Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 107608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
“Where did you come from?” Wally asks, his slight Welch accent emerging. That only happens when he gets angry. He normally stays inside and rarely ventures into the world. I believe he was once a traveling salesman, and that’s why he prefers to remain indoors these days.
“I’m a friend of Rosalie’s,” Alexei says. “Do you have any idea who could have done this?”
Percy puts his hand on his hips. He’s wearing loose khaki pants and a stained red polo shirt today. “No. Although reading the message cut into the leather, it’s obviously about you. You are a killer, are you not?”
“Rumor has it.” Alexei sighs. “I’ll give you a ride to the courthouse, Rosalie.”
I’m suddenly grateful I’m wearing my navy-blue suit with pants instead of the skirt, although every time I move, my clit cries. She probably deserves it, getting drunk and all, but Alexei hadn’t been gentle with her last night. Apparently, I don’t like gentle. I am so screwed up. He sees something in me that I haven’t realized is there. A need for darkness—for what he can provide. “I do have to get to court.” Being late to Judge Lahaska’s courtroom is to be avoided at all costs. She lacks any semblance of patience.
“Should we call this into the police?” Felix asks, his headband a multitude of colors across his forehead.
“No,” Alexei says. “This is about me, and I’ll handle it.”
Wally looks at me. “What do you think?”
“I think we call the police for vandalism,” I say.
Alexei shakes his head. “Nobody saw anything. Nobody heard anything. You’ll be wasting the police’s time. This is about me, and I will figure it out.”
Surprisingly, Percy nods. “I agree. Anybody who could do this without making enough noise to awaken us avoided all cameras in the area.”
I blink, surprised. Percy is usually a by the book type of guy. It seems odd for him to agree with Alexei.
“I’ll think about it.”I look around at the many places for a bad guy to hide.
Merlin straightens his tie. “You have insurance, correct?”
I wince. “Just liability insurance.” The cheapest amount I can afford. As they all exclaim and Merlin draws in air for a lecture, I look for help from Alexei. “Where is your motorcycle?”
“It’s around the block.” Alexei takes my hand, and the only reason I don’t jerk free is because I don’t want to get in a scuffle in front of the men. One of them will step in and get hurt.
“I’m sorry about this,” I say to everybody in general. “I’ll handle it later. I need to think.”
With that, I follow Alexei around the corner to where he has his motorcycle hidden behind a crop of trees.
“You’re a little paranoid, aren’t you?” I ask.
He glances back the way we came at my now demolished vehicle. “Do you blame me?”
“No.” Something in my stomach hurts. I loved that car. I don’t know when I’ll be able to afford another vehicle. Hendrix’s offer the night before filters through my brain, but I won’t take that job. He only wants me off Alexei’s case, and then he’d probably fire me. “Hendrix threatened my boarders last night if I don’t take a job offer from him.”
Alexei straddles the bike and holds out an arm to help me on. “Hendrix doesn’t want to lose control of Hologrid or the mob. I won’t let anything happen to your boarders.”
“Thank you.” The mafia scares me, but I like that Alexei will use it to protect the elderly men. I swing my leg over the motorcycle as if this is a normal morning and I’m used to riding on a bike, seated behind an alleged killer, to court. The second my sex hits the seat, I wince and gingerly try to find a comfortable position. I can’t. Even my butt is sore. I’d barely been able to put a bra on my sensitive nipples.
“Something tells me they can handle it.” He backs us out of the trees. “This will mess up your hair.”
My hair is the least of my worries. “I don’t care.” Right now, this bike is both killing my clit and waking up the bitch. I do not like pain. If I repeat that mantra enough, perhaps my body will listen. Men usually bored me before too long. Not Alexei. He was too much. Or was he? Did he just tap into a part of me I want to deny? Vulnerability whispers through me.
Alexei looks down the street before walking the bike into the open. “We should get you a helmet.”
“I don’t want a helmet.” I’m pissed off and angry at the world.
“You seem to be pulling an attitude with me today, and that might be a mistake.”
Irritation heats from my chest to my face. “Oh, really? Why is that?”
He turns his head, watching me from the corner of his eye. “You have to be sore, and I have no problem tossing you over my knee and making sure. Is that what you want?”