Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 35017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
King motions for the side door of the warehouse that will lead us into the back and not near the crowd of people still lingering inside. When we enter, I head to the office King has set up.
"Open it," I bark, not giving a shit that it’s not my office.
The man that is always stationed at the office door when fights are taking place actually listens to me. The girl in my arms flinches, her eyes tightening, and I know she's awake but purposefully not opening her eyes. She must realize her error because she quickly relaxes her body again.
"I need a minute," I tell my sister and King, who have been right behind me the whole way. The protectiveness I have felt since the moment I had her in my arms intensifies.
"But—"
"All right," King says. My sister presses her lips together. King pulls his wife back. I don't wait for my sister to agree; she's been running around doing what the fuck she wants without question. I can do the same. Willa can give me this one. Besides, the girl in my arms doesn’t need a million people around. She is already hiding. That’s what my instincts are telling me, anyway.
I enter the room, locking the door behind me to make sure no one decides to come in. There’s a couch on one side of the office, and I walk toward it. The girl shivers, snuggling closer to my body, trying to get warm. Fuck.
“Dollface, we need to get these wet clothes off of you. I need you to open your eyes and help me.” The last thing I want to do is let go of her, but she’ll freeze if we don’t get her out of those wet undergarments.
I sit down on the couch with her in my lap, my fingers coming up to once again brush her hair from her face. I should probably keep my hands to myself, but I can’t when it comes to this girl. I stare down at her, willing her to open her eyes.
“Where am I?” Her voice comes out in a whisper.
“Safe,” I reassure her. She takes a deep breath before she opens her eyes for me. The greenest eyes I’ve ever seen stare back at me, taking my breath away and knocking me down for the count.
An overwhelming feeling of protectiveness and something else I can’t explain fills me. For the first time in my life, a sense of calm comes over me, and I know she’s the reason.
Chapter Three
FALLON
Safe. That’s far from true. I don’t think I have ever been safe. The word is almost foreign to me.
I stare up into dark eyes that are filled with shadows. His dark hair is cut short, revealing a small scar near his temple. It’s such a contrast to the rest of his handsome face. The man's features are all perfect. So perfect it’s almost painful to stare at. He gives me a soft smile, but there is a feral tilt to it. It should scare me, but it doesn’t.
“There you are.” His voice is gruff, and he once again brushes his fingers against my face, letting them glide down my cheek in a soft caress that doesn’t match his big, paw-sized hands that have angry marks on the knuckles. All of him is a contrast that is fascinating and impossible to read.
“You got a name, dollface?” I keep my lips pressed together, not daring to speak, not sure what I should or shouldn't say. “All right, that’s fine. I’ll keep calling you dollface then. It’s fitting.” He tucks me in closer to him. His huge body is warm, dwarfing me in comparison. “Name's Emmerich, but everyone calls me Rich,” he tells me. Rich stares at me for a long moment, letting out a breath.
“You scared the shit out of me. Can you tell me if you’re hurt anywhere?” I bite the inside of my cheek. “All right, I don’t know if I need to call someone.” I start to shake my head no. “A doctor?” I shake it faster. I don’t want him to call anyone. My father and the man I was arranged to marry both have a far reach. There’s no telling who can be trusted.
“Hey,” he says in a soothing voice. “I won’t call anyone. Damn, you’re scared of something, aren’t you?” He has no idea. I should probably tell him that he should leave me alone, not to help me because it could put him in danger, but the selfish part of me can’t. I want to enjoy this feeling of comfort for as long as I can.
I tense when I hear a banging sound. My eyes fly over to the door. I grab hold of Rich’s arm, turning my body more into him and pressing my face against his bare chest.