Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 101764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Trevor waved my concern away. “I’ll take care of you. You just concentrate on getting to Kenny. Once you’re home and everyone is okay, let me know, okay? No matter what time it is.”
I glanced up at him from where I’d bent over to tug on my boots. “Thanks, Trev.”
“Of course.”
He left, and I was alone to shove my arms into my jacket. I grabbed my beanie, phone, keys, and wallet, then ran from the room with my jacket flapping open and my boots untied.
Sprinting through the crowded club was never easy, but using the employee entrance made it faster than going through the main entrance.
“What the hell? Where are you going?” Ryder stared at me, incredulous, as I darted past him, fully clothed.
I couldn’t spare the time to stop and tell him, so I waved a hand in the air. “Trevor knows.”
“Are you okay?” he shouted, but I didn’t answer. I just continued running toward the door with visions of Kenny dying rolling through my brain. I couldn’t imagine having to tell my mom something happened to her youngest son. It would destroy her.
My boots crunched over half an inch of freshly fallen snow. There wasn’t time to properly clean off my car, so I used my sleeve to clear the windshield enough to see through it. My heart pulse thundered in my ears as I slipped into the frigid car.
With shaking hands, I shoved the key in the ignition and started the car. The engine turned over twice, then sputtered and died.
Nothing new, but now was not the time.
“Come on. Come on,” I whispered as I tried again.
And failed again.
And again.
And another five times.
“Come one, motherfucker. Start.”
It didn’t.
“Goddammit!” I shouted, slamming the heel of my palm against my steering wheel. “Fuck!” I gripped the wheel with all my might, resting my forehead on it as I screamed through clenched teeth. “Fuck,” I whispered. “What do I do?”
Uber. I’d have to get an Uber, which would take longer. And would they even let me put Kenny in the car? It might depend on the state I found him in. I refused to even think of what the car repair bill would be. Perhaps it would be better to find a new old car to drive.
“I’m fucked,” I whispered.
A knock at the window had me jumping so hard that I whacked my knee on the steering wheel. The adrenaline coursing through my veins made it so I didn’t even feel the collision.
Ryder stood at my window, bundled for the weather and so damn handsome it should be criminal.
“What?” I barked as I manually cranked down the window.
“Get in my car. It’s on, and it’s warm. I’ll take you wherever you need to go.” His breath wafted out in a white cloud of steam.
I blinked. “I…” Ryder was bailing me out of trouble. “Really?”
He grinned. “Yes, really. Don’t be stupid. Please get out and hop in my car. You seemed like you were in a rush.”
“I was. I am.” I scrambled out of my vehicle, remembering at the last second to lock the doors, though if someone stole it at this point, they’d be doing me a favor. “What about your closing duties? Your shift isn’t over.”
He waved away my concern. “Trevor’s covering it. I owe him a steak dinner.”
We slid into his SUV at the same time. Warmth immediately surrounded me like a full-body hug. The heated seats were a treat I’d never experienced. Normally my ass froze everywhere I drove.
“Where we going?”
“Um, one sec.” I pulled out my phone and rattled off the address the caller texted me a little while ago. “Not sure exactly where it is.” But I knew it wasn’t anywhere we wanted to spend much time.
Ryder’s eyes widened when the route appeared on his phone.
Yeah. Shitty side of town. Ryder probably never dreamed of venturing over there, let alone driving his eighty-thousand-dollar car through that neighborhood in the dead of night.
“All right. Let’s go. We’ll be there in eight minutes at this time of night. Or should I say morning?”
I nodded as he drove out of the lot, but my attention was five steps ahead on what state we’d find my brother in. “Yeah.”
I stared straight ahead, willing each light we neared to remain green. For his part, Ryder kept quiet, but I could feel his frequent glances my way. Anxiety for Kenny had me gnawing my lower lip and bouncing my leg like a spring rested beneath my heel. Every terrible scenario I could think of ran through my mind, from Kenny murdering someone to some drug slinger kidnapping him for a ransom I could never pay.
“Hey…” Ryder’s large hand landed on my thigh, squeezing.
I stopped bouncing.
“I have no idea what’s going on, but it’s going to be okay, Alex. Whatever it is, I’ll help you out. I’ve got your back.”