Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 79020 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79020 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
I watch her as she works, the evening ticking away. The limited sunlight that was trickling in from the handful of transom windows on the front of the bar fades out, casting shadows everywhere. A sense of familiarity embraces me, but sitting here with her has already taken the edge off the anxiety that is normally chewing on the sharp points of me, so the difference isn't as vast as it normally would be.
I spend an hour formulating a way to speak with her. Knowing I'm going to use someone for my own personal, or with this situation the organization's, gain wouldn't bother me as much, but I'm finding it nearly impossible to come up with a topic of conversation that wouldn't leave her running for the hills rather than leaning in and wanting to get to know me better.
I pull in a deep breath, well aware that I might've jumped the gun by telling Ace that I could handle situations like this.
I'm better suited for being the monster in the corner. The one who people with morals need to extract information. I can easily get what I need with the help of a knife or a strategically placed electrical current. Hell, a thick towel and a bucket of water can make some of the toughest people open their mouths and spill all their secrets.
Talking to a woman in a bar should be easy. It should be natural.
Right now, for me, it seems an impossible task, but failure isn't an option. Failure here in Tennessee means I'll no longer be connected to Cerberus at all. That connection, the one that Hound helped me establish, is the only thing keeping me from being on the same side of the law that this woman might possibly be. I'll be damned if I end up like Tommy Wilkinson and all the evil men that came before him.
Think of the devil and he shall appear. Isn't that close to the saying?
I watch, my scowl back in full force, as the man of the fucking hour slips out of the door at the opposite end of the bar from me.
Of course, he would show his face right when I was on the brink of garnering the confidence to speak with her.
She greets him with a smile, the same one she gives everyone else, not a special one, as far as I can tell. They have a short conversation on the opposite end of the bar from me before he leans in and presses a quick kiss to her temple.
I swallow down the bile that threatens to rush up my throat, uncertain why his touching her bothers me in the first place.
She disappears into the back room with him a moment later, and I use the opportunity to get the fuck out of Dodge, slapping a twenty on the bar top and making my way to my bike in the parking lot.
Chapter 4
Zara
"This is supposed to be fun," I whisper to myself as I tap my fingers on the steering wheel, a little annoyed at how much traffic is congested in this very poorly planned parking lot.
I pull in a deep breath, letting my cheeks puff up before allowing the exhale as I watch a minivan's reverse lights light up down the long row of cars, but it doesn't immediately back out.
As always, this is proof that I never ask the right questions. When Tommy called after hearing about Billy going to prison, instead of just taking him up on the escape to East Tennessee that he was offering, I should've given it a little more thought.
Moving to one of the largest tourist locations on the eastern side of the United States, during one of its peak seasons, was clearly a huge mistake. It takes longer than forever to get through town, and then there's such a massive influx of people that finding parking for all of them is nearly impossible.
I nod at the man in the minivan when he finally manages his fifteen-point backup, but the car behind me honks before he can even get past me enough so that I can pull into the spot I was waiting for.
"'Tis the season," I mutter as I put my car into park.
I shove open my door, barely grabbing it in time when the wind catches it before it slams into the nice truck parked beside me.
"For fuck's sake," I mutter as I climb out, the wind tangling up my hair more than it already is.
The chill is bone-deep as I suck in another fortifying breath before walking toward the front of the building.
I look up at the sign that declares I'll find rare stones. The only reason I'm here is because I found a coupon in one of those booklets in the rack at the front of the grocery store. I don't necessarily want to do the tourist thing, but I made a vow that I'd have some sort of life. I've been in the area for over a month and this is the first time I've actually forced myself out of the small house I'm renting to something other than work or the grocery shop.