Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 91042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
He stood up, and I hoped that meant he was leaving. “That’s not true. You love me.”
I shook my head. “No, I don’t.”
He walked toward me, and I watched him warily.
“Winzy, come on. I’ve been punished, babe. A fucking year of it. Just give me a little here. Something to work with.”
I held up both hands when it didn’t look like he was going to stop until he was on top of me. “Look, as hard as this might be for you to understand, I don’t love you. I don’t want you. I actually don’t even think about you. I’m in a relationship.” I pointed at the oven. “Smell that? It’s lasagna. I’m making it for our dinner.”
Alec shrugged. “I don’t doubt you are. You’re beautiful. It’s why I asked you out the first time. But he’s not me.”
Thank God for that.
“No, he isn’t. But I don’t love you or want you.”
“Don’t believe it,” he said, then grabbed the back of my head and slammed his mouth against mine.
I shook my head, shoving at his chest, and pressed my lips together tightly while his tongue kept pushing to get inside.
EW! NO!
When that didn’t work, I began to hit his chest with my fist.
That seemed to get through to him, and he pulled back, his hand still on the back of my head.
“Are you really not going to kiss me back?”
I wiped at my mouth and ducked my head to get away from his hand, then backed up, stumbling in the process. “What is wrong with you? I said I was in a relationship, and I didn’t want you!” I shouted.
“We have history,” he said, patting his chest. “A connection. One that whatever new thing you got with someone else can’t touch.”
I backed away some more. “You need to leave. If you don’t, I am going to call the cops,” I informed him.
He started to say something, but the sound of a key in the lock caught my attention, and then the door swung open. Oz came stalking inside the room. He looked at Alec, and then his gaze swung to mine. There was a wild gleam in them. His attention back on Alec, he continued toward him.
Alec smiled at him. “Hey, man. I’m a fr—” He froze as the barrel of a pistol was pressed to his forehead.
I felt like all the blood had drained from my body in an instant.
“Whoa, man.” Alec’s voice wavered. “No need for guns.”
“You put your hands and mouth on what is mine.”
A cold shiver ran down my spine as I stood there, unable to move or speak. Too many things were ticking off in my head. All at once.
“Uh, Winzy, little help here.” Alec’s words gave away his fear.
“YOU DON’T TALK TO HER!” Oz roared as he shoved him back with the gun he had on his head and followed him.
The rage in his tone was like nothing I’d ever heard. I moved then. He couldn’t kill Alec.
“Oz.” I said his name firmly.
His jaw was jutted out, and I saw it work as he ground his teeth.
“Please, Oz. Put the gun down. Let him leave. That was what he was doing when you arrived. I told him I was in a relationship.”
“And he wouldn’t fucking listen.” Oz seethed. “He wasn’t leaving.”
Oz shoved the barrel harder against his head, and Alec backed up again.
“Were you? You wouldn’t fucking listen to her.”
How do you know this, Oz?
I was afraid to know the answer. But that was for later. Right now, I had to keep Oz from committing murder in my apartment.
“Listen, man. People will notice I’m missing. I’m famous. I play for the Saints. You know football?”
A sadistic-sounding laugh came from Oz as he tilted his head, snarling at Alec.
“You’re not famous,” he replied. “Your rushing yards are fucking shit, and that college record you had for receptions has tanked.”
“Oz, please.”
He still didn’t look at me.
“Perry is in prison. I won’t be able to handle you being in there too.”
Just like I’d suspected, the tension in his shoulders eased some, and he glanced at me. “Darlin’,” he drawled, “I won’t go to prison. The family won’t let that happen.”
“Wh-what family?” Alec asked, stammering.
I ignored him, but Oz didn’t.
He turned his attention back to Alec. “Mine,” he replied. He pushed him back further with the gun.
“I don’t want my apartment to be a murder scene,” I told him.
A smirk pulled at Oz’s lips. “Won’t matter. You’re moving in with me soon enough.”
Excuse me?
I bit back a response because I didn’t need to set him off right now.
“Look, I was wrong. I didn’t know. Just let me go. I won’t even tell the cops.”
More cold sinister laughter from Oz. “I don’t give a fuck what you tell the cops. We own the fucking cops.”
Alec swallowed hard. “You own them?”