Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
“Empty words mean nothing, but you’ll know the true meaning of being sorry soon enough.”
My heart was beating so fast, it felt as though it was going to burst through my chest. The note had been scary enough, but knowing this person had somehow gotten my phone number so they could call and terrorize me took the situation to a whole new level. Even with Silas’s strong presence at my side, I was terrified.
8
SILAS
Phoebe's phone slipped from her hand, but thanks to my quick reflexes, I caught the device before it hit the ground. I set it on the coffee table and pulled Phoebe into my body, wrapping my arms around her.
“I don't understand why this is happening to me,” she said, her voice trembling.
“I don't know, baby, but I promise I'll keep you safe.”
She was staring off into the distance, not really looking at anything, but my words seemed to snap her out of it. Her eyes came to meet mine, and the terror I saw in them was killing me. A tear trickled down her cheek, and I quickly swiped it away with my thumb, but it was just the start. I cradled her head against my chest as she quietly cried and dug my cell phone out of my pocket with my other hand. I hit Deacon’s number and put the phone to my ear as it started ringing.
He picked up after two rings.
“Hey, Silas, I was going to call you in a couple of hours. There was a partial print on the note, but not enough for us to get a hit in any database. So I sent it to a friend who works with a specialist who might be able to reconstruct it enough for us to at least narrow the options down to a handful of people. Of course, that's assuming they’re in any system.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, frustrated that this wasn't falling into place as quickly as I wanted. “Phoebe just got a threatening phone call,” I informed him. He practically interrogated me for the next few minutes, but I didn't mind because I knew he was just trying to be thorough. If it were his wife, I would do the same for him.
Phoebe calmed down shortly after I started the call, so I put Deacon on speaker, and she was able to answer some of his questions better than I could.
“I’ll get to working on the trace,” Deacon promised when we finished. “If she kept them on the line long enough, we might be able to get a hit on a location. We’ll go from there.”
“Thank you,” I replied before ending the call and putting my phone on the table next to Phoebe’s.
I wrapped her up in my arms again and placed a soft kiss on her forehead before whispering. “We’re going to figure this out, baby.”
Phoebe swallowed hard, but I could see the trust in her gaze when she nodded.
“How about you go take a bath while I make you some hot tea?” I suggested. I’d seen all of the girly shit in the bathroom, especially around the tub, and figured a bath would relax her.
One corner of Phoebe’s mouth lifted. “How did you know I love baths?”
I rolled my eyes playfully and jabbed my chest with my thumb. “Navy SEAL, remember?”
This time, Phoebe gave me a real smile. “Right, how could I forget? A motherfucking badass.”
A laugh burst from my chest, and I hugged her close. “You're adorable, Phoebe Baker.” When my laughter faded, I put my finger under her chin and raised her face so she could see my expression and know that I was completely serious. “But don't say shit like that in front of other people, or I'll have to spank your ass. Don't get me wrong, the idea of filthy words coming out of your sweet mouth is hot as hell, but only for me. Is that clear?”
Phoebe looked around, then back up at me. “But we are alone,” she stated cheekily.
A smile spread across my face, and I winked at her. “Exactly, baby. And that's why you're not getting a spanking this time.”
Phoebe bit her lip but released it when I growled and smirked at me instead. She untangled herself from my embrace and walked toward the hallway, but she stopped at the entrance to look back at me over her shoulder with a saucy grin. “Too bad,” she quipped before disappearing down the hall. I was too stunned to do anything before I heard the bathroom door click shut.
Fuck. I had seen glimpses of her sass over the past couple of days, but I couldn't wait to see her personality come out in full force. I was tempted to barge into the bathroom and join her in the tub, but it had been an emotional night, and I didn't want to take advantage of her fragile state. So I reluctantly went into the kitchen and put a kettle of water on the stove.