Total pages in book: 266
Estimated words: 250787 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1254(@200wpm)___ 1003(@250wpm)___ 836(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 250787 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1254(@200wpm)___ 1003(@250wpm)___ 836(@300wpm)
When he pulls away, I open my eyes. “Can we go for a ride?” I ask before I lose my nerve.
“You want to go for a ride?” he asks.
I sit up, nodding. “Yeah. On your bike.” I have to make him think he’s in charge and can control things.
“Of course.” He smiles at me, and my stomach sinks. I feel like I’m going to get sick. “Get dressed. We’ll go back to my house and grab a helmet and jacket for you.”
I wave him off. “I don’t need that stuff.”
He snorts. “You’re not getting on the back of a bike unless you’re wearing some kind of gear.”
“I’ve never seen you wear gear,” I state, whatever that entails.
He smirks. “I don’t care if I die.”
His words are like a slap in the face, and my breathing becomes labored. As he leans over once again, his lips gently touch mine as he speaks. “I don’t want something happening to you.” With that, he walks into my bathroom.
I take the second alone and bury my face in my hands. I’ve never hated the Lords more than I do right now. They did this on purpose. They put me in his life to take him away from me. I shouldn’t care about this monster as much as I do. I should want to give him up. But I want him to be mine. And I want to be his.
He cares about me. I’m not saying it’s love, but it’s more than what it started out as. Slowly, I get out of bed and walk to my closet to get dressed, still trying to think of a plan to save us both.
HAIDYN
Twenty minutes later, we’re at my house. I’m pulling my bike into the driveway while she parks her SUV in the garage. I walk over to the wall and grab a helmet and a jacket. They’re too big for her, but it’s better than nothing. I was being honest when I said that I didn’t care if I died. I’ve seen too many riders die due to a lack of gear.
She walks over to me on autopilot, and I slide her arms into the jacket and over her shoulders zipping it up. “Have you ever ridden on the back of a bike?” I ask.
She shakes her head. I want to spank her ass with my belt for not using her words, but I’ll let it slide this time because I have bigger plans for her.
She’s quiet. More than usual. My eyes look over her jeans and tennis shoes, and I watch her nibble on her lip. Her hands have a death grip on her phone, and her eyes stare straight ahead. Her back is rigid, and she still wears the ring that dipshit gave her as if it means something.
I pretended to be surprised that she canceled dinner, but I wasn’t. She’s getting easier to read. Unable to hide what she’s thinking from me.
She wanted to feel something from me, so she chose sex. She wanted me to erase her mind of the fake boyfriend. Even though it wasn’t real, he still made her feel bad for what we’re doing. Fuck that piece of shit.
I wanted to fuck with her head in her bed. I wasn’t gentle, but I wasn’t as rough as I’ve been with her body. I wanted her to feel me, and I wanted her to understand how she felt when with me. The Lords teach that a mind is a powerful thing. And when you start to second-guess yourself, it all goes downhill.
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes.” Her brows furrow, and I can’t tell if she’s surprised by that answer or confused that I asked.
“Hold on to me and follow my lead.” She’s never ridden before, but I’m not going to do anything drastic with her on the back. I want her to feel safe. She already seems to be terrified. “It may feel awkward or scary, but I’ve got you, okay?”
“Okay.” She nods, dropping her eyes to the garage floor, and a silence lingers.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Charlotte?” I ask, reaching out and cupping her face.
“Yeah.” She jumps, surprised at the contact, and nods. “I’m good.”
“Is there anywhere in particular where you want to ride to?” I ask, wanting to keep her in conversation.
“No,” she answers softly.
I press my lips to hers, and she instantly melts in my hands. Her body presses into mine, and I slap her ass to keep it light. “Let’s go,” I say, pushing the helmet onto her head and buckling it for her.
SIXTY-TWO
CHARLOTTE
He turns his back to start his bike, and I slide the cell phone the Lords gave me into one of the pockets and zip it up. I’m breathing heavily inside the helmet, and I’m already shaking.
Haidyn slaps the back of my helmet. “Get on, doll face.” He holds out his hand, and I quickly rub mine on my jeans to wipe off the sweat, hoping he doesn’t notice before I put it in his.