Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 113639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 568(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 568(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
Her beautiful eyes are closed as she silently weeps.
“Be brave, baby. Trust me, you’ll be happy to have my mark.” My eyes meet Ryder’s, his dark eyes questioning. He must be satisfied because we brand her right under her ear. The smell of burning flesh fills the small space.
She hisses but stays still. A wave of admiration for this woman flows through me. I’ve seen most bikers need a bottle of tequila before they get their brand. Even then, they usually howl like a fucking girl.
But not this girl. I turn her around. Her limp body fits into my arms. All I want to do is hold her.
What the hell is wrong with me? Her hands cling to my cut as I cradle her head in my chest. Shuffling and murmurs of approval come from my men.
I look into James’s eyes. He seems calmer, knows I gave his daughter my special mark. The mark of my woman. She won’t be the club’s whore.
Lifting her into my arms, I frown at how light she is and how much emotion this woman brings out of me. The burn is already puckering and angry and needs to be tended. I’ll have someone take a look when I get us back to the clubhouse.
It’s been a long, shitty day. I walk out holding her. It’s dark and the night air’s cooler. Her eyes open and she reaches for her neck.
“Don’t,” I command. She obeys and drops her hand.
“I can’t leave my father.” She starts to struggle. “Please, he will die without me.” I get to my bike and let her slender body slide down mine.
“No, someone will take care of him. Or maybe now that you’re gone he can go in peace. That”—I nod in the direction of her trailer—“wasn’t living.” I take off my jacket and slip it on her. She must be cold because she says nothing. Her mind’s going a mile a minute. I can hear her head dissect my words, knowing I’m right.
“Eve?” Her eyes pop to mine. “Where’s Paul’s trailer?”
“Second one to the right.”
I nod at Axel and Ox. Her eyes dart after them as they approach Paul’s trailer. “But he’s gone—has been for a couple of days.” The hatred that oozes out of her voice makes me pause.
“Did he hurt you?” I was getting ready to forget about all this shit. I have the girl and way too many other things to deal with. But something in her tone makes me want to hunt him and kill him.
“Did he?” I lift her chin with my fingers. I need to see her eyes.
“No. No one hurts me. I told you, I can take care of myself. But he hurt others and he was… not right. Not to mention he—”
“Jesus.” Paul’s trailer door pounds open with so much force the small glass window in the door shatters.
“Holy Christ.” Axel and Ox stumble out the back of the trailer, the smell of death traveling like the grim reaper himself.
My arm goes around Eve as I move in front of her. “Stay.” She doesn’t move, her eyes huge. I see Edge move to her right.
“The motherfucker’s dead. And from the looks and smell of him I’d say by a couple days.” Ox spits on the dirt. Eve gags. My eyes search her pale face.
“Ox, get this place closed down.” I look around at the carnival—it’s in full swing. Thankfully the funhouse is in front of Paul’s trailer, pumping out Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine.”
“With this stench, people are gonna call the cops.” I step into the putrid trailer with Axel.
“Edge, stay with Eve.” I look over my shoulder at her. Her long golden hair blows in the wind.
She shakes her head, backing up like she’s getting ready to bolt.
“I… I can’t leave. Wait… Paul’s dead? I need to talk to the police. You can’t take me—it’s called kidnapping.” She looks fragile, her arms wrapped around her as she shivers in the night. My head is starting to pound. She’s right, though we need to get the hell out of here. But first, I want to make sure this piece of shit is actually Paul.
“Edge, fucking hold her.” She goes to run, but he grabs her and muffles her screams with his hand.
“Let’s get this over with.” Entering the trailer, I notice the fluorescent light is on. I don’t know what I was expecting but not Paul sitting on the couch, his head bashed in with what looks like someone took a baseball bat to him.
“I take it there are no drugs or money?” I glance at Axel.
He shakes his head. “I bet Benny did it. He wanted the drugs and the money and didn’t want to share.” He shakes his dark head. “Fuck, he stinks, huh? I haven’t smelled this harsh of a stench since Afghanistan.”