Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 81285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
“Do what?”
“Ask what’s wrong with you, and you know damn well I don’t wanna ask.”
“Then don’t. Nothing’s wrong.”
“Well, now you’re just pissing me off.” Seven tossed his towel on the counter and crossed his arms. “We both know something’s eating ya, so just spill it.”
And here’s where I would’ve gotten all deep and insightful, and bared my soul like it was some kind of late-night documentary. But before I could even open my mouth, before the words ‘I know, man’, could crawl their way out, I glanced to my side and spotted Davis sauntering through the front door.
That’s right.
My long, lost brother.
He looked good. Almost too good.
He had on a clean shirt, his hair was combed, and he was sporting an easy smile, making it look like everything was going his way. And maybe it was, because he wasn’t alone.
He had his arm slung around a woman’s shoulder, casual but in a claiming sort of way, like he’d done it a hundred times before. And the woman at his side was none other than Presley Mayes.
The Presley Mayes.
I remembered her well. She was one of the prettiest girls in our high school. She always smelled like vanilla and had perfect hair, perfect skin, and perfect clothes. I also remember her being one of those goody-goody types who always made all A’s and only dated guys who came from a good family.
She steered clear of trouble, which meant she wouldn’t give me the time of day.
And I tried. I gave it my all, and I was shot down at every turn.
And now, she was here.
At the Vault.
Looking even more beautiful than she did back then, and I won’t deny that it was a surprise to see that she was there with my brother. Seven followed my stare and muttered, “Is that who I think it is?”
“The one and only.”
Davis spotted me, and his whole face lit up like he was actually happy to see me. What the fuck was that? He started walking toward me, guiding Presley along with him. And me?
Well, I just stood there, beer halfway to my mouth and my heart hammering in my chest, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. There were a lot of things that could’ve turned my night to shit, and this one was pretty high on the fucking list.
Damn.
Things were about to get interesting and not in a good way.
4
PRESLEY
I’d heard about the Vault. Everyone had. It was one of the largest strip clubs in town, and it was very popular, especially with men. Apparently, they couldn’t get enough of it.
I, on the other hand, had never stepped foot in the place.
The loud music, the scantily dressed waitresses, the all-but-bare dancers on the various stages, and all the drunken brutes cheering them on were not my cup of tea. Just the thought of it made my stomach turn.
So, needless to say, I wasn’t thrilled when Davis pulled into the parking lot. I wanted to question him about why we were there, but after our last conversation, I didn’t dare.
In a blink, we were walking through the front door and into a whole new world. Davis had his arm around my shoulder, guiding me toward the back of the bar like I was some shiny new trophy.
Honestly, I should’ve expected this.
This whole disaster had Lila Kate written all over it.
If someone ever wrote a book on What Not To Do in a Dire Situation, my sister could’ve contributed more than her fair share. Maybe the whole damn book. The girl never thought before leaping. She went in headfirst and trusted that she’d land on her feet.
Normally, it was kind of cute. Quirky, even.
It was part of her charm.
But today, it was going to be her undoing. Or better yet, it was going to be mine. I should’ve never volunteered to fix this mess for her, but I was her big sister. It was my job to help her. I was the one who’d spent the last twenty years carrying ibuprofen and Band-Aids in my purse because it was my job to look out for her. And I did it without question.
But I never expected this. Never in my wildest dreams.
The second Davis mentioned that he had a plan, I should’ve run.
Vanished into thin air.
Never to be heard from again.
Instead, I jumped at his offer.
He said he had a way to get his hands on some easy money. He just needed me to pretend to be his girlfriend for a few days. I didn’t figure it would be that hard. It wasn’t like I hadn’t dated before. I knew how to play the game. I just had to brush up on my acting skills and pretend that I was interested in a man who made me question all my life’s choices.
It seemed manageable.