Hooked #3 (The Hooked Romance Series - Book 3) by Claire Adams Read Free Book Online Page A

played fast and loud music
on the speakers, and I nodded my head in time with the music. It wasn’t
Tchaikovsky. But it was truly remarkable how the music emanated with the
raucous nature of my soul.
    I opened the car window, allowing the chilly October
air to roll over my arms and through my hair. I yelled into the wind, and Drew
yelled as well. We were just two physical beings, propelling ourselves into the
nighttime sky.
    Finally we pulled into a large parking lot. At the
helm of the parking lot stood a remarkable building that was reminiscent of an
old castle or a Greek temple. My heart beat quickly, gazing at its incredible
wonder. We pulled up—fast—in the front, waiting for the valet driver. At this
point, the realization struck me like a rock.
    We were at a casino.
    My eyes were wide, and I spun toward Drew. My heart
was beating too fast now. It was out of control, mashing itself with the beat of
the rock music. I reminded myself that he couldn’t have known; he wouldn’t have
known. I couldn’t go in casinos; I couldn’t gamble because of my past. It was
too rocky. It was too fresh in my mind. “I’m so sorry, Drew,” I whispered. The
valet driver opened the door and helped me from the car. All the while, Drew’s
eyes were on me, confused, perturbed . What was wrong
now? I was sure he was wondering. Could he please this peasant girl in any way?
He had brought her to the ball; he had taken her into the world. Did she just
want to go back to the kitchen to scrub the floors?
    Drew rounded the car and took my hand, looking at me
deeply. “What’s wrong, Mol ?” he asked. “Please. We
don’t have to go in here if you don’t like gambling—” His voice was hushed. He
wanted to respect me. I somehow recognized this in him. I reminded myself that
he had grown up with Mel—that he and Mel had been a sort of team. I could trust
him. (Or could I? I was always on the fence about this.)
    “It’s not that,” I said. I felt the cold October
wind glide through my jacket, through my slim red dress. “I just. I’ll find
something else to do while you gamble . Okay?”
    Drew pulled in front of me, blocking me from
entering the casino. He shook his head, disallowing me to take another step
forward. I could hear loud music and the sound of slots from the inside. I felt
like my heart was going to explode. I thought only of my father; never at home,
always at the casino. Always spending our money away, leaving my mother and I
with nothing after he died of that goddamned heart attack. My mother, her face
teary-eyed, blotched. She hadn’t allowed me to drink or gamble. Once, a friend
and I had played a scratch off game at the kitchen table, and my mother had cried
in the other room. The memories were too deep. The innocence bled into terror
too quickly.
    “Please. Tell me what’s going on,” he whispered.
    I cleared my throat. I could hardly look at him. “I
just. My father died when I was really, really young. Nine. But before that, I remember the alcohol. The gambling. The drugs. He did it all at a casino outside of
Indianapolis. It disgusted me, the way he used our money. He just completely
obliterated my family, and then he left us.” I felt my body shaking.
    Drew placed his fingers on my shoulders, kneading
into my skin with his strong thumb. He sighed. We continued to listen to the
music rollicking from the casino. “Molly. I’m so sorry to hear this.” His eyes
were so firm, so stoic. “You know I lost my father when I was quite young, as
well.”
    I shook my head, feeling my heart break all over
again. “What happened?” But he just shook his head; he didn’t want to go into
it. I didn’t want anyone else to go through that sheer pain I had gone through;
I didn’t want anyone to have to endure the loss of a parent. This was still so
strong in me—this pain—all these years later. “I’m so sorry.” My voice broke.
    The silence between us drove us to listen to the
humming conversation of