Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 164910 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 825(@200wpm)___ 660(@250wpm)___ 550(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164910 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 825(@200wpm)___ 660(@250wpm)___ 550(@300wpm)
The three of us run before the cars reach us, across the muddy field in the storm and the wind.
He’s going to love this.
32
Dallas
Running across the field, I keep my eyes peeled. Gators, snakes…They won’t be out during a storm, but the high grass freaks me out.
Callum seems completely unbothered, though, and I’m the one who grew up in the wild.
Nearing the barn, I recognize it even though I’ve never been inside.
Two Locks.
It stopped being used for livestock years ago, now serving as a venue for dances or old-fashioned juke joint nights.
Mostly, it sits empty, though. Once in a while, you’ll pass by late at night, a couple of cars hidden along the side, and know that an unhappy wife is meeting her lover on this lonely road where they won’t be discovered.
Rumor has it Clay’s grandmother used to meet the late Sheriff Hawkins out here, their affair spanning decades.
I go for the side door, but Callum stops me. “It’s not in there.”
He flashes me that amazing smile that sends a current straight to my dick, and like a dog, I race with him to the other side.
I help him pull open the two large double doors of the attached building, and the bread truck sits inside.
I exhale, throwing him a grin. “You make me happy.”
He kept the treasure mobile. We can just drive it to the Bay.
Anna-Katherine climbs into the cab, and I stop Callum, taking the keys from his palm.
Jumping into the driver’s seat, I start the engine as he hops up on the other side of his sister.
And I don’t wait. Hitting the gas, I shift into second, pull onto the dirt road, and shift into third.
We race all the way to the Bay.
Passing Army’s cruiser, I honk like crazy, and he spins his car around, following us. In a minute, I know he’s alerted my family, because a convoy brings up the rear, Macon’s and Trace’s trucks—joined by another cop car, Jerome Watson’s Audi, and Vincent Law’s Land Cruiser.
“Are we going to make it?” Anna-Katherine asks.
She’s smiling, though.
She’s having fun.
I cast a look to Callum, his drenched hair sexy as fucking hell as rain drips down his face. “They’ll never catch us,” I tell her.
I still look at him, though.
As we cross the tracks, the lights behind fade away and Army screeches to a halt in the middle of the road, my brothers’ trucks blocking the way next. All of the other police and cars stop, Army exiting his vehicle to go talk his colleagues down. Who knows if they know what’s in the truck still, or if they’re just on the chase because we’re out during lockdown? Or maybe it was because of the fight. I don’t care.
Cruising up to the garage across the street from our home, I leap out and hurry to unlock the door, lifting it up.
I jump back into the cab and pull the truck inside, quickly shutting it off.
We’re all silent, as if anyone would be able to hear us whisper.
I let myself take two breaths, and I nod to them, all of us exiting. Callum and Anna-Katherine race for the house as Macon’s truck rolls up. He jumps out, I throw him the keys, and I run through the storm.
No idea how much trouble we’re in, but Macon will move the truck when the coast is clear. Maybe this second or hours from now.
All I know is that in this moment I have everything I want, and something swells in my chest. Tears fucking pool, and I swipe them away before they fall.
I never let myself want much, because nothing was permanent. I saw everything as something I would lose eventually, but right now—tonight—I have him.
My family knows everything, and they just helped me fight to get the treasure back. To get him back.
Anna-Katherine is here—safe—and I don’t give a shit if the rain ever stops.
We run into the house, and Krisjen is there with Aracely, throwing a towel around Anna-Katherine. She smiles, kicking off her shoes before they hustle her up the stairs.
“Warm shower and dry clothes,” Krisjen says.
I follow but turn, pulling him in by the back of the neck as they disappear upstairs. Our lips meet, the fire on his tongue making me breathless.
His teeth catch my bottom lip as he pulls off his jacket, and I’m rock hard.
Dragging him up the stairs, I walk for my room, letting him spin me around and back me up as we kiss. I rip open his shirt, both of us stumbling through my door and slamming it shut.
I should check on my brothers and sister.
I should be helping monitor families in the Bay.
I can’t let him go.
Shoving his shirt to the floor, I hold his head, kissing him as I press my body to his. “I love you.”
Pushing him down to the bed, I plant my hands on both sides of him and come in again and again, grinding my groin between his legs. His hands slide up my back, kneading my skin as he arches up, kissing me back like this is our first time.