Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 19640 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 98(@200wpm)___ 79(@250wpm)___ 65(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 19640 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 98(@200wpm)___ 79(@250wpm)___ 65(@300wpm)
Just as I step out of the bodega, tucking the medication into my purse and carrying a bottle of wine under one arm, out of nowhere a hand covers my nose and mouth and yanks me from behind into an alleyway. I try to scream as I'm thrown against a dumpster, but it's useless.
This is it. This is what they always warned me about, and I've been a stupid foolish girl to ignore them. Just like my mother.
But I'm not her, I'm a fighter. I refuse to go down without a fight. Shane taught me better than that, and I think back on my early years learning to box and do jiu-jitsu with him when I was a teenager. It was probably the start of my yearnings for him and now it will come in handy. Now it might save my life.
"You're even prettier than your mother. We're gonna have so much fun with you."
I can't speak with the hand still covering my mouth, but my own hand is free and I grab the neck of the wine bottle and quickly smash it on the dumpster at my side until the jagged edges can draw blood. I swing at my attacker, who's wearing a ski mask, aiming for his head. I leave him dazed, the bright blue eyes shining through the two circles of the dark mask wobbling and closing for a minute, and I take the extra breath to decide if I'm ready to have another man's blood on my hands.
Without waiting to decide, I act on instinct and slice at his neck with the jagged edges of the wine bottle. Crimson Merlot mixes with the fresh blood dripping down his neck and all over my hands. My attacker lets go instantly, but I'm not finished with him. He drops to his knees and I think I've already landed my mark, but I kick him to the ground and continue to slash at his neck with the jagged pieces of glass until his blood gushes and flows onto the sidewalk at my feet.
I drop the wine bottle, my muscles trembling with fear, my mind begging me to run, but all I can do is drop to my knees and sob. I've just saved my own life but I'm not dumb. I know there will be more after him. I know someone will be looking for this man who is tasked with abducting me or worse, killing me today.
I crush my face in my hands, filling my palms with salty tears and smearing myself in my attacker's blood. I can smell the copper liquid mixed with the sweet red wine and I think I'll never be able to drink wine again. My mind turns hazy and I can no longer process what just happened.
Until another man's hands are circling my shoulders and pulling me to my feet.
I grasp for the bottle on the sidewalk, ready to cock it back and slice another man's throat, when a familiar voice pulls me back to reality. "Shelby, it's me. It's uncle Gio. You're safe now."
"Gio?" I open my eyes, thankful to find his piercing dark brown ones looking down at me with warmth and concern. I've never felt safer.
"Thank God I thought to check the battery on your GPS charger. When I noticed you were down the street I thought it must be wrong, I thought you were still in your bedroom reading a book or taking a bath."
A broken sob escapes me and then my entire body breaks down into tremors as I go into a state of shock.
"Jesus. You killed him, Shelby. You really killed him. I'm so fucking proud of you."
He wipes the blood from my face with his dark shirt sleeve, the sting of the tears in my eyes makes me almost dizzy as he wraps an arm around my waist and then walks me step-by-step back to the apartment. Back to safety and his arms.
"Shane isn't gonna be happy that I let you leave."
"You–you didn't let me leave. I left because I wanted to, I left because I needed to walk. I left because I needed some stupid Midol for my cramps."
"Rafe and I could've run to the store for you. I wish you would've stayed. I'm gonna have a hell of a time explaining this to my brother." His eyes light up just as we reach our building and he pauses for a moment and squeezes my hand. "But Jesus, Shelby, I'm so fucking proud of you for holding your own back there."
With his body, he blocks me from the prying eyes of the concierge of the building as we walk through the lobby. He punches the elevator to take us to the top floor and when we enter the penthouse, Rafe is waiting for us with a concerned frown on his face.