Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 66642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
“Silas said he saw you walking in this direction.” Fynn stopped next to him to stare down at the graves. “You weren’t responsible for their deaths. Dad knew when I was born that Mother would not allow both of us to remain on earth for long. We would be too powerful. She was protecting Earth.”
“How do you know?”
“I can see their past lives.” Fynn looked around the cemetery. “We all are Mother’s chessmen, to move or discard at her will. Anytime we get too strong or disobey her … we are removed from the game.”
“What reason did Mother have to remove Leah? She didn’t have any gifts.”
Fynn stared down at their sister’s grave. “She was powerful. Dad tried to shield her, but Mother knew the power Leah would grow into, so”—Fynn snapped his fingers—“she was removed.”
“Fynn, be careful …”
“Why? Am I not being respectful enough?” Fynn gave a stark laugh. “Don’t worry; she can’t punish me by taking my soul mate. She’s already accomplished that.”
“Darcy is still young. She hasn—”
“Darcy isn’t my soul mate.”
Jody stared him blankly … then it clicked with him. He had seen a huge behavior change in Fynn when … “She was the girl killed on the school bus.” Jody didn’t know how to comfort his younger brother. “I thought Darcy was.”
“No, she’s Logan’s.”
Jody frowned. “You’re trying to steal Logan’s soul mate?”
“No, but if she likes me, I won’t be pushing her away, either.”
“Fynn, you can’t destroy their lives. It will backfire. Bro, I’m paying for my mistakes. You can’t read your future; the stars have been changing … Don’t screw yourself over.”
Jody felt a chill feather down his spine at the expression on Fynn’s face.
Fynn must have seen his concern, because he went back to the brother he was more comfortable with, who had a loving heart.
“I won’t. The only reason I said anything was because I didn’t want you to continue beating yourself up. If you want to blame someone, blame Mother.”
Concerned, Jody watched as Fynn left the cemetery. Then, looking upward, he went to his knees. “Forgive him. If you want to punish him, punish me instead.”
Not expecting an answer, he rose from his knees only to find himself flung to the ground with such force the air was knocked out of his lungs. He had to lie there for several minutes before he could finally get his breath back. Managing to get to his knees, he looked back up at the sky.
“Gotcha. I’ll mind my own business from now on.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Carefully closing and locking the door, Sophie stepped back and placed a hand over her mouth. Her lips were still throbbing. The only way she had managed not to throw herself into his arms was the image of him carrying Baylin into her apartment.
The thought had been enough to let cold reason win the day. Complaining about it not being fair about how Jody affected her hormones, she went into her bedroom to take off her clothes. Naked, she went into the bathroom to take a shower. How much longer was she going to keep the façade of not being attracted to him?
Turning off the shower, she dried off then put on pajamas, then climbed into the bed. She turned off the light then rolled over to stare out the window, gradually feeling the tension leaving her body.
She should be proud of herself. She had placed Jody in the friendly zone and had made sure he wouldn’t try to cross the line again. If she was so stinking happy she had won the challenge between them, then why was she regretting not inviting him inside?
What if, instead of winning, in reality, she was the loser?
Refilling a coffee cup for the customer at the front counter, Sophie watched as Jody took the orders of three women at a table in the middle of the restaurant.
“Can I get some cream?”
Sophie returned her gaze to her customer to find two sets of male eyes studying her. “Of course.”
She went to the mini fridge behind her and took out a handful of creamers to give the men. Both were wearing Last Rider jackets. She hadn’t been in Treepoint two days before finding out The Last Riders were a motorcycle club just outside of town.
The door opening had her turning her head to see Ginny’s husband walk inside. Her jaw nearly dropped when she saw Gavin wearing the same black leather jacket. Staring, she watched as Gavin took a seat next to the men she was waiting on.
“Hello, Sophie.”
“Gavin.”
She was aware she was making a fool of herself for staring but couldn’t help herself. When she had seen Gavin each time before, he was daunting. Sophie didn’t think many people would be brave enough to take him on. In the Last Rider jacket and dressed in black, he was terrifying.