Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 63967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 320(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 320(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Part of me wants to ask her if she’s insane, you know, belly and all, but the shelf isn’t that tall, and she’s a few inches shorter than me, so I smile wide and reach for the can. “The unsweetened ones taste more natural,” I tell her and grab those, too, before I keep shopping.
“Thank you, dear.”
“No problem,” I smile over my shoulder, skipping the canned fruits and vegetables in favor of fresh and frozen options. I grab frozen spinach and a bag of frozen fruit when I notice a man with dark hair and tattoos staring at me. I do my best to ignore him, but his gaze is like a kettlebell on my shoulders, heavy and pervasive, following me as I turn down the next aisle of frozen goods.
My heart pumps like crazy in my chest as I turn into the snack aisle just to get away from his terrifying gaze. Every turn takes me further away from him, or so I think.
“Oh!” The man is right there when I turn into the chocolate aisle, his glare dark and menacing as he grips the edge of my shopping cart. “Excuse me,” I say as I attempt to go around him, to end my time in his presence immediately, but he steps in my path again and again. “I said, excuse me.”
“What’s your name?” he asks easily enough, but it’s odd, and I frown, shaking my head.
“None of your business. Now, excuse me.” This jerk is starting to piss me off as much as he’s scaring me, and I nudge my cart forward, hoping to show him that while I might be afraid, I’m also a little crazy.
But his hands grip the cart again, hard enough that it’s impossible to move in any direction. He stares at me and a chill runs down my spine. “Sophie Harmon. Be careful. Your boyfriend is gonna die.”
My heart stops at his words, but I square my shoulders, trying not to pee myself in the middle of Sprouts. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”
His lips curl into a creepy grin. “Sure you don’t. Be careful out here. It’s not safe for a woman in your condition.” He stares at my belly long enough that it’s difficult not to see it as a threat, and when he walks away, I stand there, terrified and dumbfounded.
Instead of finishing my shopping as well as other errands, I leave the cart in the middle of the aisle and haul ass—as much as a pregnant woman can—out of the grocery store. I speed-waddle across the parking lot, not stopping until I’m in my car, and lock it up tight.
“Aaaah!” I let out a long scream that does fuck all to relieve my stress and fear before starting the car and racing home.
Who was that, and what did he want? I don’t have any answers, but I know his words are threats, and that man scares the hell out of me.
I pull into the parking garage with my heart still racing, pausing only for a moment to wonder if I should’ve gone to Tank at the Reckless Souls clubhouse. I hurry to the elevator. I’ll call Tank as soon as I’m safely locked away inside my apartment.
Turns out, it’s not at all necessary because the man himself is leaning against my door when I step off the elevator. Curiosity is my first thought, but right on the heels is relief and joy at seeing Tank’s big body, his dirty blond hair that looks a lot darker since he damn near has a buzz cut.
When he looks up and notices me, his beaming smile sends lightning bolts of lust pulsing through my body. Something about his presence makes me feel calm and settled, safe.
“Tank. What are you doing here?”
His gaze is equal parts happiness and annoyance, neither of which I understand completely. “I’m here to take you to the clubhouse with me. Now.”
I shake my head. “We’ve already talked about this,” I remind him. “And I really don’t like your tone.”
He grins, but there’s very little humor in it. “I’m sure you don’t, but I don’t like hearing from my Prez that someone’s been following you and putting your life—and our baby’s life—in danger. Were you ever going to tell me about it?”
I sigh, feeling guilty as I push past him and unlock my door. “You just got out of jail, Tank, and there’s so much going on with your MC that I didn’t want to bother you.”
“Bother me?” He grips my arm and turns me to face him. “It’s no fucking bother to know you need me to protect you, Sophie. Goddammit, if something happened to you, I would never fucking forgive myself.”
I believe him with my whole heart, but it doesn’t change how I feel about going back to the clubhouse. “I don’t belong there, Tank. Nova’s not there, and he’s the only reason those guys treat me halfway decently.” I keep shaking my head, thinking of my last visit to Reckless Souls headquarters. “I’ll be fine here. I have a gun, and Josie checks on me every day.”