Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 151384 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151384 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
“Now, that’s just rude. Tobias isn’t a gang member, Dev. Although, half the people in this room likely are. And so what? It’s not nice to stereotype.”
Tobias groaned for some reason. “Immy. Quiet.”
“Uh, no. I won’t be quiet. Dev, be nice to Tobias. He’s a good man.”
“I’m really fucking not. And it’s time to go.” Tobias nodded at Dev before he picked her up and swung her over his shoulder.
It took her a moment to realize what was happening. And then she had to catch her breath. It really was no fun being carried over someone’s shoulder.
Sounded romantic when you read about it, but in reality it kind of made her feel sick and dizzy.
“Put me down! Tobias, put me down!” She wriggled in his hold.
Slap!
She froze.
What. The. Heck?
All right, so they’d just been talking about spankings . . . but she didn’t expect him to actually do it!
And certainly not in public! That was just rude.
“What do you think you are doing?” she cried.
“Stay still, Immy. Or there’s more where that came from.”
They stepped outside and the heat of the sun beat down on them. Then he came to a stop and let her down slowly. She was still a bit dizzy and had to take a half-step back to catch her balance.
“What was that about? I could walk!”
“Immy, do you know that guy?” he asked.
“Who?”
“The guy you were scolding in there,” he said, sounding exasperated.
“Who? Dev? Yes, of course I know him.”
“Didn’t seem like you did.”
“Um, well, we’re not best buds or anything,” she said.
“That right there tells me that you don’t know him well.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Because a guy like that doesn’t have best buds. That guy has enemies. He has people he hates. And then he has people he doesn’t hate but is indifferent to. You do not want to be one of the people he takes notice of. It won’t end well for you.”
“How do you know that? How do you know Dev? You just met him. I’ve known him for months.”
“Sweetness, he didn’t even remember you. I don’t know why he’s hanging out at the same bar. But you will not be going back there.”
“You don’t get to decide that.” Immy went onto her tiptoes to glare up at him.
He glared back at her.
Rude.
“I do get to decide that.”
“I’m not in any danger. Pretty sure I don’t need an escort.”
“You do. You have one. And you’ll do what I tell you to do.”
“Urgh! You are so infuriating.” She stomped her foot on the ground. “You don’t even know Dev. How can you decide that he’s not a good guy?”
“Because I’ve met a few guys like Dev and I can tell you that they’re dead inside. There’s no soul left in there, Immy. Looked into his eyes, it was all darkness. And you will not be around him.”
23
Jenner glanced up as the door to his studio slammed open.
He wasn’t surprised to find Sampson storming in. He was one of the few people who would just barge in.
He set his guitar aside. He wasn’t getting anywhere anyway. Instead, he picked up his glass of Scotch and took a sip.
Everything was fucked up at the moment.
Things between him and Immy were so awkward and he hated it. Hated the space between them, detested that they were drifting apart.
Kissing her had felt like a dream, like heaven.
Then maybe you should fucking do something so you don’t lose her.
“What the hell did you do?” Sampson thundered down at him.
“You might have to expand on that,” he said tiredly.
“Don’t drink that shit. You know it messes with your brain,” Sampson bossed.
Always the older brother. Always with the right answer. Doing the correct thing.
Sampson had been their father’s favorite.
And he’d treated Jenner accordingly.
A shiver went through him and he squashed that feeling.
All of that is over. And you can’t keep using that as an excuse for your behavior.
“What did you do to hurt her?” Sampson demanded.
At those words, he sat up. His gut went tight. “Hurt her? The cut was an accident.”
“Not that. There’s something wrong between the two of you. She looks at you like you kicked Snowy then stomped on him. So what did you do?”
He hated that. Hated that he’d hurt her.
Fuck.
He really did need to sort his shit out.
“I didn’t mean to hurt her. I never want to hurt Immy.”
Why did his fucked-up brain do this? Why couldn’t he get everything sorted out in his head? He smacked his head with the palm of his hand.
“Don’t,” Sampson said. “Don’t do that. It’s not going to help. Just tell me.”
“I kissed her. Or, she kissed me.”
“Fuck. Then what? Please don’t tell me you rejected her. You did, didn’t you?”
“Why am I like this?” he whispered. “I went to a therapist. I did what they said. I thought I was better.”