Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83236 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83236 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
“Mattie, calm down—”
“Hell no, I’m not going to calm down,” he barks.
Joker stands up and walks over to us. I notice, however, that he doesn’t stand by me. He goes to the other side of Mattie, making me frown. What the hell?
“You can probably find him out behind the bar. That’s where Skylar left him after she laid him out,” Torin answers. For a second, I’m warmed by the way he brags about me. When I look up at him, though, I notice he’s not even looking at me.
“Used some of your training on the fucker, huh sis?” Mattie asks, reclaiming my attention. He’s smiling big at me, making me roll my eyes.
“I figured I should put some of the moves you and Dad drummed into my head to use,” I tell him, but I’m partially lying. My weekly routine includes taking self-defense courses. I haven’t told anyone—not even Mom. I just wanted to make sure I could always take care of myself.
Mattie surprises me by wrapping his arms around me and hugging me tightly. “I’m sorry Skylar. I should have been there and not sent Dom.”
I hug him back and close my eyes, enjoying a small moment of Mattie’s attention. I really do love him. Sometimes when he and Thea get together, I feel like I'm just a third wheel. Besides, I need his love right now. Torin is still refusing to look at me. He’s making sure there is plenty of distance between us, too.
“I’m fine,” I tell Mattie.
He nods, then turns his attention to Torin. “Why didn’t you come inside and get me? You better not have any ideas about my baby sister. She’s too damn young. There’s no way. Besides, she’s got dreams. Skylar isn’t the type of girl for this lifestyle.”
“Mattie, shut up. Jesus, I’m right here. I’ll be the one living my life and I’ll decide what I want in my—”
“You two can cool it,” Joker mutters, interrupting me. “Do I really look like the kind of man who fools with a kid?”
Killer—another member of the club and one of the four with Mattie tonight—laughs. “He has a point, Breaker. Joker will never settle down. Hell, he has so much fun with the twinkies that they’ve created a fan club in his name.”
“True enough. Those bitches even fight over who gets to warm his bed all night,” Raze adds, and I literally start feeling sick to my stomach. It feels like my heart was just crushed inside my chest. For a second, I can’t even catch my breath. It takes all I have not to cry out with the pain I’m feeling. I don’t know how I got so attached to Torin so quickly, but it’s clear I have.
All of them, Torin and Mattie included, are laughing and cracking jokes about the twinkies. No one realizes they’re killing me. They don’t even care. I suddenly decide I need to get out of here. I just can’t handle it anymore. Clearing my throat, I try to get their attention. When Mattie looks at me, the rest slowly calm down.
“If you guys are done patting yourselves on the back over there, I could use a ride home. I have to be back at the hospital early in the morning.”
“You work at the hospital?” Torin asks, and before I can respond, my brother butts in.
“Yep. She’s going to college in the fall. She’s pre-med. She’s going to be a doctor.”
“Maybe,” I answer, nervousness causing butterflies to take flight in my stomach. “For now, I’m working at the hospital as a CNA to get money for college. Which is why I need to get home. Tor—Joker offered to take me home earlier, so I’ll let him and get out of your hair, Mattie.” I need to talk to Torin alone. I’m not sure what’s going on with him, but he’s completely different, and I know that’s not going to bode well for me.
“Joker, I can do it if you don’t want to fool with it.”
Torin stares at me. He doesn’t have to explain. I can see it on his face. He does not want to be alone with me. Whatever magic we had between us, he’s intent on forgetting it now. I wonder how he’s going to react when he discovers that I’m not going to let him?
“Nah, man. I don’t care. I got a date with Dallas tonight and she’s bringing a friend. I can drop your sister off on the way.”
I thought I was in pain earlier. Now, I feel like I’m dying. It wasn’t bad enough that he refers to me as Mattie’s sister, no; he had to completely destroy me by talking about plans for a threesome tonight. Was that always the plan? Was everything we shared just a fantasy in my mind? Was he playing me?