Total pages in book: 150
Estimated words: 142818 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142818 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Elden stepped forward, face stricken.
I held my hand up. “Don’t come near me.”
Elden stopped in his tracks. “Violet,” he murmured brokenly. His voice was full of apology. But it was too late.
I slammed the door closed when I left the room.
Sariah was waiting at the end of the hall looking concerned.
“I was waiting to see if the yelling and the smashing continued and I needed to come in to save you,” she explained. “I was also prepared for the yelling and smashing to stop and the makeup sex to commence.” She winced, looking at my face which was likely blotchy and tearstained.
She then scowled at the door. “Do I need to kill him?” she offered hopefully. “I know you just totally told off your stepdad for attempting to do that, but that was for him forgetting women got the vote and a right to make their own decisions quite some time ago.” Her gaze was hard at the door. “My offer comes from a place of womanly rage at a man for yelling at my pregnant bestie.”
“I need to get far away from here,” I said quietly, my throat sore from yelling, and I was also afraid that if I spoke any louder, I was going to burst into tears.
Sariah nodded, linking her arm in mine. “Let’s get the fuck out of here, then.”
We ended up in the next town over at a kitschy diner that made great malts and greasy eggs that I did not throw up in the bathroom, which I counted as a win.
My phone had been on the ill-fated nightstand, so no one could call me or track it, as I assumed Elden tried doing.
Sariah did not talk about the yelling match, which I was thankful about because I was not ready to talk about it.
I knew it came from somewhere unrelated to the events of today. It was triggered by them, sure. But it had been a fear response. One that had to do with my father. And I really, really did not want to unpack all of that right now.
Sariah, the angel that she was, kept me distracted.
“Okay, so I’ve been keeping up with the news in Garnett, because I’m officially enchanted by the way that town works,” Sariah said, sucking on her own milkshake.
“It seems to be glossed over by capitalist America, no big box stores, just family-owned businesses on main street. No gross developments like chain hotels or whatever, even though there’s a seriously fancy celebrity retreat not far away and really good yoga studios,” she waggled her eyebrows. “Then there’s this thing at the center of the town. An outlaw motorcycle club that has endured throughout the years, without getting broken up by law enforcement even though they are definitely breaking a dozen laws, not to mention the laws of nature… How can that many hot guys exist in one place?”
She was really on a roll now, eyes bright with excitement.
“The club’s history itself is fascinating,” she continued, speaking enthusiastically. “Someone should write a book about it. Not just the history but the love stories. From what you’ve told me, they could make movies… Netflix would eat that shit up.” She tried sucking on the milkshake, but there was none left, so she frowned at the glass.
“Anyway, that’s not even what I’m talking about. I’m talking about how there have been three murders in the area so far.”
I startled at the direction the conversation had taken.
I knew about the murders in the area. They’d been the talk of the town. The men in the club had been more protective over their wives than normal. Elden had told me not to walk anywhere alone late at night. Though I fucking hated it, that little survival tactic had been drilled into me long before these killings started.
Don’t walk home alone late at night.
Don’t run with earbuds in.
Never take the same route.
Don’t leave your drink alone.
Be careful how you say no to a man.
Be careful how you break up with a man.
The list of how we avoided getting raped and murdered was endless.
When in reality there should be one item on one list for men.
Don’t rape and murder women.
Apparently, that was much too difficult, and men couldn’t be expected to follow that singular rule, so women had to change everything about their behavior and routines.
“Now, considering that there is an outlaw club operating in the area, the crime rate around here is actually pretty low,” Sariah continued. “Apart from the big massacre that apparently happened a few Christmases ago,” her lips curled downward. “That was dark.” She held out her coffee mug to the passing waitress, thanking her.
I gratefully accepted a refill too, thinking fondly of the coffee that had gone flying with the nightstand that made diner coffee seem like the dirty water it really was.