Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 110771 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110771 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
And make it hurt.
“Phoenix. You like it there and we have the gallery. We could move to the suburbs though if you’d rather. I don’t really care.
“I want to go home.”
“Greece? You miss it?” he scoffs.
I was thinking home as in back to Marco, but I said nothing. I just grunted.
“Maybe that’s not a bad play. My old man isn’t getting any younger. It’d be good both of us work him so that when he finally kicks the bucket, we get everything he has.”
God.
“That sounds good,” I mumble, trying not to be physically ill. “Do you think you could stop. I need a restroom.”
“We’re almost there. You can use the restroom at the chapel.”
“I really have to go, Zervas. I’ll be quick. Besides, you don’t want me to hold it. That’s how girls get infections and that’s not a good way to start off a marriage.”
“Shit. You better not be playing me, Hel.”
“Scouts honor. I just need to pee.”
“Okay, babe.”
God, he really is a moron. I practically hold my breath as he pulls into a gas station. I would have preferred a restaurant, but I guess beggars cannot be choosers. The minute the car stops I go to unlatch my seatbelt.
“I won’t be a minute,” I mutter, trying to figure out how to get my purse and phone in the back.
“Stay there. I’ll come around and let you out and walk you in. It’s not that I don’t want to trust you, Hel. It’s just I’m not stupid. You aren’t going to get a chance to play me. Your father warned me that you could be high-strung, and you needed a firm hand. I’m going to be that babe and you’re going to love it.”
Grossy-gross-gross!
He gets out and while his back is to me and he’s climbing out, I reach up to the dash and grab his phone. I move so fast that I’m more than a little dizzy and I just barely manage to hide it in my bra before Zervas opens my door.
I put my hand in his and I’m kind of proud I was able to do so without cringing in revulsion. “Would you get me a soda and something to snack? We never stopped for lunch and I’m kind of famished.”
“I can do that,” Zervas says. When we get inside the store, I look up at him to see him scanning the room for the bathroom sign. His hand goes against the small of back and he pushes me toward the back. There’s a tiny hall just off the section that has cooler after cooler of drinks. His hand moves from my back to capture mine as he twists the knob of the bathroom and takes in a large room with three stalls. He pulls me in there and I wince because my wrist is still sore from where he hurt me earlier. Using his foot, he kicks open each stall door.
It's empty. I’ll be outside getting your shit. No funny business, Hel,” he warns.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I quip, hoping I sound flippant enough that he buys it.
“I bet you’re going to be a tiger in bed, babe. Can’t wait to find out,” he says, slapping my ass. He pulls me into him and God, I think he’s going to try and kiss me. I don’t think I could handle that.
“Zervas,” I whisper, hoping I sound breathless as I put my hand flat on his chest. “Can you tell me the plan? What comes next?”
His eyes narrow and I start to think he has a brain cell left in his head. I fight to keep from panicking. Shit. Okay, I can do this. I know I can. “I only ask because I want to see Marco pay for threatening my family and trying to blackmail me into marriage.”
Marco is going to turn my ass red for that lie. Although, the idea is more appealing than scary. I just need to find a way to stay alive and unmarried so I can back to him.
“Dad told me why your old man wanted this deal. I wasn’t sure you knew about it,” he says, and his gaze is studying me.
I’m not that worried about it, because clearly a bucket of rocks is smarter. Still, I want to stay alive and unharmed. Marco will be in town tomorrow. I just need to concentrate on that and figuring out how to get free from Zervas. I can do that. No, I had to do that.
“Of course, I knew. That’s why I came to Phoenix to get away from him.” That’s not truly a lie, I just don’t add that I was an idiot. Zervas grins. His hand moves from my ass—which gives me the major ick factor. It slowly goes to my hip and up my stomach. Panic fills me yet again because I can’t let him feel the underside of my bra. His phone is one of those foldable Androids and although the profile is slim, but it’s still not easily disguised in my bra. I hid it between my bra and the underside of my breast. That means one wrong touch and idiot here will discover it. I capture his hand and grin at him. “No touching the merchandise until I know this plan of yours is going to work and you’ll help me put Marco Stratakis in his place.”