Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 118459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 592(@200wpm)___ 474(@250wpm)___ 395(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 592(@200wpm)___ 474(@250wpm)___ 395(@300wpm)
“Me fucking too.”
“Well, you’re the idiot that took this fight.”
My head whips around to face him. “Say what?”
“I have no idea what you’re thinking, Gentry. That shoulder of yours is shit. You know it and I know it. This is a suicide mission and I have to wonder if I’ve not lost my fucking marbles helping you do it.”
I scramble to my feet. “Look, you took this on just like I did.” I glare at him, asking him to challenge me.
“So you’re gonna risk everything? What if something happens to you out there, Gentry? Huh? What then? Have you thought about that?”
“Yeah, I have.”
“And you’re gonna risk it all?”
“I’ll sacrifice everything I am. I’ll do whatever it takes for them.” My body shakes with anger. “Now you can shut the fuck up and help me or not. Just let me know because I’m not gonna spend the next couple of months worrying about it.”
He places one hand on my shoulder. “All right, kid. We won’t discuss it again.”
“Good.”
“Just promise me one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“You’ll stay focused. Eyes on the prize. Keep your head clear.”
“I will.”
“No, I mean it, Crew. No distractions.”
CREW
I pull the shirt over my head and glance down at my bed. The pillows are in place, the bed made. I smile, knowing a few hours before, I had Julia right there. I breathe in deeply, trying to catch a trace of her scent. It’s a unique smell, her body mixed with the vanilla body lotion she wears. It creates an overwhelming sensation of lust, mixed with something I only know as love, and I gotta get the hell out of here or I’ll spend all day here thinking back to last night.
Making my way down the hall and into the kitchen, I stop in the doorway and watch her. She’s on her tiptoes, reaching for something in the top of the cabinet. She’s too cute as she struggles to grasp the box just beyond her reach.
“Want me to get that?” I walk up behind her so that my chest is touching her back. I rise up slowly, aligning our bodies. The box becomes irrelevant, my brain only registering how close she is to me. How good she smells. How amazing she feels.
“Crew,” she breathes, looking at me over her shoulder. “Not here. Ever’s just in the bathtub.”
I laugh and step back. “Not here what? I was just getting you this.” I sidestep her and grab the box off the shelf. She whips it out of my hand and shakes her head.
“You don’t play fair.”
“Me? Nah, I don’t play at all. I fight to win.”
Her eyes narrow. “Speaking of fighting . . .”
“Jules . . .”
“Crew.”
“I’d rather fight with you than love anyone else.” I grin.
“What’s going on? Really.”
I study her face, hoping I’ll see some chink in her armor. I know I’m going to have to discuss this with her sooner or later, but later always sounds better.
I sigh and lean against the counter. “I fight in a few weeks. I got a one-fight contract with the NAFL. It’ll give us enough money for the therapy.”
Her face falls. “I got the mail today. I got denied the last loan I tried to take out.”
I grab her and pull her into me. “It’s fine. I got this taken care of. Just give me a little more time. Don’t get down about this yet. Ever’s doing fine so far. We just need to hold on a little longer.”
“I don’t want you to fight.”
I chuckle. “That sounds familiar.”
“I’ve never liked you fighting, Crew. But especially now.”
“You’re afraid I’ll get hurt? Because I won’t. I haven’t fought in a while, but I’ve been working the docks. That’s not pussy work.”
She lays her head against my chest. “I know. I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Stop that. Nothing is gonna happen to me.”
“But what if it does? Not only will I lose you, but so will Ever. It just seems like such a risky idea. I know why you’re doing it and I can’t argue it, although I want to. The selfish part of me, the mom part of me, can’t say no to that. But Crew . . .”
I kiss the top of her head. “I’ve made two decisions. I’m fighting and you’re mine. So you don’t need to worry your pretty little head about either one of them.”
She wraps her arms around my waist and pulls me closer, then pushes me away just as quickly.
“What?”
“We can’t do this,” she hisses.
“Oh, Jules, we’ve already done this. I warned you.”
“No, Crew. This.” She takes a few steps back.
I hate the distance. Although it’s a couple of steps at best, it feels like a fucking mile compared to her being up against me and in my arms.
“This,” I reply, looking at the empty space between us, “is fucking stupid.”