Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
I glanced around to see if anyone was watching them and saw the tattooed guy had his hand in his jeans, rubbing himself while looking at the blonde’s bouncing boobs. I swallowed hard, not sure how bad this was going to get in here as the night wore on. Shifting in Blaise’s lap, I thought about going to get a drink of something to calm my nerves.
“You good?” he asked me.
I looked down at his whiskey, then took it from him and drank. It burned, and I tried hard not to cough. When I handed it back to him, he was watching me with an amused grin. I covered my mouth to cough, and he chuckled.
“Easy, baby,” he told me.
I started to ask if there was something less toxic I could drink when things seemed to quiet down, and I turned to see what had happened. Blaise tensed under me just as my gaze landed on the reason why.
Angel was here. Her eyes were on Blaise and me as she stood there with her timid, haunted look. She was wringing her hands nervously and looked ready to bolt, like a deer scared by a sound. Blaise moved me off his lap and stood up. He didn’t say anything or ask me to follow him. He made his way through the room until he was in front of her. I watched as he took her hands and talked to her, then led her out of the room.
She was one of those questions I hadn’t asked him about. We’d not had time for that, seeing as all our alone time was sexual.
“Here. Drink this and sit down.”
I looked over to see Gina standing beside me. She had a clear drink with ice in her hand, and because I knew people were watching me, I took it. I felt like the elephant in the room. No one wanted to talk about what had just happened to me.
“Sit,” Gina demanded.
I sat down in the spot that Blaise had left. It was still warm from his body, and why that made me feel like crying, I didn’t know. I should be mad. Or embarrassed. Or asking questions. Instead, I wanted to cry.
“I swear to God, if you fucking cry, I will slap you. Drink the vodka,” Gina hissed close to my ear and sat down on the armrest beside me.
I took a drink and realized it wasn’t as hard to swallow as the whiskey had been. I drank the rest quickly. Anything to make this easier. I would leave, but how? This place was like a fort, all locked up. No one was getting in unless they knew it.
“Let that sink in, and I’ll get you another,” Gina said to me.
I nodded because what else was I going to do?
“Mattia,” the guy sitting beside me said. “You want some chips?” He held out a bag he had been eating from.
I looked down at the bag, then back up at him. He had black hair and an olive complexion.
“Thanks,” I said, afraid to turn them down.
I didn’t want to insult anyone. I was alone here, and right now, I was ready to cling to Gina, who I knew nothing about.
Reaching into the bag, I took several out and began to eat one.
“You bet?” he asked me.
I shook my head. I had no money to bet, and if I did, I wouldn’t gamble with it.
“Like boxing?” he asked me.
I shook my head again, and then an unexpected laugh bubbled out of me. Mattia grinned, and that made me laugh again.
“I’m Maddy,” I told Mattia, realizing he’d introduced himself and I hadn’t done the same.
“I know,” he replied.
“You do?” I asked, wondering if I’d been introduced to him and not remembered.
“Everyone knows who you are,” Gina informed me.
I turned to look at her. “How?”
“Gina.” Huck’s sharp command stopped whatever she was going to say.
She pressed her lips together, but said nothing.
I turned to look at Huck, who was standing behind the sofa with his arms crossed and his eyes on the television. He didn’t look at me or Gina.
“It’s time!” someone called out, and everyone’s eyes went to the television. It got quiet again.
Gina stood up, and I looked up at her. She nodded her head toward the kitchen, then turned to walk in that direction. I stood up and followed. I didn’t want to sit in here with strangers.
When I walked into the kitchen, I found Gina and one other woman I didn’t know. She looked to be in her mid-twenties and had long, dark hair that hung straight around her shoulders. She was drinking a beer and looking at her phone.
Gina took a tortilla chip from a bowl and dipped it in salsa. She looked over at me. “Get whatever you want,” she said before taking a bite.