crossing her arms with attitude, waiting for him to explain himself.
“I know you two aren’t together because I saw the surveillance tapes tonight at the Center, and if you were, you wouldn’t have dared disrespect Demi like that. If you did, I’d have to teach you some fucking manners.”
I point my thumb at him and say, “I like this guy.”
“They’re letting us see him,” Ghost says as he walks up to us. It’s only then that he notices it’s not just the two of us anymore and spots Detective Torres. “Whoa, hey, Torres. Hitting on my sister?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. Well, hold on,” he remarks.
“How long have you been after Demi?” I ask, wanting to know why he wasn’t the one taking her out instead of me. “If you were that interested in her, why was I the one she celebrated her special day with?”
“Because she doesn’t want to be with a cop.”
“Damn… you’re screwed.” I clap his shoulder and walk away.
“Hold up.”
“What?” I ask, spinning around.
“I need to ask you about this evening.”
“What about it?”
“Did you notice a suspicious man in the audience or lurking nearby?”
“I did, but if you spotted me, you probably saw him.”
“We caught you at the entrance of the Center, colliding with Ms. Cole, but we don’t know who we’re looking for when it comes to the stalker.”
“A stalker?”
“Yes, Ms. Cole has a stalker.” I try to visibly remain calm, but internally, hearing the words leaves me seething. Although I’m already aware of the situation, it still pisses me off to hear it again.
“Check the footage for the seating. If it’s anyone, it’s the guy who was just ten to twelve seats away from mine, glaring at me like a creepy fucking freak.”
“If we can gather that footage, we will.” I feel it will be doctored or ruined just like the hotel footage tonight.
“What do you mean?” I question, wondering how much he’s willing to divulge to me. Not that I don’t know most of the details.
“I’m only sharing this with you because I know you’re one of the victims, but this evening her hotel room was trashed, and there was a note that implied you were her love interest, which set him off the deep end.”
“Just keep him out of Steeleville because I can’t say I’ll let him live if he comes near me.”
“Understood.”
“Where is Ms. Cole?”
“She’s actually somewhere in the hospital being examined. Shit. I probably shouldn’t haven’t mentioned that.” He flinches at his slip of the tongue.