Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 28259 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 141(@200wpm)___ 113(@250wpm)___ 94(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28259 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 141(@200wpm)___ 113(@250wpm)___ 94(@300wpm)
He laughs. “You’re not serious, right? This is my spot. I’m working this building–”
“Do you actually believe I’m still in that life?”
“I mean look at you. Why wouldn’t you be?” he scoffs and gestures at my height.
“Don’t make this harder on yourself, Roy. Give me the jewels you just snatched,” I demand and watch him.
To my surprise, Roy shoves me back and starts running down the stairs and out of the building. I steady myself and take off after him, hoping to catch him before he disappears into the early afternoon.
14
HAVANA
I can hardly believe what I’m watching as Roy molests my bed sheets. Burn those.
It makes me think of Hendrix’s option of setting it all ablaze on his brother’s property. At least it’s something to look forward to as I continue to watch Roy scour my apartment for whatever he can shove into his pockets.
When he finally leaves, I let out a sigh of relief, knowing that Hendrix will take care of it. So I get out of the car and begin making my way to the building, hoping that the police are arriving soon.
Everything seems to unfold in slow motion as I reach the bottom of the steps leading into my apartment building. Roy comes bursting through the lobby door, taking the steps in a single leap, and ready to plow over me.
“You stupid bitch! This is all your fault,” he shouts and spins around me, throwing an arm around my torso. He pins my arms to my side and pulls a knife out, holding it to my throat.
Hendrix comes out seconds later and immediately turns a shade of red. It’s like I can feel his rage from where I’m standing, and I know everything is going to be alright.
“Drop it, Roy,” Hendrix commands, his voice menacingly low.
“Ha! Right, like I’m going to do that. No, what you’re going to do is back off while me and this sweet little thing go for a ride. I’ll let her go before I get out of Conklin.”
My eyes scan our surroundings, taking stumbling steps with Roy at my back. He snarls in my ear, “Do anything funny and you’ll regret it. I’ll slice you up.”
I take a deep breath when I see Hayden moving closer to us from the dark alleyway separating my building from the building next door.
“You’re alright, Havana,” Hendrix tells me with certainty in his voice that makes me relax.
“Hey,” Hayden calls out before throwing something with deadly accuracy in Roy’s direction. It’s a knife that sticks to the telephone pole just behind us, but it does what Hayden and Hendrix need it to do. It distracts Roy just enough for me to spin away from him.
Hendrix takes three large steps to get to us. Roy decides to run instead of hanging around.
Hendrix shouts to Hayden, “Watch her.”
I watch him take off down the street, his hair flying behind him as he catches up to Roy and slams him into the concrete. There’s a blur of fists flying, arguing, and shouting as Hendrix deals blow after blow until the police arrive.
Hayden stands beside me with his arms folded over his chest and wearing a large smile.
“Aren’t you going to help him?” I ask.
“Who?” he laughs. “The junk plumber? Jimi’s fine. Look.”
I turn again to see Hendrix dragging an unconscious Roy back toward us where officers swarm around him.
“Now, I’ll help,” Hayden tells me and steps forward. “Hey fellas, I have some footage y’all should see.”
“This your bounty?” one of the officers asks Hayden.
The eldest Haven brother shakes his head. “No, but if he skips bail, he might be. This one’s fresh. Got him on camera stealing and I’m sure those cameras across the street have him holding this young lady hostage at knifepoint.”
“Alright, we’ll take it from here. I’m going to need y’all to come to the station and make a statement for the reports and all,” the cop tells us as he puts Roy into the back of his police car.
Once we finish talking to them, Hendrix takes my face into his hands, looking me over, and I grab his fingers. “I’m fine. I swear. I’m not hurt.”
“Good,” he huffs. “I would have had to kill him.”
“I thought you were going to for a second,” I admit.
“I might have if I didn’t think about you.” He kisses me softly. “Baby girl, there’s nothing in this world that’s going to take me away from you. Not even that jackass.”
The security I feel in his embrace lets me know that he means every single word. When he lets me go, Hayden and Hudson approach with Lucille close behind them.
“You think this is over?” Lucille asks.
I think so, telling her, “I think him trying to take me hostage along with attacking that pawn store clerk and his behavior here should help keep him locked up, right?”