Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
No, thanks.
A wave of fatigue hit her as she delivered a tray of drinks to a table full of rowdy guys.
God, she hoped she wasn’t getting whatever Ryleigh had. She was still feeling unwell.
Well, you can’t get sick, so just push through it.
She couldn’t afford time off. Yesterday, she’d received the bill for Sugar, and she’d nearly cried. It was far more than they could afford, and she didn’t know what they were going to do.
At least she started her first shift at the diner tomorrow. She’d already done some training.
“Hey, sweetie, get us another round, will you?” A middle-aged guy called out from another table as she moved past. He had a potbelly and sweat patches under his arms.
“I’ll let your waitress know,” she said. They were in Lemon’s section.
He scowled. “No, I want you to fucking get them, understand?” Reaching out, he grabbed her wrist and squeezed it. Hard.
Lilac’s heart started racing as her stomach rolled nauseously.
Do as you’re told, Lilac.
You’re just a stupid, ugly bitch.
Her breath heaved in and out of her lungs.
Shit. Fuck.
“Hey! You paying attention? Silly bitch!” The hold on her wrist tightened and she was drawn closer to the disgusting man as his hand came up to grope her ass.
Fight back.
Do something!
Fuck. How could she expect to take Stefan on if she couldn’t even defend herself from this asshole?
“What the fuck? Get your hand off her!”
Tanner appeared and she was released so suddenly that she stumbled back, falling on her ass.
What was happening? Where had Tanner come from? She hadn’t seen him since that night she’d broken the glass.
Tanner had the guy up out of his seat and was shaking him. “Don’t you fucking touch her!” he roared.
She gaped up at him. Her heart was still racing, and she couldn’t move.
Fear had her frozen in place.
Then, all the guys at the table stood. There were several of them. Tanner couldn’t take them all on!
Scrambling to her feet, she curled her hands into fists as she moved to back him up.
“Let go of me, motherfucker!” the guy who’d groped her demanded.
Glancing around, she didn’t see any friendly faces. In the distance, she could see Devon and Carlisle, the bouncer, dealing with another issue.
“Don’t touch what doesn’t belong to you,” Tanner snarled.
“I’ll touch whatever I like.” One of the other guys swung his fist toward Tanner and she threw herself at him, taking both of them to the floor. She lay there, feeling a bit winded.
Someone let out a roar filled with fury, and it shocked her to realize it was Tanner.
The place erupted into a fight. More people joined in, and she couldn’t tell whose side they were on until she saw Raid punch the guy she’d tackled. Someone kicked her, hitting her right in the side.
Ouch.
She needed to get off the floor.
Someone grabbed her, lifting her up into their arms. She tried to fight them, even as pain made her cry out.
“Easy, darlin’,” a voice soothed. “I’m just getting you out of the way before you get hurt.”
She glanced up into an attractive-looking man’s face. He grinned down at her. “Come on, let’s get you out of here. If someone punches my pretty face, then my Snow is gonna be super angry. I won’t be allowed out of the house for a week.”
“Who . . . who are you?” she asked as he carried her to the bar. And who was his Snow? She saw Lemon and Cherie huddled back there with Jeremy standing over them.
“Name’s Beau Malone. Guessing you know my brother, Tanner.”
“Oh, you’re a Malone?”
“Darlin’, you say that with such enthusiasm.” He winked at her as he set her down behind the bar. “Now, stay here with Jeremy until Tanner comes and gets you.”
“I’m not . . . Tanner and I aren’t anything.”
“Uh-huh. Well, anyway. Stay.”
This guy was unbelievable. But then he stepped away.
“Wait, where are you going?”
“Why, to back up my brothers, of course.” He grinned.
“I thought you couldn’t let anything happen to your pretty face.”
“Aww, you think I’m pretty? I’m flattered, but I have a wife. I share her with my brother, but I don’t think she’s looking for a sister-wife.”
“That’s not . . . you called yourself pretty!”
“Stop flattering me,” he yelled back. “I’ve got to go fight.”
He was insane. She watched as he let out a whoop, then forced his way into the fight with a grin.
“Don’t worry, the Malones can take care of themselves,” Cherie told her, taking hold of her wrist to tug her down.
She winced, hissing in pain.
“Shit! I’m sorry. Oh God, look at your wrist!” Cherie said in horror.
“It’s fine.” She glanced down at her wrist which was already swollen.
But Lilac had experience with ignoring pain. What she couldn’t do was ignore the fight happening around her.
This was all her fault.
She should have just gotten the damn drinks. If she hadn’t frozen like that . . .