Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 160782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 804(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 804(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
My eyes tear up. “Can you stay in here in the spare room tonight? I’m a bit freaked out,” I whisper.
He nods. “What did they take from your bedroom that you’re not telling me?”
I shrug. “Nothing. I just wanted some privacy.”
He reluctantly nods and walks over to the door to leave, then he turns. “Tash.”
My eyes meet his. “Yes.”
“For the record, Amelie went to Joshua’s room that night, not the other way around. He was so upset about it he left without any guards and then nearly got killed by a hit man on the way home. He didn’t tell you this because he doesn’t want you frightened, not because he’s trying to keep secrets. He’s trying to protect you.”
I drop my head as I listen.
“We were all as shocked as you. Joshua tells us nothing, he only speaks to Cameron and Adrian. You underestimate him. He doesn’t talk about his private life to anyone.”
I nod with my eyes on the ground. “Thanks, Max,” I whisper through my tears as the hard lump of hurt balls in my throat.
I wait for Max to come around to the front of the building to pick me up for lunch. How is it I have come to depend on Max? We have become friends by default. I have been forced to hang out with him and it’s strangely…comforting. He has been the only constant male in my close circle since Dad’s death. We walk in comfortable silence to his car.
“Joshua is leaving tomorrow night,” he says matter of factly.
I stop and look at him as I get to the door, and my stomach drops.
My eyes flick around to the two cars full of men watching us. I get into the car and slam the door hard.
“How do you know?” I ask.
“Ben called me this morning and asked me to come around for a meeting this afternoon.”
I chuck my bag onto the floor of the car. “And?” I snap as I flick my hair around my shoulders, annoyed.
“And I think, that if you are going to call him, you have twenty-four hours left to do it.”
I roll my eyes as I look out the window.
“Well, I wish he would go today, that’s what I think,” I snap angrily.
“No, you don’t. You think you have everyone fooled but I know what’s really going on here. You are pushing him away to protect yourself.”
I frown in disgust. “You know you are very opinionated for someone who is supposed to be invisible.”
He smiles broadly and I find myself mirroring his stupid grin. “What’s funny?” I snap.
He shakes his head. “Nothing. I didn’t realize you thought you were hanging out with the invisible man.”
“Yeah, well I am. A very annoying, big-mouthed invisible man…who, actually, isn’t that invisible.” I sigh as we pull into the traffic.
We buy our lunch and eat in silence. My mind is racing a million miles per minute. Am I doing the right thing? What if I do really lose him? Oh God, please let me not lose him.
“What does Ben want to see you about?” I ask with a mouth full of food.
He continues chewing and shrugs. “I think I’m getting a finishing date.”
My eyes widen as I chew. “Finishing date.” I repeat as I wipe my mouth with my napkin.
“Pretty much.”
I frown. “What will you do?”
He shrugs. “Go back to America,” he says dryly.
“But I thought your romance was going well. She’s lovely.
Are you just going to leave her?”
“It is going well. Too well, but I’m not allowed to stay here if I’m not employed. You know how strict Australian immigration laws are.”
“Oh,” I whisper. “Do you want to stay?”
He nods. “Yes, I would love to see how this goes. I haven’t liked anyone like this for a very long time.” He frowns. “I even like her kids.”
I chew as I think. It’s not that bad having him around, is it?
Maybe I could stretch this out a bit for him.
“Tell Joshua that I feel unsafe after the robbery and that you need to stay and guard me for a while.”
He wipes his mouth with a napkin as he frowns in question.
I shrug. “Why not? It’s not like he can’t afford to pay you.”
“But I thought you didn’t want to be guarded permanently?” he asks.
“I don’t, but I can put up with it if you get rid of the other dickheads.” I flick my head towards the corner.
His eyes flick over to the table of four guards sitting at the front of the restaurant waiting for us and he smirks.
“If he thinks you don’t feel safe, he won’t leave me alone with you, he will want at least another guard left.”
“Fine, just one,” I sigh.
He smiles. “You know he will probably sack me anyway because he knows we get along well.”
“Tell him I won’t have anybody else and if he doesn’t like it then I will be scared stiff and it’s all his fault.”