Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 71616 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 358(@200wpm)___ 286(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71616 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 358(@200wpm)___ 286(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
“You’re getting yourself worked up.”
“No, I’m not. I’m just being realistic.” She breaks free of my hold. “So, if you’re pissed I tried to run, too bad for you.” She sets her jaw stubbornly. “I would do it again if I had the chance!”
“There she is, my Little Convict.”
“I’m not yours.” She tries to shove past me.
I capture her arm. “Oh, but you are. You’re mine and if you try something like that again—”
“What? What will you do, Zeke? Spank me?”
I narrow my eyes, study her features, those cerulean eyes that have seen so much evil and yet manage to remain so innocent in their own way. So fucking naïve.
But naïve can get a girl killed. Doesn’t she know that?
“You need me, Blue. More than you realize.”
“Let me go.”
“And no, I wouldn’t spank you to punish you. You like that too much.”
“Fuck you.”
“That, too, you like too much,” I say, attempting to smile. I expect her to deny it. I prepare myself for her to, but she only flushes pink, glances away. “And I like it too much.” I walk her backward to the wall and cage her in. “I like it too much, Blue.” I kiss her mouth and the twisting in my gut of earlier morphs into something else. Something with wings. I draw back to look at her searching, wounded eyes. “We have an arrangement, you and me. I don’t break my word. I will protect you. I will keep you safe from your father and anyone else who tries to hurt you. I swear it. Do you understand?”
“Zeke—”
“In exchange you will give me back my duffel bag and once I’m certain you don’t have more on that little computer of yours that can endanger my family or myself, we’ll see about next steps.”
“No. Not we’ll see about next steps. Next steps means you let me go once you realize there’s nothing more.”
“Let you go how? Penniless? What will you do? Get Wren and what? I saw your car in the parking lot of the apartment. At least I’m pretty sure it’s yours given the license plates. Does it even run?”
“It’s fine.”
“You have no money. No mode of transport.”
“I have some money.”
“Two grand won’t cut it. Not if you want to give Wren the kind of help she needs.”
“What are you proposing then?”
“You stay with me. Do as you’re told. We handle this. Figure it all out. You need my help not only for yourself but for Wren. I’ll make sure Wren is properly cared for.”
She opens her mouth, closes it again. Her expression is confused. “Why would you do that?” she finally asks. “Why would you help me?”
I study her face, search her eyes. How do I answer this? “Because I wasn’t able to help someone else, before you.” I feel my throat close up. I clench my teeth and swallow the pain of my chest tightening. Am I telling her this? Am I saying it? “And she died,” I hear the words come out of my mouth and I feel as stunned as she looks.
Blue’s eyes fill like wells.
“But you have to trust me, Blue. You can’t do what you did tonight. You’re not safe. You don’t know everything.”
“What does that mean?”
“You have to trust me. And if not me, well, then trust my motives are selfish if that makes it easier to swallow. I am alleviating my own guilt by helping you. Think of it as my atonement.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You don’t have to. You only have to accept and agree.”
“What did that mean? That I don’t know everything?”
“Your father made parole. He’ll be out of prison within two weeks.”
24
Blue
“What?” It’s like someone sideswiped me. My mouth falls open, that ringing beginning in my ears. I close my eyes, breathe. I need to keep control of myself. I can’t have one of my spells, not now.
“He made parole.”
“How? That’s not possible. He barely served any time. He—”
“Shh.” Zeke takes my arms. “He can’t leave the state of Pennsylvania. At least not without permission or he violates his parole. You should be safe here.”
“But I’m not. Wren’s not.” I look up at him. “Are you lying? So I agree? Because I’ll agree anyway. I don’t have many options. Hell, I don’t have any options.”
He shakes his head. “I’m not lying, Blue. Get dressed. My brother and Robbie are on their way over. They have some questions apparently.”
“What questions?”
“Not sure.”
“Zeke? You upstairs?” Comes a man’s deep voice from somewhere in the house, startling me.
“Be down in a sec,” Zeke calls out, gray eyes on me. “Take a few minutes. Get dressed and come downstairs.”
“This is all so bad.” I press the heels of my hands into my eyes. He’s getting out. He warned me he has powerful contacts. They must have helped him get out.
“No one is going to come near you or Wren, Blue. Get dressed. Come downstairs.”