Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55220 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 221(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55220 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 221(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
I look at the woman, who is really a girl, not more than twenty, who has blonde hair like Ana and freckles, wearing a dress with a tear in the sleeve that this guy probably created. “You okay, miss?”
“I,” she breathes out, hugging herself. “I, uh, yes.”
“Be smart and get away from this jerk.”
The jerk is howling at this point. I glance down at his ruddy face. “Let me be clear. If you touch her again, I’ll find out, and I’ll kill you. You won’t be the first man I kill, nor the last. Understand?”
“Yes,” he pants out. “Yes. Okay. Ouuuuch. Ouch. Let me go!”
“Do you understand?” I demand.
“I said yes.” I apply more pressure and he’s howling again. “Yesssss. Yes!”
I free his hand. “Go now.”
He hikes his hand to his chest and holds it with the other, like it’s a sling, and takes off running, leaving his poor abused female friend alone. “Thank you,” she says, her voice cracking with emotion. “Thank you so much.”
“Do what I said. Get away from him.”
“I will,” she promises, but she rushes after the jerk.
I turn to find the store attendant, a heavy-set, short woman in her fifties, standing behind me. “Everything okay?”
“I purged your garbage, so I’d say that’s a yes.”
“Yes,” she agrees. “Yes, indeed.” She heads back to the register.
I round the corner to find Ana now holding a big bag she’s filled with food. “I got you three hotdogs and ranch Doritos,” she says as if nothing has just happened. “Killing people makes you hungry. Oh, and a Coke Slurpee. And, of course, nachos for me.”
I close the space between her and me and accept the bag, staring down at her, this woman who ripped my heart out and shredded it to the point of no repair. “Amazing how well you know me now, but didn’t two years ago, isn’t it?”
She visibly pales. “Luke,” she breathes out softly.
“Lucifer.”
“I’m not calling you that.”
“Don’t call me Luke.”
“Well, then I guess I’ll just call you dude, or something stupid like that.”
I grimace at her. “Let’s go.” I turn and walk to the register.
Chapter Fifteen
LUCIFER
Ana and I exit the store and walk toward the car, and of course, the gentleman that I am, despite all that she thinks of me, I escort her to her side of the vehicle. One thing I’ve always loved about Ana was her ability to kick ass better than most men I know, and yet still maintain a certain feminine charm and vulnerability, especially in bed. Holy hell, the way she melted for me. I shake off the thought, juggling the bag and Slurpee to open the door for her. Or I try, but she makes it impossible. She steps in front of me.
“I got this,” she says, reaching for the bag and the Slurpee, her fingers brushing mine in the process, and I swear she might as well have touched my damn cock, I get so hard. Part of me hates her, that part is obviously not in my pants.
She steps away from me, giving me room to open the door, which I do. She slides into her seat and I shut her inside, nice and safe. After which, I turn to see the jerk from inside charging at me with a gun in his hand, which he probably doesn’t even know how to use. Mother of God, will this shit never end?
He’s a short dude, but stocky and broad like a linebacker, his face one big snarl. Irritation grinds at me, and I don’t wait on him to get lucky and shoot me. With a couple of long strides, I meet up with him, toe-to-toe. “You bastard,” he growls, and that’s all he has time to say or do. I reach out, and with a well-trained hand, take his gun, empty the bullets, and shove the weapon inside my pants.
All of this just in time to catch his fist in my hand, twist his arm, and this time, lay him flat on the ground with my foot between his shoulders. He’s howling and whimpering when I say, “You’re lucky I don’t kill dumbasses. I’m not even going to break your arm, even though I could. Come at me again, and I’ll make an exception.”
He keeps howling, “Let me up. Let me up. I’ll kill you.”
“See, that language isn’t going to help you right now.” I apply a tiny bit of pressure on his joint.
“Okay, okay! I’m sorry, man. I’m sorry!”
“Where’s the girl?”
“She went to the Walmart across the street. She called her dad. He’s picking her up.”
“You better hope that’s the truth.”
“It is. It is! Ouch. Ouch, man.”
“Don’t get up until I’m gone, or I won’t make it as easy for you to get up next time. Understand?”
“Yes, man. Yes. You made me look bad to my woman. I was just trying to save face.”