not going to hurt her, are you, Snare?” His voice is soft. The tone sounds like before he uses knots.
Makes me feel sick to my stomach he'd ask that. “Fuck no, I'm not going to hurt her. I'm the only thing that stood between her and my dad for three fucking years.”
Noose folds his arm, hikes a shoulder. “Gotta say the words, man. Even though Sara sucked off the prez of Chaos Riders?” His eyebrow rises in question.
I flinch. My answer is painful but full of truth. I meet his bland stare with one I know is rage-filled. “Even though.”
Noose raises his knuckles, and I give them a light tap.
We pull out of the parking lot and, courtesy of Noose's intel, head in the direction of the apartment complex where Sara lives.
We break apart inside the underground parking. Noose had asked how long I'd be.
Long as it takes , I'd replied.
10
Sara
I'm hours early. Lola volunteered to watch Jaylin because she knew I'd be later. VIP late.
I could have never anticipated Snare would show up.
And my life would implode.
I close my eyes for a minute, trying to control my breathing, my helpless spiral back into loving Snare. Wanting what I determined I didn't deserve. Behind my eyelids, my mind plays back the movie of him coming in and tearing me off the Dick.
He was so beautiful I can't erase him. The muscular body, lifting me out of my own filth.
My own despair.
His strong arms holding me tight—his familiar smell. It hadn't mattered where I lived. If Snare was there, I was home.
Finally I stop wallowing as I shiver in the hallway of my apartment complex and unlock my door. It feels wonderful to be home and out of The Crawl. I'm greeted with the smells of home: Jaylin's Play-Doh, last night's enchiladas. I close the door behind me and lean against the solid wood, closing my eyes again.
After a moment of pure, blissful relief, I walk to the kitchen sink, open the cabinet, and strip to my G-string. I toss my torn dress right in the trash can. The Crawl can take it out of my pay.
If there's even a job to come back to.
The glitter covering the dress scatters at my feet, and the shimmering ebony fabric seems to mock me from the depths of the can. I slam the cupboard door shut and walk to my bedroom. I move straight to the tiny, three-quarter en suite bathroom and crank on the hot water.
I stare at my reflection. My mouth.
The first gag takes me by surprise.
The second brings me to my knees in front of the toilet. I slap up the lid and heave whatever's in my stomach straight up.
The toilet bowl sloshes with bile and cum. I wretch more as steam builds inside the bathroom from the running shower. I grab the corner of the vanity and heave myself to standing, running the hot water tap. I brush my teeth.
Twice.
I drop my toothbrush.
I gargle Listerine. Three times.
I still feel so filthy. After stepping inside the shower, I open my mouth, and the heated spray fills me, seeping out the edges of my lips and running down my body. I turn around, the water pounding my bare back.
My body aches. The wounds of my mind reopen.
Snare's face. His horror at how he found me. His handsomeness I can never forget. Don't want to forget. Have to.
Why is Snare even here? How did he ever find me?
Fear slices through me as I steady myself against the tile shower wall. Does he know about Jaylin?
I don't have answers to any of my questions.
But Jaylin has to come first. I—I'll have to leave The Crawl and get out of Seattle. Snare knows where I work; Riker knows where I live.
The two men can't meet again. Snare can't feel responsible. I can't speak lies in front of a judge.
I turn off the faucet, listening to the drip, drip, drip as it echoes inside the shower stall.
My body is clean, but my soul is tainted.
The tears don't come. My body is a husk, drained dry by the events of the last couple of hours. I glance at my cell on the vanity and see it's almost eleven. I need to have my shit together before I get Jaylin at two