8 Mile & Rion by K.S. Adkins Read Free Book Online Page B

Minutes later, he storms in looking as murderous as I feel. What this guy doesn’t get is that she’s upset enough. She doesn’t need to see him like this too. Then once he approaches her, he turns on her and I didn’t like that one bit.
    “How did he get the drop on you, Junior?” he accuses and when she looks up, she narrows her eyes but says nothing. “Answer me,” he growls. “You know how to drop a man twice your size. What the fuck happened?”
    “I wasn’t focused,” she says quietly. “It won’t happen again.”
    “Damn right it won’t,” he declares. “There won’t be an again. Pack up. You’re moving in with me.”
    When her eyes go round, I’ve had enough of his bullshit. “She’s safe here,” I tell him.
    “Where the fuck were you, my friend?” he growls at me. 
    “Don’t,” I warn him. “I didn’t know there was a threat, now I do. Won’t happen again. I’ll kill anyone who tries.”
    “I can’t collect and watch you too, Rion,” he says. “You trust this stranger to keep you safe?”
    “Yes,” she says firmly.
    “With your life?” he growls, looking at me, but before I can respond, she looks at Rio and shuts him up.
    “He said time was up. You need to help me find out who Senior owed, Rio, because for that guy to come to my place means that we must owe a lot of cash. This guy expected me to know what he was talking about, only I don’t, which means when I don’t pay, he’ll be back. Find out who he is and how he got in here.”
    “Fuck,” he says, clinching his fists. “You,” he says, looking me in the eyes. “Not out of your sight for one fucking second.”
    Nodding to him, then looking at her, I tell them both, but mostly her, “No harm will come to her.”
    The irony is not lost on me that though I declared myself her protector, I was also omitting to Rio that I was the same piece of shit who had hurt her twice before. However, I wanted to right my wrongs and I wanted to be with her while I did it.
    Rio leaves as quickly as he came and when she yawns, I pull her to me letting her fall asleep in my lap. It was more for me than her, I knew that. I also knew I was so far out of my league it was almost funny.
    Except, it wasn’t funny. It was freaking me the fuck out.
     

‘Good and bad - this is the story of my life.’
    ~Martha Reeves
    Waking up with my face in his crotch was equal parts amusing and mortifying. I don’t even remember falling asleep, which is odd for me considering I’ve never been much of a sleeper. Around him though, I seem to be narcoleptic and handsy. I’d be embarrassed if I wasn’t so awake . Despite last night’s events, I’m more alert right now than I’ve been in months. In an effort not to wake him, I try sitting up without him noticing. Lifting my head up thinking I’m in the clear it’s when his eyes meet mine, I squeak in surprise.
    So, not asleep then.
    “How do you feel?” he asks looking equal parts concerned and amused.
    “Huh?” I offer in response.
    “Are you in pain?”
    Reaching for my throat, I realize I’m not in as much pain as I had expected to be. “Oh uh, no, not really.”
    “Gave you a pain pill,” he says clenching his jaw like he’s angry. “It did its job.”
    Even when he mentions giving me a pain pill, which I don’t remember asking for, I don’t comment because it’s my position right now that’s painfully awkward. My arms are on either side of his stomach putting me face to face while I hold myself up. His arms were tight around my back until he let go and I swear, for a second, he squeezed tighter. My right knee is inches from his balls and more than anything I want to lean in and lick his bottom lip. The only thing stopping me is the look of pain on his face and the fact that he looks exhausted. Being near me is uncomfortable to him and that’s when I decided that my crushing on someone not interested needs to stop.
    “You look tired.” I offer backing up slowly.
    “I’m