Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 108709 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108709 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
Resting my hand on his chest, I slowly lean in to him and drop my lips to his in a brief kiss, feeling a wave of nervousness crash through my chest before quickly pulling away. I’ve never been one to shy away from a sexual attraction. I’m usually the girl who goes out and actively seeks it, but if our previous moments are anything to go by, then losing myself in him while he’s driving probably isn’t the best idea. Being on the run is already insane enough; we don’t need to add a car accident to the list of things we’ve been partaking in recently.
“It’s you,” I tell him as he drives, vulnerability seeping through my veins and making me uneasy. “I’ve spent years trying to remember even a spec of who I used to be, and nothing ever worked. I’ve gone to therapy, been hypnotized, seen psychics, but nothing ever brought back the pieces, so I gave up on my past a long time ago. But you show up in my life, and suddenly I’m having flashbacks and dreams. I know my real name, who I am, and where I come from, and that’s all you. I was content just focusing on building a career in journalism, maintaining my little apartment, and trying to have some semblance of a life, but then you happened, and now? I don’t know. The life I had . . . It feels so little in comparison to the world I had before with you, and even though I don’t fully remember, I can’t fathom the idea of ever going back to a world where you don’t exist. I want what we used to have.”
His hand squeezes my ass. “I’m not about to let you go, Menace.”
“Oh, I’m more than aware of that,” I tell him, remembering the exact moment he had me up against the tree when I first tried to escape, and then the wall outside the house when I tried for the second time. “I don’t want to be away from you, not anymore.”
“You won’t.”
I nod as something settles in my chest, like a fractured piece of my soul healing itself. “I want to trust you, Stone. Deep down, my gut is telling me that I can trust you, that I should, but it makes me nervous. I’m not one who can easily rely on others. I don’t give out my trust like that, but for whatever reason, I know you’re never going to hurt me, that no matter what comes our way, you’re going to protect me.”
“You’re not scared of me? Of what I can do?”
A stupid grin pulls at my lips, and I scoff. “I mean, watching you literally tear that dude’s throat out was kinda fucked up, but that was before I knew who you really were to me. Now?” I let out a sigh and cringe. “Is it wrong to think it’s kinda hot?”
He arches a brow and focuses his stare back on me. “Hot?”
“Steaming hot. Like makes me want to sit on your face kinda hot.”
Stone blows out a breath, his hand dragging down his face. “Fuck’s sake, Menace. The last time I saw you, you were seventeen. You were fucking wild, and a menace, but you were innocent. I’m not used to seeing you like this. So fucking bold and forward with what you want. It’s messing with my head.”
“I’m not a child anymore,” I remind him, rocking my hips over him, just in case he might have forgotten.
“Oh, believe me, I know.”
I can’t help but laugh as I relax a little bit more, liking the fact that he hasn’t tried to push me away, not when it’s already become one of his favorite things to do. Perhaps I was just going about it the wrong way. “Will you tell me what we used to be like?”
His jaw clenches, his hand tightening on my ass, and I quickly shake my head. “I don’t mean any of the bullshit. Just . . . you and me. Were we just kids who got the wrong end of the stick and wound up in the system before becoming complete nuisances? Or was there more to it?”
Stone’s features soften. “There’s always more to it, Menace. You were a fucking nightmare. At least, not at first, but there was a period when we were separated. You were about eight or nine, and you’d give your foster parents hell, always running away, skipping school, and being a menace.”
My brows furrow, and I shake my head, not understanding. “Why?”
“Why do you think? You were looking for me. It was your way of protesting, and you kept pushing until you were finally rehomed back with me and Ash. We were your safe place, right up until the three of us took off on our own when you were fourteen. At least, we were your safe place until Ash went off the rails.”