Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 94921 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94921 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Harlow had seen him approaching. “How about I meet you there?”
“Where?” Hunter asked.
The owner of the parlor let out a little squeal and then spun around. “Wow, you scared me.” She let out a joke.
Hunter wasn’t impressed. The woman was laughing but Harlow didn’t even look at his face. Her gaze was on his chest.
“What is happening later?” Hunter asked.
“None of your concern,” Harlow said.
The other woman looked between the two of them, and then laughed. It was a forced sound, and clearly she wasn’t used to hostility.
“Hi, I’m Hailey,” she said, offering her hand.
Hunter stared at it, but didn’t accept it.
Seconds passed and then Hailey pulled her hand away. “I guess introductions are not the same here.” She let out a little chuckle but now it was verging on hysterical.
He didn’t give a fuck about making her feel comfortable.
“This is Hunter,” Harlow said. “He’s the VP of the club.”
“The VP?” Hailey asked.
“The vice president.”
“Oh,” Hailey said.
“Talking about club business?” Hunter asked, not exactly happy with it.
“No, just talking about my mistakes, so she knows of my past with the club. Some people don’t like others associated with a club. You get my drift.” She had her arms folded across her body, and she looked like she was trying to ward off the cold.
Hunter didn’t like the feeling that swept over him. He wanted to pull her into his arms, to tell her it was going to be okay. He wanted to warm her up, but he knew she would hate that. She didn’t want his touch. He shouldn’t want this either. Hunter had called time on this shit.
“Nice to meet you,” Hailey said.
Harlow didn’t say a word, she turned on her heel and walked away. He didn’t stop her from leaving, just watched.
She could cut him off, hate him, and he would accept it, but there was no way he would let her get hurt. He didn’t trust this Hailey, and he was going to get to the bottom of why she had turned up in Fort Clover.
Chapter Fifteen
“I have never been to this place,” Hailey said. She pulled the car up to the already busy parking lot.
Harlow thought she could come back here but right now, seeing what used to be known as Ryan’s Place—it was still Ryan’s Place, but he didn’t run it anymore—had bad memories connected to it. Someone had been watching her and Hunter. Someone had filmed the two of them, and then sent that information to Big Dick. She didn’t know who did it, and that was what she found most aggravating. Big Dick wasn’t any closer to knowing the truth either.
“Are you okay? Would you rather have a girly night in?” Hailey asked.
“Sorry, it’s just … no, it’s fine. Of course it’s fine.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Hailey reached out and took her hand. “You can tell me. Talk to me.”
Harlow offered the other woman a smile. “Thanks.”
“This is what friends are for, right? To be able to talk to each other. Offer them a shoulder to cry on, and talk about their troubles.”
She didn’t know what to say. Hailey was such a nice person.
“What’s it going to be?” Hailey asked. “I’ve got cold pizza in my freezer. I don’t have any wine or tequila. I don’t drink, you know, much in the way of alcohol. But I have soda and there’s tea, coffee, and I do love a hot chocolate.”
Harlow chuckled. “It’s fine. I promised you a girls’ night with dancing. That is exactly what you and I are going to have. A girls’ night.”
She forced herself to push the door open and step out into the cold night. They were nearing spring but it was still cold out. Harlow had dressed in a pair of jeans and a tight top that molded to her curves. The ink on her arms was exposed. She was currently saving for the ink she wanted down either of her sides and across her back.
The landlord hadn’t paid back any more of her money, but she was able to start living. Besides saving for more ink, she intended to buy a new wardrobe as well. Her clothes were looking a little worse for wear. Like tonight, she would have loved to wear a dress, not that she would admit it to anyone.
She pushed some of the hair off her face, as she had left it down. Hailey had curled it during the last hour of work, and she rather liked it.
They stepped into the bar, and Harlow knew this felt different without her other girls. She hadn’t talked to Ava, Abriana, Raven, or Larissa since Big Dick had entered the bakery, and, well, they had all known what happened next, and there was no point in rehashing it.
“Oh, wow,” Hailey said. “This is amazing.”