Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 140462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 702(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 468(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 702(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 468(@300wpm)
He hates it, I can see it all over his face that facing the truth is like having to bite into a lemon. “I don’t like being incompetent,” he says through gritted teeth.
At least we’re getting somewhere.
“And you’re not. But everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.”
“I don’t feel I have any strengths lately,” he says and moves his foot to avoid getting the blood from the trucker’s nose on his shoe.
This sounds like a longer conversation, and we need to get going.
I exhale and give him the keys to our car. “Look, get ready. I’ll just quickly make sure he doesn’t send the cops after us.”
Sylvan cocks his head at me with an unreadable expression. “Don’t… kill him.”
I frown and glare at the man lying on the asphalt. “What? Why would I kill him?”
Sylvan spreads one arm to the side. “Because you killed several people just yesterday.” At least he has the decency to keep his voice down. “I saw you on TV. You are being hunted. And you talk about trust? You told me you’re as tame as a lamb, and this is what I find out?”
I still, meeting his intense blue eyes. God, they’re beautiful.
And what can I possibly say in my defense? I might not have straight up lied, but I did omit the truth about my situation. “I wanted you to like me.”
He rubs his forehead as if all of this is an inconvenience. He’s not running away, nor throwing his snacks at me in an attempt to distract me. He’s either got some balls on him, or he’s that deranged. Either way, I’m taking that as a good sign.
“By the way,” I add, seeing that he isn’t yet throwing any more accusations my way. “I only killed one guy yesterday, and it was because he literally shot at me and almost killed me two months ago before that! Look!” I lift my hoodie at the side to show off the scar where he shanked me. Though I’m also hoping to distract his morals with my abs.
Sylvan points to the trucker. “Do you need help?”
I shake my head. “No, get ready to go. I’ll make sure it takes him some time to free himself. And no, I will not kill him just because he wanted to sample you,” I say and drag the dude up.
Sylvan turns around, but then hesitates and gets back to me. He pulls out the guy’s wallet and takes the cash out of it. “He deserves it, right?”
Wow. I might have found myself a real gem.
“Smart boy! I would have slapped your butt if I had any hands free,” I say and haul the limp body into the cab, which is a feat of strength even for me. Lifting weights is way easier, even much heavier ones. But limp bodies? Unreasonably difficult.
After what Sylvan just did, I’m pretty sure he’s not about to drive off and leave me behind. Though I don’t think he knows how to drive even if he wanted to do that.
I roll the trucker into the sleeper cab, tie him with a bit of hauling rope, gag him, and block the compartment from the outside to give us more time. I then jog back to the car where Sylvan is already waiting with a pensive expression.
I grin at him and open the back door to pull out my gift for him. I place the small plastic tiara on his head as soon as I’m in my seat. “For my fair prince.”
He sighs but doesn’t protest the gift nor take it off. He pulls something out of his pocket and presents it to me, looking up with the biggest, bluest puppy dog eyes I’ve ever seen.
“Sorry for making it hawkward,” he mumbles as I stare at the pin with the bird of prey.
It takes me a long moment to realize that he’s gotten me something too, and I find myself melting. My boyfriends would usually try to give me sex, or cologne, or some other thing you could offer just anyone. This? This tells me he’s trying. “Best gift I’ve ever gotten,” I mumble and take it from him before pulling off my hat and attaching the pin to the crown.
He doesn’t shy away from me when I kiss him, and then we drive off before anyone else recognizes me. I’m kinda buzzing that Sylvan knows these things about me and still dares sit with me in the car. Could he be… The One?
Sylvan takes a deep breath and rubs my forearm. “I ask you to disregard my tears. It is only a physical reaction. I am much tougher than I look, and I need to know the truth. Why were you in prison, and where are we actually going?”
I exhale and entwine our fingers as soon as I can. I don’t like talking about the biggest mistake of my life. In an ideal world, I would just wipe my memory and never need to acknowledge it again, but I’m not going to have that luxury, so I suck it up and speak.