Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 90721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“Hey, pretty girl. I see your wearing your favorite color again.” I teased, running my finger along her stained shirt.
She smiled sadly. “Yeah, it’s the bane of my existence. I’m used to it though.”
Winter, who was sitting on the chair on the opposite side of where I was standing, stood and placed her hands on the side of the bed. “That girl of yours is a brawler. You should’ve seen what she did when that guy tried to take the meds we had on board.”
Baylee looked at me quickly, and then adverted her eyes before she could see the admonishment look on my face.
“So what happened?” Allen asked authoritatively.
“I’d like to know the same thing.” Luke said from the partition.
I knew he was there. Had seen him enter as soon as the doors opened at the front of the room. Had even received the silent message that Luke had something to say to me, and not to leave if I wanted to live.
Baylee groaned and covered her face with her hands. “Shhhiiiit.”
Winter snorted. “You could say that.”
Sighing, Baylee’s hands dropped from her face, and she looked from me, to Luke, to Allen, to Winter, and finally back to Allen.
“The guy was supposed to be a drunk and disorderly. Except he wasn’t that drunk. Found him outside the IHop nursing a brown bag special. Got him loaded into the bus, took his vitals, and then he just went...nuts. Demanded medication for his headache...medication we damn well don’t even carry. Winter was driving, and trying to pull over, but we were in the middle of rush hour on the interstate. Then he started threatening to rape me. What the hell was I supposed to do? Spread my legs and let him take me?” Baylee finished on a snarl.
Luke and Allen took a step back at her vehemence. I didn’t.
I closed the distance between us, placed one fist on either side of her face, and leaned in until our noses were touching. “No. You never just lean back and take it. You fucking gouge his eyes out, and do just exactly what you did. You wait until your man gets there; you hold on, you fight for your life. ‘Cause once I get there, that man’s finished. Do you understand me? Done. God help me if he tries it while I’m there, too.”
Baylee’s eyes widened, and flicked nervously towards the side to the partition separating her from the next room, and suddenly I knew.
The man that had the nerve to lay his hands on my defenseless woman, to threaten to rape her, was in the very next room. Smiling a tad manically, I leveraged myself up and sauntered out of the room.
And how about that, they left him unattended.
Walking in quietly, I had nearly gotten the door closed when a hand stopped its movements, and Luke pushed his way inside.
I ignored her brother, cracked my knuckles, and went to work.
Luke and I had some sort of bonding moment in those fifteen minutes.
Words weren’t spoken or anything, but we came to an understanding.
One where Luke’s sister, my woman, were put first above all others.
With that, we became...not enemies.
***
“Do you want to go to my place, or your place? You won’t be working for a good week, if not more.” I told Baylee as we walked carefully out to my bike.
I’d asked if she wanted her brother to take her home since he’d had a vehicle, but Baylee shook her head and declined, saying she’d probably be more comfortable with me against her front to hold her steady.
I’d been skeptical, but she’d been insistent, and I decided to just let it lie. She was tired, and arguing with her about it wasn’t going to help.
“Your place. My parents are staying at mine.” She said tiredly.
I stopped and stared at her. “Your parents are at your place, and you want me to take you to my house? Why?”
She shrugged. “If you take me home, then I won’t be able to sleep next to you all night. I don’t want that.”
I pulled her into my chest tenderly, kissing the top of her head softly before releasing her and heading to my bike.
“I guess I didn’t realize it was already time for them to be here. When did they get in?” I asked as we arrived at my bike.
“They aren’t going to be worried about you if you come to my place?” I asked worriedly.
“They don’t know. Luke pinky promised that he wouldn’t tell them if I told them tomorrow. Plus, Katy is at my house with them; I just want to sleep, and she won’t let me if I go home. Not to mention the fact that you won’t be there. So, I think I’ll stay with you, if that’s alight?” She explained.
I nodded in confirmation. “My sister has Johnny tonight, so that’ll work out for you getting some shut eye. I have to go pick him up in the A.M. though. James can only handle so much.”
“You want something to eat before we go home?” I asked as I put the key into the bike.
“No, I just want to go home, down my painkillers, and sleep for sixteen hours straight.”
“That, I think we can do.” I acknowledged just before the bike rumbled to life. “Hold on to me, girl. This’s gonna hurt.”
Baylee wrapped herself around me tighter, and then buried her nose into my back.
***
Baylee
The sound of shrieking laughter, followed by the patter of little feet woke me from my drug-induced haze.
I made the mistake of rolling from my side, where the pillows kept me in one place, to my stomach, and about died at the pain that radiated out from my ribs.
Bile surged up my throat, but I knew from experience that if I puke, I’d only make things infinitely worse. I’d learned that the hard way after my last work accident. It was zero fun, sir.
My mother’s familiar calming voice came from the porch beyond Sebastian’s room made me peel my eyes open to see mid-morning sun streaming through the pulled blinds of Sebastian’s window.