Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 60023 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 300(@200wpm)___ 240(@250wpm)___ 200(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60023 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 300(@200wpm)___ 240(@250wpm)___ 200(@300wpm)
“What the fuck is that?” Kael roars, the last to come out of his room.
He’s shirtless, sleepy-eyed, but as he stares at the scarecrow, he quickly comes to life.
“That’s me,” I croak.
Four bikers turn to stare at me, their faces masked with shock and rage.
“Motherfuckers,” Talon barks. “Fucking cunts.”
“It’s a message,” Knox growls.
“It’s because I didn’t go with him,” I murmur, more to myself than anyone.
“We should have had people on watch,” Zane barks. “Fuck me, how did this happen?”
“Fire department is on their way,” Wolfe growls, striding over, his eyes pinning me. “Want to tell me what the fuck this is?”
“This is just the beginning. I told you...I told you what they’ll do. Do you believe me now? Do any of you believe me now? They’re fucking crazy.”
Silence.
My legs tremble and as if in slow motion, my body starts falling to the ground. Somehow, Talon is there to catch me. He is always there to catch me when I fall. My face hits the leather of his jacket as he hauls me against him, the scent of smoke and sweat surrounding me. My body is shaking, but nothing I do will stop it.
“You don’t get to fall apart. Not now. You wanna be here, with us, you better fucking understand what that means. They want you scared. They want you weak. You give ‘em that, you’re already gone.”
I flinch at his words, but he doesn’t stop.
“That scarecrow? That’s war. They made it personal. Which means you stay close. You listen. We will fix this, but you gotta trust us.”
“They’re dangerous,” I whisper, clutching his jacket in my hands, as if that will stop anything.
“So are we.”
I nod.
Only then does he soften—barely. His chin rests on the top of my head, his breath hot against my hair. I want to stay here forever, where it feels safe, even if that safety is more in my imagination than it is anything else.
“Breathe for me, yeah,” he growls, his voice low. “We got this.”
But even as he says it, I can’t shake the feeling crawling down my spine.
He’s right, this is war.
I’m just afraid it’s a war we won’t win.
4
Aloud cheer goes up as Kael hoists a bottle of whiskey into the air, the amber liquid sloshing dangerously near the top. He pours a generous amount into a row of plastic cups, sliding one across the table to me. I hesitate, fingers hovering over the rim, but Mera nudges me with her elbow. She offers me a grin, wild and carefree, and I wish for a moment I could be more like her.
Hell, maybe I can. She has been through hell and come out the other side, maybe I can, too.
"Go on, you’ll like it," she urges with a grin, already taking a swig of her own drink. "It burns like a bitch, but it’s sooo good."
I look down at the glass, feeling my cheeks flush as the weight of unfamiliarity presses down on me. Alcohol was strictly forbidden in my world, a line I had never crossed. Hell, I don’t even recall a time anyone drank within those walls—not even wine. Which is surprising, really, considering that it's meant to be part of it all. Right?
Maybe I just never paid attention.
Now, though, I am being given a chance to do whatever I like.
Do I dare?
I glance nervously, torn between the temptation of rebellion and the comfort of my familiar boundaries. Something inside me teeters on the edge, a part of me desperate to let it all go, while the other clings to the safety of what I've always known.
I’m tired of living life by everyone else’s rules. But is it worth breaking them for this? Who said I can’t try something new, something a little dangerous? Yet, the fear of the unknown lingers, holding me back even as I reach for the glass.
Fuck them.
I’m done living for rules that aren’t even mine.
I carefully lift the cup, feeling the cool plastic against my fingers, and bring it slowly to my lips. The first taste catches me off guard, causing a sudden cough that disrupts the silence. Laughter bursts from the group around me. My cheeks flush with embarrassment, but I muster the courage to try again.
Surely it gets better, right?
That has to be why everyone loves it so much.
The liquid burns as it travels down my throat, leaving a trail of heat, but there's an unexpected comfort in its warmth. The flavor is unlike anything I've ever experienced, a complex blend of something a little bitter, warm and intense.
“Atta girl,” Zane calls from across the fire, a smirk twisting his lips. “Knew you had it in you.”
The flames crackle, and my eyes settle on them. I’ve always found a strange comfort in fire, except for the one that blazed out the front only a night ago. That’s the kind of fire I never want to see again in my life. Guilt still grips my chest, knowing how close these men came to the kind of danger I’m still not sure they understand.