Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 34025 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34025 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
“You can put your socks on later,” he rumbled. “We have to go now.”
The sense of urgency in his voice made my hands tremble. I fumbled with my laces. He sighed, dropping to one knee, and brushed my hands out of the way so he could tie my shoelaces himself.
“Dad, I’ve got it—”
“No, you don’t. If you did, they’d already be tied.”
“Now that’s adorable,” Duke shouted. “Does he wipe your ass for you, too, little Willow?”
Their laughter licked at my skin like flames threatening to burn me alive.
“Dad, please—”
“Ignore it,” he barked.
More laughter. More jeers.
I stood there like a little kid waiting for my dad to finish tying my shoes so I could go and play. As soon as he completed the final knot, I threw on my backpack and set off down the path that would lead us to the main trail.
“Watch out for those grizzlies,” Zeb taunted as we reached the trees.
“Don’t look back,” my dad growled. I suppressed a shiver, bristling at his commanding tone. The jagged edge to his voice had nearly rendered the sound unrecognizable. He’d never snapped at me like that before. Was he pissed at me? What for?
I wanted to kick the nearest hornet’s nest and direct the swarm to Mr. Bubbles. Everything had been perfect before those guys showed up. Now it was all ruined—the priceless memory I was meant to carry with me to college, something to look back on when I was alone in a strange city surrounded by strange people.
Those creepy assholes robbed me of that comfort and laughed about it.
Against Dad’s orders and my better judgment, I pivoted at the last second and raised my middle finger in a final fuck-you.
Chapter 2
Erik
I wrapped my fist around Willow’s small hand and dragged it out of sight.
“Stop fucking around,” I warned her. She took her hand back, hitting me with a look of righteous fury.
“But those guys were assholes,” she said.
I pressed on Willow’s lower back, encouraging her to walk faster. “It doesn’t matter. The last thing we need is for one of them to take your offensive gesture personally.”
“You don’t think they deserve it?”
Of course they fucking deserved it. They deserved a hell of a lot worse than a simple fuck-you. Anger throbbed in my temples as I recalled the way those bastards had salivated over my teenaged daughter. I didn’t have to be psychic to discern the fucked-up fantasies playing out like porn in their minds. They weren’t just checking her out. They were tracking her, hunting her, skinning, field dressing, and devouring her with nothing but their eyeballs.
“That’s not the point.” I glanced back to make sure we weren’t being followed. “Reacting aggressively would have escalated the situation. They were baiting us, and you just gave them exactly what they wanted.”
“A one-finger salute?”
“An excuse,” I said firmly.
“So now it’s my fault if they come after us?”
I forced myself to take a few deep breaths before I continued. “That’s not what I meant. None of this is your fault. I’m not angry with you.”
“But you are still angry,” she mumbled.
I wasn’t just angry. I was furious, but Willow didn’t deserve to bear the brunt of my wrath. I fell into step beside her as we emerged onto the main trail.
“Yes, I’m angry, Willow. But it’s not because of anything you did or said. If either of us should feel responsible for what happened, it’s me, okay? Not you.”
“Why should you feel bad?”
“Because I let the situation drag on longer than it needed to. I should’ve gotten you out of there as soon as that nosy bastard started asking questions.” From the moment I locked eyes with Duke I could tell that something wasn’t right about him. I tried to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but an alarm went off the instant I shook his hand.
Warning. This fucker is pure evil.
I wasn’t a religious man. I didn’t believe in angels or devils, just people who did bad shit for selfish reasons. Lately I’d been trying to rein in my inclination to jump in and take charge of every situation, at least where Willow was concerned. I knew I could be overprotective and that wasn’t going to help her make good decisions when she was on her own.
But boy, did I regret not listening to my instincts about Duke and his friends.
“What made you decide to get up when you did?” she asked.
Relief washed over me. I let my shoulders relax a little. If she was asking about it, then that meant she hadn’t seen it.
When I realized those assholes were hemming us in on purpose, I began mentally searching for a way out. I fought hard to keep my shit together; I didn’t want to make Willow more nervous than she already was. All the while, my body was preparing to either grab my girl and bolt or start throwing punches.