Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 70444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
“Shit,” I said, leaning up on my elbow and reaching for my own phone this time.
Johnny stirred at my back, but I didn’t bother leaving the room. He needed to wake up himself, anyway.
After dialing the number that I needed, I placed it against my ear and waited impatiently for Coke to answer.
“Hello?”
Coke sounded gruff, impatient and pissed.
“Coke, it’s me, June.”
“Where the fuck are you?” he growled.
I bit my lip.
“Well, yesterday, I hit a couple of people with my truck trying to keep some guy from hitting Johnny with a two-by-four piece of wood, and in doing so, my truck got impounded by the cops because I may or may not have killed someone.”
“Knew that truck looked familiar when it came in. You say you may or may not have killed someone. You don’t know if you killed them?” He sounded much more amused this time.
“Well, no. The last time I heard, one of the brothers was in critical condition. I haven’t checked on his status since I left the hospital with Johnny last night. Speaking of which, I had to wake up every couple of hours to make sure that Johnny didn’t die in his sleep. I overslept. I have, like, a twenty-minute walk, and I’ll be there,” I rambled.
Even though, technically, I could ask Johnny to borrow his truck. I knew for a fact he’d let me after yesterday. But I didn’t want to take advantage of him.
“No, you won’t.” He paused. “I think maybe or maybe not killing someone and running over several other people with your truck entitles you to a day off. Be here tomorrow. I can come get you if you can’t get here.”
I found myself smiling despite the intensity of the situation.
“I have a friend that can take me. I’m so sorry for not calling earlier than this,” I apologized, thinking Amanda would be more than willing to take me if she got to hear about last night’s activities.
He grunted. “Don’t worry about it. My kid’s here today anyway. It’s a teacher in-service day, goddammit. She can answer phones. It won’t kill her teenage heart.”
I giggled. “Thanks, Coke. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
He grunted then hung up without saying goodbye, leaving me smiling despite the rudeness.
“You killed them, it might make my life a little easier,” Johnny said from behind me.
I turned on my hip and looked at him.
He looked freakin’ adorable, even despite the bruise I could see trailing down the left side of his face.
His hair was a crazy mess. His usual trimmed beard looked messy, making me wonder if he brushed it or something to make it look so neat and well-maintained all the other times.
His eyes were soft. His lips slightly swollen.
And he wasn’t wearing a shirt…
“Where did your shirt go?”
He looked down at his bare chest. “I get hot. Wearing clothes to bed makes me feel claustrophobic.”
I eyed the sheet covering his lower half. “Tell me you at least have your pants on still.”
He smiled and clutched the sheet tighter to his waist. “You may not want to look.”
I had to know.
My hand went over on its own volition.
Then I was yanking the sheet away from him.
He started to laugh, then immediately fell back and clutched his head. “Owwwww.”
I rolled my eyes and threw the sheet back over him.
He’d shed the pants, but at least he still had on underwear.
“I was coherent enough to remember you were there next to me,” he pointed out, sounding pained. “Can I take some more painkillers?”
I looked at the clock again. “In thirty minutes.”
“Fuck.”
I smiled and rolled out of bed, walking sedately to my bathroom. “You shouldn’t have fucked with me like that.”
“I’ll remember you’re vindictive and use injuries to your advantages the next time I want to tease you,” he mumbled.
Smiling, I closed the bathroom door, and then took care of business. My business took longer when I found a black hair growing out of my chin that looked to be about an inch long.
“Holy shit,” I muttered when I finally got the elusive hair.
“Are you almost done shitting yet? Because I seriously gotta go.” Johnny’s voice sounded from the closed door.
“I’m not shitting.” I rolled my eyes and turned away from the counter. “I was pulling a hair.”
“Pulling a hair,” he said as he walked in, then inhaled deeply. It was as if he was trying to catch me in my lie.
I held up the hair to him, and he squinted at it.
While he did that, I tried not to admire his body or the way his tattoos inspired me to drag my tongue from one nipple to the other.
“Wow,” he said once he came closer. “That’s massively long. How did you not know that was there?”
I winced. “I have no freakin’ idea. It happens all the freakin’ time, though. One day, I’ll look, and BAM. Eight-inch-long hair.”