Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 115763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
I squeeze his hand a bit harder, not letting go. “Griffin. And our business has just begun. I’ll be waiting for your call.”
He nods his agreement, and I feel like he has a grasp on how urgent this matter is. “If you’ll excuse me, I do have a scheduled appointment today I should prepare for.”
I release him and turn to Penny, who has somehow gotten completely distracted by the pretty, shiny things and doesn’t seem to have paid a bit of attention to the conversation between Johnny and me. “Ready?”
Once we’re outside, she starts laughing. “You know he just scammed you, right? He probably doesn’t even know the guy that stole the ring, but he saw your wallet coming from a mile away.”
I guess she was paying more attention than I thought.
Shrugging, I say, “If there’s any chance, it’ll be worth it, though.” Glancing her way, her observation belatedly clicks in my mind. “I figured you would be all hopeful and optimistic that he was gonna call the thief, get the ring, and have it waiting and ready for us with a fresh cleaning by tomorrow.”
Her lips turn down into an uncharacteristic frown, and her gaze drops to the sidewalk. “Reality sucks sometimes. True story.”
I risk bumping her shoulder with my arm, the move friendlier than I’d usually dare, but we’ve moved well beyond that at this point. “Who’da thunk I’d be the optimist and you’d be the cynic?”
Her laugh is more breath than humor, but when she looks back up at me, there’s a bit more life in her eyes. “Maybe you’re rubbing off on me.”
I don’t want that to be the case. I want Penny to keep her idealistic, good-hearted view of the world, and not be jaded by my ugly, fatalistic one. I guess that’s one more reason why we’re not a good fit. Will never be a good fit. She deserves someone as bubbly and bright as she is, someone who floats through life seeing opportunities and possibilities, not someone who views the world as a war to be waged, filled with potential adversaries that have to be fought to get every scrap they receive. She doesn’t need someone who will drag her down to his depths. She deserves someone who will lift her up to new heights.
The reminder is bitter, and I force my focus ahead of us, watching where we’re going in the hope I can prevent Penny from tripping over her own feet. It’s the only reason I see them . . . Miles’s guys, coming right at us.
“Shit,” I hiss. I glance left and right, instantly looking for a way out. They can’t see Penny. How’d they even know where to find her? Because there’s no way it’s a coincidence that they’re on this street, at this time, right when she is. No way at all.
“What?”
“Um . . . here . . .” I don’t explain anything. I just shove her into the alleyway between the two buildings beside us and push her up against the brick wall, blocking her from view with the expanse of my body.
“Griffin, what the fuck? What’re you doing?” Penny exclaims, her palms pushing against my chest like she has any hopes of moving me.
“Shh . . .” I glance over my shoulder toward the sidewalk, but Penelope isn’t one to take orders from anyone, least of all me.
“What? Move!” She pushes against me harder, her nails digging into my flesh where she tries to grab at my shirt, and her voice getting higher and louder to the point where she’s drawing attention.
I have to shut her up so the goons don’t see her. One second, I’m shushing her, and the next, though I’m not sure how it happens, I’m . . .
Kissing Penelope Lee.
Chapter 15
Penny
I do not know what is going on.
One second, Griffin is teasing me for being a skeptic about the flashy, trashy fence we were talking about, and the next, he’s cursing and bodily moving me again. He’s really got to stop doing that. Despite my small stature, I’m not a kid he can just pick up and put wherever he wants me to be.
And then, my demand for answers has his eyes darting all over the place, from my face to the sidewalk behind him.
How in the hell does this end up with Griffin Mahoney kissing me?
Seriously, universe, what is going on? Is Mercury in retrograde, or did my pheromones kick in at the most inopportune time with the least likely person? Maybe Johnny K put a love spell on Griffin? I don’t believe in magic potions, but that’s as logical as what’s happening right now.
But it’s not really a kiss.
Oh, his mouth is on mine, and his body is pressed against me so tightly that I can feel the bulge in his jeans, but this is no kiss. It’s a mashing of his lips to mine to shut me up. Hard, unyielding, forceful power against my frozen shock.