Worst Week Ever (A Long Road to Love) by Liza O'Connor Read Free Book Online

it upon seeing blocks of burned-out, blackened
brick and gray concrete tenement buildings. Angry, clashing-color graffiti and
gang tags livened up the ground level walls. But not in a good way.
     This street
could have starred in an apocalypse movie. Hunched, shabby people slipped into
the black gaping holes while others stumbled out. Half starved and possibly
dead people lay like discarded lumps of clothes on the trash cluttered
sidewalks. She’d never seen this part of New York before, and honestly, she
could’ve gone her whole life without experiencing the terror pounding in her
heart.
    The windows
are bulletproof , she reminded herself when a gang of teens pointed at the
limo then moved toward it. Instead of slowing to avoid hitting the oncoming
kids, Sam increased his speed and headed straight down the road, right at them.
    Oh God.
Somebody’s going to die!

Chapter 3
     
    Carrie
squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the thump of a body against the limo’s
hood.
    “Maybe I
shouldn’t have insisted Sam take a shortcut,” Trent muttered beneath his
breath.
    She groaned softly.
If her boss questioned his actions, then matters must look grim outside. She
tensed even further, expecting to hear multiple bodies slam into the car.
    Sam braked
hard, turned right, and resumed driving a billion miles an hour. If not for the
seat belts, she and Trent would’ve sailed into the front seat, and then
plastered against the door. To secure her further, Trent protectively placed an
arm around her shoulder and pulled her against his warm chest.
    She focused on
the thumping of his heart. It beat once to three of hers. God, how can he be
so calm?
    Determined to match
his bravery, she tried to raise her head, but he wouldn’t let her.
    “Just a little
longer, I hope. Sam, when do we depart this third world country?”
    “Two more
blocks, sir.”
    “Thank God.
You’ve terrified poor Carrie to death.”
    Instantly, the
limo’s speed dropped.
    She turned her
head sideways so Sam might be able to hear her words. “Your driving doesn’t
frighten me, Sam, the neighborhood does.”
    As if on cue,
a round of three loud pops sounded, followed by three thunks into her side door.
She squeaked like a mouse at the first thunk. By the third, her body shivered
in fear.
    Trent’s arms
tightened around her as the limo picked up speed again. “We’re okay,” he
assured her, then his lips pressed against her temple. His calm certainty silenced
her tremors.
    Having
successfully soothed her, he released his outrage upon Sam. “Why the hell did
you drive us through here?”
    Sam calmly
replied as he drove the car at a billion miles an hour, taking corners at
deadly speeds. “I warned you the locals might not welcome us.”
    “Someone just
shot at us?” Trent yelled.
    “I’m sure they
didn’t mean for you to take it personally, sir.” Sam's nonchalant reply sounded
almost surreal.
    Maybe none
of this is happening. Maybe I fell asleep in the traffic and my dream has gone
rogue .
    Her heart
calmed and she nuzzled closer to Trent, breathing in his masculine scent.
Secure in her dream, she confessed something she never would in real life. “You
smell good.”
    Trent’s arms
relaxed a bit and he chuckled. “It’s called Trent. I had the cologne custom
developed. They assessed my natural odors and then determined the optimal
combination of scents to create my unique smell.”
    She snorted.
Even in her dreams, he remained the strangest man she’d ever met. If she had
all the money in the world, she’d try to end poverty and violence in…whatever
hell they’d just driven through, not have some custom designed perfume created
so she’d smell really, really good.
    She breathed
in and smiled. On the other hand, he smelled mind-boggingly delicious. Yet, she
couldn’t even say what he smelt like. She detected a touch of musk, sandalwood,
and a hint of citrus, but it didn’t come close to defining this complex scent.
It was unique, just like