Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 60342 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 241(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60342 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 241(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
“Touch her again, and you’ll die,” Troy says, his face inches from Dad’s.
Luke jumps out of his truck, his eyes wild with confusion and fury. He runs across the driveway, making a beeline for me.
Tom’s laugh is loud and obnoxious. His eyes are filled with humor.
“You left me for that?” he asks. “Oh, Laina. Don’t do this to yourself.”
“What the hell is going on here?” Luke asks, storming up the steps and placing himself between me and Tom. His body ripples with unbridled fury beneath his purple feed store shirt.
I place a hand on Luke’s shoulder, tears filling my eyes.
Troy releases Dad, shoving him away from the steps.
Tom makes a show out of looking Luke up and down. “Wow. Interesting choice, Laina. It seems when you go low, you go to the bottom of the barrel.”
“Get the fuck out of here,” Luke says, not at all intimidated by Tom’s overconfidence.
Tom ignores him. “Isn’t it humiliating to be caught at your boyfriend’s house when you were supposed to be on your honeymoon with me right now?” He shakes his head. “Don’t you have any shame?”
“Oh, I’m ashamed of a lot of things, Tom. But none of it has to do with Luke.”
“Luke, huh?” Tom smirks at him. “Nice to meet ya, Luke.”
“Is this the life you want?” Dad says, straightening his shirt. “Why would you choose this? Tom can give you the best of everything—access to anyone, anywhere you can dream. What’s this guy gonna give you? Fleas?”
Luke bristles beneath my touch.
“You realize that I don’t need Tom, or you, or anyone for that matter, to give me anything money can buy, right?” I ask, grinning at him. “Because Dad—I have a lot of it. Granted, you have a lot of it because you stole it from me.”
“Tread lightly, little girl,” he says, narrowing his eyes.
“Or what? What are you possibly going to do to me? Record this and sell it to the tabloids to try to further whatever fucked-up agenda you have?” I laugh. “Fine. Do it. I don’t care.”
Troy places his hand over the top of the phone, making the redhead jump. He squeezes the phone so hard that something inside it crunches. The redhead’s eyes widen, and he steps back, leaving the phone in Troy’s hand.
“It looks like we took care of that,” I say, stepping beside Luke. He takes my hand and squeezes it, and the warmth of the contact spreads through my veins. “The only thing I need from anyone is love, Dad. And you and Tom are incapable of that.”
“We’re capable of what’s important. We have our priorities straight, Laina,” Tom says. “Life isn’t about a stupid emotion meant to make businesses money and provide a source of entertainment for simple-minded fools. Don’t be a sheep.”
“My God. Will you listen to yourselves?” I ask. “Go. I never want to see either of you ever again.”
“You’re coming with us,” Dad says. “We aren’t leaving you here when it’s clear you need a mental evaluation.”
I look at Luke. He watches me for a sign that I need his help. The fact that he realizes I need to do this on my own and that all I need is for him to be here beside me means the world.
“How can you want to be with this guy?” Tom asks, jamming a finger Luke’s way. “He just stands there like a bitch.”
Luke chuckles angrily, licking his bottom lip. “She’s doing just fine on her own. That’s the thing that neither of you understand. She doesn’t need to be saved. Laina is strong and smart, and she can make her own decisions. She can certainly handle the two of you. If she needs me, I’m right here, ready to kill a motherfucker.”
“Oh, is that how it is?” Tom asks, standing taller.
Luke grins. “That’s how it is.”
“Okay then,” Tom says, switching his gaze to me. “Enjoy your life being a little whore—fuck!”
He barely gets the word out when Luke grabs him by the front of his shirt and headbutts him in the nose. Blood runs down Tom’s face, mixing with the tears that come automatically.
Shit. My hands fly to my mouth as Tom tries to regain his composure. Luke stares at him like a predator about to strike its prey.
“You asshole!” Tom shouts, backing down the stairs.
Luke matches him step for step. His back is flexed, his shoulders taut.
The redhead runs to their truck and jumps inside.
“You can’t do that,” Dad shouts, clawing at any shred of control he can find.
“He just fucking did.” Troy again grabs Dad by the back of his shirt and drags him to the truck. “It would be best if I didn’t see you again. Do you understand?”
Tom stands at the side of the truck, trying frantically to get the bleeding to stop.
“I really hope we’ve made ourselves clear,” Luke says, walking up to him. “But if you ever need a refresher course, let me know.”