Crash & Burn by Jaci J Read Free Book Online Page A

matter what I say, he’s gonna
     be annoyed I’m being helped by a man no matter what his name is. He looks back at
     Mike, but Mike’s staring at me. He looks scared.
    “Don’t fuckin’ look at my Old Lady.” Tank snaps at him. Mike glances back at Tank
     and then back to me. He’s clearly not sure what to do or say. Poor guy.
    There is no malice or ill will when Mike looks at me. He’s completely unsure of what
     to think or do about Tank. I don’t blame him. Tanks scary and I get it, but then I
     notice Tank. He has that look in his eyes that I’ve become all too familiar with,
     and it doesn’t look well for Mike. No matter how mad Tank is at me, he won’t hesitate
     to bury someone looking at me in the wrong way. That rigid set to his body as he towers
     over Mike spells disaster. Mike’s going to end up bleeding. Fuck.
                  I go to grab onto Mike’s arm to get him away from killer, but it’s too late. Tank
     punches him square in the face with no hesitation. I hear cartilage crack and skin
     split as Mike stumbles back helplessly with an agonized groan. Blindly, he stumbles
     into me and I slip back on the loose gravel and lose my footing. His staggering keeps
     him falling into me as he tries to steady himself, but it’s not working. With nothing
     to grab onto in front of me, I twist to grab onto the side of the Jeep, but I’m not
     quick enough. My temple, down my face to my upper lip meet the side of the bumper
     of my Jeep.
                  “Fuck! Jesus Christ, Lilly.” Tank’s crouching down in front of me in an instant. His
     eyes look wild, but mostly they’re lost.
    Why? Why does it have to be this way? Why does he have to act first and ask questions
     later? He knows damn well Mike is no threat. I can’t handle all the ups and downs
     anymore. He wants me and then he has me. He pushes me away, but still wants me. He
     doesn’t want me, but he won’t just let me fucking go.
    I’m done walking on egg shells all the time. No one can look at me. No one can talk
     to me. He’s even getting pushy with my family. I can’t have anyone besides him, yet
     he doesn’t want anything to do with me. I’m always alone. Does anything that I’ve
     gone through matter at all to him? Losing my mom, my dad in prison because of me,
     almost dying, and now living with someone I have to take care of. I have no one to
     take care of me or help me through this.
    Lifting a hand to my lip, I feel the sticky stain of blood. My lip has a dull throb
     and it fucking stings.
    “Damn baby. Fuck, I’m sorry.” Pulling me up to him he buries his face in my neck.
     “Shit, I lost my shit. You disappeared on me earlier n’ now this.” I start pushing
     him off me. Whatever his issues, it’s not a good enough excuse for acting like a complete
     asshole.
    “I didn’t disappear. I had lunch with Lailah and we went shoppin’ asshole. I need
     to check on this good man Mike who was trying to help me before you fucking hit him.”
     I don’t know why I’m even explaining myself.
    “Jesus Christ. Let me fix this baby.” He pleads, trying to pull me right back in.
     He brings his hands to my face and searches for more damage.
    I shrug him off. “You done yet?”
    “Done?”
    “Done fuckin’ every goddamn thing up?” I know my words are hurtful, but I’m just so
     fucking tired and done with it all. I can’t keep letting him shit on me.
    “I’ll never be fuckin’ done.” No truer words have ever been spoken. He’s never going
     to let me go. No matter how much it hurts him or me, he’s gonna hang on ‘till it kills
     one of us, maybe even both of us.

7
    Lost
    Tank
                  My head pounds, my body aches, and my mouth is dry as fuck. Rolling my head to the
     side, I know I’m in my bed at home without even opening my eyes because it smells
     like Lil. Sweet and sugary. Again I drank too goddamn much, but not enough to block
     out the shit I did