[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
her and moved closer until their bodies touched.
“What are you doing?” she asked, injecting her tone with as much mildness as she
could manage. She didn’t want to rile him here where everyone could see them.
His gaze sparked with that weird glitter. “You talkin’ to Autumn? I saw her out here
with you.”
“We just exchanged pleasantries.”
He snorted a laugh. “Yeah. Right. I also heard you visited Dillon the other day at the
fire station. You don’t freakin’ get it do you, Cherry? Stay away from Dillon, or you’ll
regret it.”
Cherry stared him right in the eye. “I don’t have time to argue about him. Don’t get
any stupid ideas.”
“Everything has to do with screwing you, Cherry. Every man wants to do you. I want
to screw you.”
George you are such a sicko.
“You want Autumn MacAllister, and I know it,” she said. “I want Jack Dillon and
you know it. So what’s keeping us from having what we want?”
His cruel lips curved into a lopsided grin. Seconds crawled while he filtered the idea
through his thick skull. Impatient, Cherry started to shift away, but he pulled her toward
him.
“You saying you want to break up with me? You want to move out?” he asked.
“No. But if you want a little extra on the side I won’t bust your balls for it. Go for it.
If you want the bitch, I won’t stop you. But I want Jack, and I’m going to have him.”
She hung, for an excruciating moment, on the precipice of danger. George could
snap her neck like a chicken and not have a microsecond of regret. His gaze darkened.
He licked his lips and reached for her. “Come here.”
* * * *
Autumn walked steadily toward the bowling alley where she planned to bowl with
Bitsie and Ginger. Autumn’s agitation over the conversation with Cherry still simmered
in her veins. She realized a second too late that the Mafia Boys stood near the bowling
alley entrance, smoking cigarettes.
“Hey, pretty lady,” Micky said as he stepped forward with his partner.
Todd’s grin grew wide and imbued with anticipation. “Well, lookie what we got
here. The little troublemaker.”
She turned to enter the bowling alley, but Todd clasped her arm and drew her back.
“We got some business with you.” Todd’s voice rang deep and full of malice.
“Serious business.”
Her mind lurched between panic and reason. Her throat, dry and tight, almost kept
her from speaking. Sweat broke out along her body. Trapped, she would have a difficult
time escaping or defending herself. She yanked on Todd’s grip, and to her surprise, he
released her. Steeling against the urge to run, she put her hands on her hips and said
nothing. Instinctively she knew if she ran, they would hunt her down. She stared at the
two predators and put all her malice into the look.
Micky closed ranks. Barely twelve inches separated her from him. “You got us in
trouble with the police.”
“What?” she asked, incredulous.
This is too rich. First Cherry is berating me and now these creeps show up.
Todd grinned, and she noticed the deplorable condition of his teeth for the first time.
She could smell his rancid breath. “We don’t like it when little princesses come into town
and disturb things. The police been talkin’ to us about those pictures you took of us at
that fire. Makin’ out like we started the fires.”
Everything inside her stiffened. “I didn’t take those pictures to get you into trouble. I
took photographs of the entire crowd.”
Todd punched the air with his finger to emphasize a point. “Some other fuckin’
reporter took pictures at the club fire and the police looked through his pictures, too.”
Recalling that she’d seen Todd at the Top O’ the Morning, she nodded. “And that
has what to do with me?”
“The police are always on our asses, that’s why,” Micky said, his voice gravelly.
“And you knew we’d get in trouble when you showed them our pictures.”
“You’ve got to be kidding. They asked me to turn over my photos that first time, and
I did.”
When they glared at her, she decided to take a road they didn’t expect. If she argued
with them in a strident tone, they’d feed on her anger. They wanted her to react.
She headed toward the front of the building again and what she hoped would be
relative safety. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Micky stepped in front of Autumn and pinned her with a malicious smile. “I don’t
think so.”
Todd snickered. “You shouldn’t have come back to town.”
Wildly she questioned if she’d stepped into a reeking, bad rendition of an old west
movie.
Micky reached for her arm and before she could move, he latched onto her left wrist.
Pain lashed into the joint and she gasped. He yanked her against his body.
She tried to pull back, but the pressure sent stinging hot pain through her arm.
Unable to hold back a gasp, she glared at the man imprisoning her. “Let me go.”
“I think I’d listen to the lady if I was you,” a dark-as-night, hard voice said
somewhere nearby. “She’s more dangerous than you think.”
Jack.
He stood at the side of the building. His stance was one-hundred-percent business,
his feet apart and fists clenched at his sides. Autumn sighed in unadulterated relief. He
never took his attention off the two men, and she felt his anger and concern like a hot
blast from an oven. Fear returned as she realized Jack faced down two men. Hot pain
pierced her wrist as Micky’s fingers tightened on her flesh.
Jack glanced at her, and she saw worry flicker higher in his eyes, then harsh fury. He
remained in place, not moving, his grim expression trained on the men. “Let her go, or I
guarantee you’ll regret it.”
Soft and calm, the lethal tone in his voice said he’d tolerate no argument.
Micky’s small eyes squinted until he looked like an insane pig. “This ain’t any of
your business. You’re still a fuckin’ candy ass, Dillon.”
With all three men fixated on their high-fuel testosterone, Autumn saw her
opportunity.
She swung up with her knee and landed a thrust right into Micky’s balls.
Micky’s breath whooshed out and he grabbed at his crotch with both hands and bent
over with an agonized groan. Autumn felt a stab of pure delight to see him incapacitated.
Pathetic moans escaped the man’s mouth.
Jack crossed his arms and gave the men a pitying smile. “I told you she was more
dangerous than she looked.”
Todd spewed obscenities and remained frozen to the spot.
Walking with calm strides, Jack came to a halt in front of her like a protective angel
and faced the men. He seemed coiled and ready for anything.
Tremors wracked her limbs for a moment and settled in her stomach. Electricity
seemed to crackle in the air. Anything could happen and probably would if she didn’t
defuse the situation.
She reached for Jack’s forearm and touched him gently. His muscles twitched, but he
didn’t look at her. “Jack.”
Micky straightened with difficulty. Pain strained his mouth. “Yeah, candy ass, this
ain’t none of your business.” [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl freetocraft.keep.pl
her and moved closer until their bodies touched.
“What are you doing?” she asked, injecting her tone with as much mildness as she
could manage. She didn’t want to rile him here where everyone could see them.
His gaze sparked with that weird glitter. “You talkin’ to Autumn? I saw her out here
with you.”
“We just exchanged pleasantries.”
He snorted a laugh. “Yeah. Right. I also heard you visited Dillon the other day at the
fire station. You don’t freakin’ get it do you, Cherry? Stay away from Dillon, or you’ll
regret it.”
Cherry stared him right in the eye. “I don’t have time to argue about him. Don’t get
any stupid ideas.”
“Everything has to do with screwing you, Cherry. Every man wants to do you. I want
to screw you.”
George you are such a sicko.
“You want Autumn MacAllister, and I know it,” she said. “I want Jack Dillon and
you know it. So what’s keeping us from having what we want?”
His cruel lips curved into a lopsided grin. Seconds crawled while he filtered the idea
through his thick skull. Impatient, Cherry started to shift away, but he pulled her toward
him.
“You saying you want to break up with me? You want to move out?” he asked.
“No. But if you want a little extra on the side I won’t bust your balls for it. Go for it.
If you want the bitch, I won’t stop you. But I want Jack, and I’m going to have him.”
She hung, for an excruciating moment, on the precipice of danger. George could
snap her neck like a chicken and not have a microsecond of regret. His gaze darkened.
He licked his lips and reached for her. “Come here.”
* * * *
Autumn walked steadily toward the bowling alley where she planned to bowl with
Bitsie and Ginger. Autumn’s agitation over the conversation with Cherry still simmered
in her veins. She realized a second too late that the Mafia Boys stood near the bowling
alley entrance, smoking cigarettes.
“Hey, pretty lady,” Micky said as he stepped forward with his partner.
Todd’s grin grew wide and imbued with anticipation. “Well, lookie what we got
here. The little troublemaker.”
She turned to enter the bowling alley, but Todd clasped her arm and drew her back.
“We got some business with you.” Todd’s voice rang deep and full of malice.
“Serious business.”
Her mind lurched between panic and reason. Her throat, dry and tight, almost kept
her from speaking. Sweat broke out along her body. Trapped, she would have a difficult
time escaping or defending herself. She yanked on Todd’s grip, and to her surprise, he
released her. Steeling against the urge to run, she put her hands on her hips and said
nothing. Instinctively she knew if she ran, they would hunt her down. She stared at the
two predators and put all her malice into the look.
Micky closed ranks. Barely twelve inches separated her from him. “You got us in
trouble with the police.”
“What?” she asked, incredulous.
This is too rich. First Cherry is berating me and now these creeps show up.
Todd grinned, and she noticed the deplorable condition of his teeth for the first time.
She could smell his rancid breath. “We don’t like it when little princesses come into town
and disturb things. The police been talkin’ to us about those pictures you took of us at
that fire. Makin’ out like we started the fires.”
Everything inside her stiffened. “I didn’t take those pictures to get you into trouble. I
took photographs of the entire crowd.”
Todd punched the air with his finger to emphasize a point. “Some other fuckin’
reporter took pictures at the club fire and the police looked through his pictures, too.”
Recalling that she’d seen Todd at the Top O’ the Morning, she nodded. “And that
has what to do with me?”
“The police are always on our asses, that’s why,” Micky said, his voice gravelly.
“And you knew we’d get in trouble when you showed them our pictures.”
“You’ve got to be kidding. They asked me to turn over my photos that first time, and
I did.”
When they glared at her, she decided to take a road they didn’t expect. If she argued
with them in a strident tone, they’d feed on her anger. They wanted her to react.
She headed toward the front of the building again and what she hoped would be
relative safety. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Micky stepped in front of Autumn and pinned her with a malicious smile. “I don’t
think so.”
Todd snickered. “You shouldn’t have come back to town.”
Wildly she questioned if she’d stepped into a reeking, bad rendition of an old west
movie.
Micky reached for her arm and before she could move, he latched onto her left wrist.
Pain lashed into the joint and she gasped. He yanked her against his body.
She tried to pull back, but the pressure sent stinging hot pain through her arm.
Unable to hold back a gasp, she glared at the man imprisoning her. “Let me go.”
“I think I’d listen to the lady if I was you,” a dark-as-night, hard voice said
somewhere nearby. “She’s more dangerous than you think.”
Jack.
He stood at the side of the building. His stance was one-hundred-percent business,
his feet apart and fists clenched at his sides. Autumn sighed in unadulterated relief. He
never took his attention off the two men, and she felt his anger and concern like a hot
blast from an oven. Fear returned as she realized Jack faced down two men. Hot pain
pierced her wrist as Micky’s fingers tightened on her flesh.
Jack glanced at her, and she saw worry flicker higher in his eyes, then harsh fury. He
remained in place, not moving, his grim expression trained on the men. “Let her go, or I
guarantee you’ll regret it.”
Soft and calm, the lethal tone in his voice said he’d tolerate no argument.
Micky’s small eyes squinted until he looked like an insane pig. “This ain’t any of
your business. You’re still a fuckin’ candy ass, Dillon.”
With all three men fixated on their high-fuel testosterone, Autumn saw her
opportunity.
She swung up with her knee and landed a thrust right into Micky’s balls.
Micky’s breath whooshed out and he grabbed at his crotch with both hands and bent
over with an agonized groan. Autumn felt a stab of pure delight to see him incapacitated.
Pathetic moans escaped the man’s mouth.
Jack crossed his arms and gave the men a pitying smile. “I told you she was more
dangerous than she looked.”
Todd spewed obscenities and remained frozen to the spot.
Walking with calm strides, Jack came to a halt in front of her like a protective angel
and faced the men. He seemed coiled and ready for anything.
Tremors wracked her limbs for a moment and settled in her stomach. Electricity
seemed to crackle in the air. Anything could happen and probably would if she didn’t
defuse the situation.
She reached for Jack’s forearm and touched him gently. His muscles twitched, but he
didn’t look at her. “Jack.”
Micky straightened with difficulty. Pain strained his mouth. “Yeah, candy ass, this
ain’t none of your business.” [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]