Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 84982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 425(@200wpm)___ 340(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 425(@200wpm)___ 340(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Kill him? God! I would hope not. I should call King. Sebastian. Someone who could come help me.
He grabbed the front of Tyron’s shirt and shook him once, then let him go. “Get in your car. Drive away. Don’t call the police. That would be your last mistake.”
Tyron gulped. “I’m not going to let you hurt her.”
A deep, sadistic-sounding chuckle came from Thatcher’s chest. “I keep her safe. Protect her. Soothe her. I don’t hurt her.”
Oh, sweet Jesus, why did that turn me on? This man was insane, and I was getting wet because he was spewing psycho crap. What did he mean, he protected me? And what was this soothing? I had somehow missed it, and that seemed unfair.
Tyron’s eyes swung to me, and Thatcher’s hand grabbed his face, immediately snapping it back so that he could only look at him.
“Don’t look at her. Leave.”
“Tyron, please go,” I told him.
Thatcher’s lit cigarette was too close to Tyron’s eye since it was between two of the fingers on the hand that held Tyron’s face. I didn’t want him blinded because he’d taken me on a date. I’d imagined our night ending with me no longer an inexperienced woman, not with Thatcher manhandling my date.
Thatcher dropped his hold on Tyron, then draped his arm over my shoulders, moving me back from the other man.
“Go on,” Thatcher told him.
The scent of cedar, spice, and tobacco drifted over me, and I wanted to bury my nose in his chest and get more of it. Which was screwed up because of the entire scene that had just taken place.
Tyron glanced back at me as he opened his car door.
“Don’t look at her,” Thatcher warned him.
Once Tyron was safely gone, I was going to let him have it. This was insane and made no sense. He had no right to come here and treat my date like this. Tyron was going to call the police. I had no doubt about that. I didn’t want Thatcher in trouble even if he was acting like a crazy person who might be mental. He needed to leave too.
Tyron started his car and backed out.
Thatcher dropped the cigarette by his foot and then covered it to put it out. “I’ll pick it up and toss it in the trash before I go. I always do.”
I stared up at him. Now that I didn’t have to worry about him hurting Tyron, I moved away until there were several feet between our bodies.
“What the hell was that?” I demanded.
He smirked as if this was funny.
“Let’s go inside,” he replied.
I shook my head, planting my hands on my hips. “You are leaving. Tyron is probably already on the phone with the police. They will be here at any moment. They have nothing better to do in this town. You have got to go!”
He ran the pad of his thumb over his lower lip as his gaze traveled down my body. There was a flicker of appreciation. Maybe? I didn’t want to be affected by it, but I thought I looked nice tonight. Sexy even. The short blue jean miniskirt and bandana crop top with my red cowgirl boots was country-concert cliché, but I’d let Esther talk me into it. My hair pulled back in low pigtails at the nape of my neck was a little over the top, but I had gone with it.
He made a tsking sound, then shook his head. “You’re not wearing a bra, little doll.”
Dang it, my vagina needed to settle down. This man wasn’t getting near it, and she needed to get over it. I also needed to be slapped to even be reacting to him. He was a mean bastard.
“Did you not hear me? The cops? You need to go!”
His eyes moved back up to meet mine. “You worried about me?” he asked with an amused grin, then took a step in my direction. “Trying to protect me from the law?”
Yes, I guessed I was. Because once he left, when the cops showed up, I was gonna have to lie. Tell them Tyron had misunderstood. I was aware that he’d probably never talk to me again and this would be our last date, but I wasn’t letting Thatcher go to jail. Folks here didn’t trust him and thought he’d escaped murder. I was sure the cops were itching to get him for something. Tyron was fine. He hadn’t been hurt.
I let out a sigh. He was just standing there. Looking at me.
“I am trying to keep you outta jail.”
A deep, edgy laugh caused a small thrill to shoot through me, and my body tensed up.
“Jail? That’s cute.”
No, it was the freaking truth! What was his problem? Did he need some meds? Sebastian might have meant he was unstable, literally. As in he was medicated to be sane.