Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
“It’s just a party.”
“It’s just a garden snake.”
“Fine! I’ll go!” I hated the thought of going to that stupid party, but I hated the idea of having a snake in my bed even more. “But I’m not staying long.”
“Alright, alright, alright,” Caroline replied in her best Mathew McConaughey voice. “It’s time to par-ty!”
“I don’t know about that.” It was late and I was ready to call it a day, so I didn’t bother arguing. Instead, I simply shook my head and started toward my car. “I’m pretty sure you’d have a better time without me.”
“No way!” she shouted. “We’re gonna have a blast. You just wait and see.”
“If you say so.”
I gave her a quick wave, then got in my car and closed the door.
After another long day at work, I was eager to get home, so I started the engine and eased out of the driveway. I lived in a small studio apartment above MJ’s old law office downtown. Apparently, Smokey had bought the building for MJ so she’d have her place to practice law. Since she didn’t use it very often, they decided to offer the upper level of the building to their work hands.
It wasn’t much—just an eight hundred square foot room with a small bathroom and makeshift kitchen. But the rent was almost nonexistent, and I felt safe there. It was right in the middle of town, and with the help of a few great yard sales and some paint, I’d been able to fix the place up and make it my own. After a long day, I was looking forward to getting home so I could take a hot shower and make myself a bite of dinner.
Unfortunately, my car had other plans.
I was still a good way from town when the engine started knocking, and smoke started to billow from the hood. Panic washed over me as I eased over to the side of the road and turned off the engine. Even though I knew nothing about cars, I popped the latch to the hood and got out to see if I could figure out what was wrong. Being careful not to pinch my fingers, I unlatched the lock, then propped it open.
I’d just leaned in to take a look when the loud rumble of a motorcycle drew my attention out to the road. Panicked, I only glanced up for a moment, but that’s all it took for me to know it was him. That chiseled chin and those broad shoulders were impossible to forget. I nervously dipped my head under my hood and hid and prayed he hadn’t noticed me.
To my immense relief, the rumble faded down the road.
My rapid heart rate was quickly replaced with an unexpected twinge of disappointment. I had no idea what the hell was wrong with me. After a moment of thought, I attributed my mixed feelings to my dire situation. I had no idea what I was doing, but I turned my focus back to my car’s engine and tried to find the source of the problem.
I was figuring out where the smoke was coming from when the rumble returned—louder and closer than before. Damn.
He’d come back.
I heard him pull up behind me and park. I tried to keep my eyes trained on the engine as I listened to him get off his bike and start walking toward me, but I couldn’t resist the temptation to glance over in his direction.
Just as I knew he would, Q looked just as unbelievably hot as he had the first time we’d met. Maybe even hotter. He was wearing a pair of faded jeans with his Satan’s Fury jacket, and his dark hair was disheveled and down around his eyes. His handsome face was void of expression as he sauntered over to me and asked, “Engine trouble?”
“Yes, but it’s nothing I can’t take care of.”
“Oh, yeah?” Q took a step closer and leaned in for a better look. He studied the engine for a moment, then winced like he’d seen something disastrous. “Oh, damn.”
“What?”
“Nothing.” He turned to me with a smug look on his face as he continued, “Like you said, it’s nothing you can’t take care of.”
With that, he turned and started walking back over to his bike. Fearing he might actually leave, I turned to him and asked, “Seriously? You’re just gonna leave without even telling me what’s wrong with it?”
“Thought you didn’t need my help.”
“I don’t. I was just...” I had no clue what I was going to do about my car. I didn’t know any mechanics in town or if there was a tow service in the area. If that wasn’t enough, I’d spent most of my last check on bills and was short on cash. I needed help, but call it pride or simple self-preservation, I brought up my hand and waved him off. “Just forget it. I’ll figure it out.”