Total pages in book: 17
Estimated words: 16084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 80(@200wpm)___ 64(@250wpm)___ 54(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 16084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 80(@200wpm)___ 64(@250wpm)___ 54(@300wpm)
“Now that we’ve had a dance, how about I buy you a drink?” The stranger asks, reading my thoughts.
“Sounds good to me.” I’ve got nowhere better to be. The twins have found some fresh meat of their own, and it’s my turn to keep from interrupting.
We grab our drinks, beers and tequila, and head outside for a breather. It’s crazy how a simple door is enough to block the sound from inside. The bass thumping in the background is obvious, but otherwise it’s mostly calm out here. Almost serene. The sprawling, blinding ropes of light, replaced by muted undertones. Screaming at the top of your lungs to get over the music, turned to hushed, lazy chatting from one small group, braving the first drops of an incoming rain storm for a cigarette.
So quiet, in fact, I can hear my own thoughts.
None of them pleasant.
We find a table in the furthest corner, away from prying eyes, and drink the tequila shots standing. It’s bitter, disgusting, burns the whole way down, and exactly what I need. He grunts and groans, pulling a face that scrunches the exposed half of his face.
I chuckle, because there’s something awfully funny about seeing a man suffer at the hands of his own terrible decisions.
“You weren’t kidding,” the stranger says, falling into a metal chair. “You were moving on a different level out there.”
“I’ve got a lot on my mind,” I smile weakly. With half my face covered, and the other painted to resemble nothing but black, it wouldn’t even show in my eyes. “Need to get it out somehow.”
“So why not talk about it? That’s what I’ve found always works,” he pulls a second metal chair closer to him, shielding it from the fall of heavy drops beneath a wide umbrella.
If he didn’t seem genuine enough, I might’ve thought harder on joining so close to him. Hell, if I hadn’t sucked down my good senses with that shot of tequila, I would’ve insisted on being opposite him. Instead, I accept his offer, slipping onto the chair.
“So, what’s got you so down?” He asks, sliding back until he’s pressed against the boundary rail.
I watched my dad get his head smashed in by a caveman.
Nope. Not going to say that, no matter how fuzzy I feel.
“Family drama.” A pretty polite way of putting it. “Definitely not something I want to go into right now.”
“Can’t be much help if you don’t let me in,” he reaches for his drink. Raises it to his lips, but waits before sipping. “You’ve gotta give me something.”
“Or we could enjoy the night and pretend everything’s fine.” I do the same, spinning the bottle in circles between my fingers.
“We could.” His free hand slides under the table and brushes against my knee. I presume it’s a mistake, but when it continues to linger on top of my thigh my heart starts thumping a little faster. “And I’ve got just the thing to clear your mind.”
He squeezes my knee, soft but firm, to make his intentions known.
A tsunami of disappointment floods me to the brim.
This isn’t my first rodeo. Coming out more often than I probably should, I’ve swiped more men like this away than I care to count. More interested in getting their dick sucked than being the hero that saves the day. With what happened back home, it makes sense that I looked at him with rose tinted glances. My perfect distraction from a situation I can’t seem to deal with.
But in the end, he’s just here to get lucky.
“I should probably go,” I say, inching away from his touch.
He takes a long swig of his drink, brow raising above his eye. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No, I think we’re looking for different things,” I say.
I tug my leg to the side to free it from the stranger’s grip, but instead of releasing, he digs his fingers in tighter. An icy chill sprints up my spine from the dull ache of his squeeze. The light in his eyes fizzles out to a cold, deep stare.
In a flash, he’s no longer the man I met on that dancefloor. He’s as much a monster as the one from the restaurant.
“Relax, Doll-face,” he speaks in a harsh whisper, so no one else can hear us. Though, from my periphery, I can see the other groups have finished their cigarette’s and went back inside. It’s just him and me now. Alone outside. Where no one can hear me scream behind the wall of sound.
“This is the best way to clear your mind. Quick and dirty. Whatever’s got you down will be a distant memory when I’m through with you.” He releases his beer and his ice-cold hand grazes the skin on my neck while it snakes over my shoulder. “And besides, you owe me.”
Owe him.
That’s all it takes for my mind to sink into the darkest depths. I’ve never met this man before, so how could I owe him anything . . . unless he’s the monster I saw hovering over my dad. The devil who has terrorized my family for months, for petty change that got us through the worst of times. A horrible amalgamation of pure terror, shaped in flesh and bone, but molded in something far more sinister.