Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 80074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Shiloh was tryin’ to act unbothered by their pendin’ absence as well. After all these years, all this time, Trigger finally won her over. They started datin’ earlier this year. I had no clue how he was able to pull it off, but when she was runnin’ for Junior Class President of our school, he was able to get everyone to vote for her in a conventional way. She won the election by a landslide ’cuz of him.
When her name blared through the speakers of our school’s intercom system, she didn’t think twice about it. I watched her walk the ten steps over to Trigger, as did everyone else, throwin’ her arms around his neck. Planting a big fat kiss on his lips.
Her first kiss was in front of our entire school. With none other than the boy who knew she was way out of his league.
Been datin’ ever since.
“Harley, are you even listenin’ to me?” Luke interrupted my memories.
“Yeah, I’m listenin’.”
“Then why are you still standin’ here?”
“What do you mean?”
He nodded behind me.
It was only then I realized what was happenin’ outside our house. Through the front window, I saw Jackson with his back to me, with my father standin’ in front of him.
Holdin’ his gun.
Oh shit!
<>Jackson<>
Then: Eighteen years old
“Boy, do you understand what I’m sayin’?”
I nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“If somethin’ happens to my baby girl. If you so much as lay one goddamn finger on her pretty little head, I will shove this Glock so far down your throat—”
“Daddy!” Harley shouted, saving my ass.
“Creed! Are you serious right now?!” Her mom yelled, rushing back outside with Harley behind her. “Oh my God! I leave you alone for one minute! One minute and you pull this stunt! What is wrong with you?!” She grabbed my arm. “Jackson, baby, I’m so sorry! He doesn’t mean anything—”
“The fuck I don’t.”
My eyes widened, swallowing hard.
“Creed! Enough! You leave this poor boy alone!”
“Pippin, I’m talkin’ to him man-to-man. Mind your business.”
To say the last year and a half of my life didn’t fly by would be an understatement. It was as if one morning I woke up and realized I was graduating from high school in a few weeks.
And now, with her old man standing in front of me holding his gun, I didn’t know if I’d even make it that far.
“Oh my God, Daddy! Have you lost your mind!” Harley seethed, standing in between us. “Put your gun away. This ain’t the wild west.” Turning around to face me, she asked, “Are you okay? I’m so sorry.”
“I’m fine.” With the sincerest expression I could muster, I looked into her daddy’s eyes. “I won’t let anything happen to her, sir. You can trust me with her any place, any time ’cuz Harley’s mine.”
Gremlin jerked back while her mom smiled from ear to ear.
Her old man, he eyed me up and down with a look of pure hatred before stepping up into my face. Spewing, “I meant what I said. My baby girl is mine. And if you for one second think otherwise, I will lay your ass to ground. Ya feel me?”
I didn’t back down. “She can be both of ours.”
“What the crap?” Harley spoke. “I ain’t a dog! Teddy, come on, let’s go!” She gripped onto my arm. “You too, Rudolph, before my daddy kills you.” Kissing her mom on the cheek and then her old man, she added, “Thank you, Daddy. I love you.”
Harley pulled me away, moving quickly toward Shiloh’s Suburban. Dragging me behind her.
“That was the best shit I’ve seen all day.” Trigger laughed his ass off. “Bro, I thought you were gonna shit your pants.” He sniffed the air. “Did you shit your pants? Fuck, I think I may have shit mine.”
“Thanks for the help, dickwad.”
“The fuck was I supposed to do? I live by a code, dodge the father, ram the daughter. And her old man is scary as fuck. I thought he was gonna shoot you. You think it was loaded?”
“Of course it was,” Harley answered for me. “He takes it with him when he goes to check the mail.”
Shiloh was sitting behind the wheel, giggling away. “What? I’m sorry. It was really funny to watch. I thought my daddy was bad, but Jesus, Harley. Your daddy don’t play. He held a gun up to Jackson. That’s just wrong on so many levels.”
“Yeah, he gives zero fucks on what’s right and what’s wrong.” Gremlin took a deep breath. “Can we stop talkin’ about my daddy now?”
Teddy ran up to me, going crazy at my feet.
I crouched down, scratching his face as he licked mine. “Hey, buddy? How’s my boy?”
“Come on, Teddy. Get inside.”
“Go. Listen to your momma.”
He jumped in the back seat, and I helped Harley with her bag and Teddy’s stuff, closing the trunk behind me. We walked around the back to the front of the Suburban, Harley stopping dead in her tracks. Seeing Trigger stepping in to sit shotgun.