Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 56628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
“We may fight, and we may clash heads, but you fucking hold me with you for as long as you need me, pretty girl.” A tear ran down my cheek, and my chin wobbled. “Tristan tries, baby, but he doesn’t see you. So, you hold me with you for as long as you need.”
I audibly swallowed as I nodded. “Lay with me?” I quietly asked him.
I slid over on the bed, allowing him to slide beneath the covers with me. He instantly wrapped his arms around me, holding me close to him. I snuggled further against him, desperately needing every part of him wrapped around me at that moment. “I know things are different, Adelaide.” My throat closed up with an impending breakdown. I wasn’t ready to hear this. “It’s not just me anymore. I know that. But something in my gut tells me that it’s not going to be just Tristan, either. It doesn’t end with him either, pretty girl.”
“It may,” I whispered, my voice breaking. All I knew at that moment was that I wanted Joey though. To hell with everyone else.
Joey shook his head. “The vibe between you two… it doesn’t sit right with me. You’ve changed. Quite frankly, you’ve changed too much for you two to ever fit together again.” He drew in a deep breath. “Adelaide, when that man comes along that warms your soul, that sets you on fucking fire, you need to let this go between us.”
I clutched his shirt in my fist, shaking my head. “Never,” I croaked.
Joey sighed as he brushed his lips to the top of my head. “You will. I know you will.” He tightened his arms around me. “Just go to sleep, pretty girl.”
I shut my eyes, not wanting Joey to know how much he was ripping my heart apart. I knew things were coming to an end between us.
But I would hold him with me for as long as I could.
Chapter Nineteen
Adelaide
Zyla blew out a harsh breath as she stepped up behind the bar where I was currently mixing a drink for one of the new girls. “I knew he was going to be upset about me being back, but I didn’t know it was going to be like this,” she grumbled as she grabbed a glass and filled it with Jack before she tossed it back, her face screwing up at the burn.
Zyla had never been much of a drinker, and it looked like that had never changed.
“You were the love of his life,” I reminded her, not commenting on the fact that she’d just thrown back about four fucking shots. She sighed, closing her eyes at the reminder, pain momentarily flashing across her face. “And you ripped his heart out when you divorced him for Rodney.”
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. “I did it for a good reason, Adelaide.” She stared down at the counter. I glanced over at her, intrigued. “I’m still madly in love with him, but I wouldn’t change my decision to destroy him. I did what I had to do.”
I handed the new girl her drink and watched as she sauntered off toward one of the club men. I turned back to Zyla, turning my body in her direction. “Then why did you leave him, Zyla?”
She grabbed a beer out of the fridge for one of the men when they walked up, asking for one. “Promise you won’t say anything, not even to Tristan?” she asked.
I nodded. “Yeah, you’ve got my word, Zyla.”
She blew out a soft breath as she handed the beer to the guy who had asked for it. Once he walked off, she said, “Rodney got out of jail.” I nodded, at least knowing that much. Rodney had been her ex when she and Jesup got together. They broke up when she was sixteen when he went to jail for a felony drug charge, and she met Jesup a few months after that. “And he wanted me back. He threatened to kill Jesup if I didn’t go back to him, Adelaide.” She drew in a shaky breath. “I couldn’t take it if something happened to Jesup because of me.”
I handed another guy a beer. “Then, why are you back now?” I demanded to know. If she did all of that to protect Jesup, why would she come running back here? Wouldn’t that just put him in the same danger she had originally tried to protect him from?
She shook her head, a humorless laugh spilling from her lips, sounding almost hysteric. “Our place got searched by the FBI. Rodney got locked back up. I know he’s going to get out on bond, and he’ll probably get off with a slap on the wrist since he has so many damn connections these days, but I’m running before he has the chance to get out.” She drew in a deep breath. “So, I came back here for a few days, just until I can figure out where to go. I can’t let him trap me again.”