Total pages in book: 211
Estimated words: 201554 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1008(@200wpm)___ 806(@250wpm)___ 672(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 201554 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1008(@200wpm)___ 806(@250wpm)___ 672(@300wpm)
“I’ll be back soon. Be naked when I get there.”
Savage looks at me. “Oh shit. No one confesses love on the phone unless they’re about to do something stupid. You’re going to choke him out.”
He smiles.
I don’t.
Chapter seventy-four
Harper
“What are you about to do, Eric?” I whisper, adrenaline shooting through me.
I set my phone down and rush to the living room to find Smith watching TV. Even before he sees me, he’s on his feet facing me.
“Eric called me right before he went in to meet his father. I think he’s going to do something stupid.”
“Savage is with him.”
“Will Savage stop him from doing whatever craziness he’s planning?”
“Savage is the kind of guy who’ll take over.”
“Take over? Eric won’t let him take over.”
“He’ll take over,” he repeats.
“No. He won’t. Eric won’t let that happen.”
“I know Savage acts like a goofball, but he’s a literal surgeon, and yes, I said surgeon with a medical license. He’s also a former mercenary. He’ll take care of him. Eric will be back without an irreparable blemish.”
“Irreparable blemish? Are you trying to make me feel better?”
“I don’t make promises I can’t keep. It’s a thing here at Walker. We tell things as they are. We’re honest. I can’t tell you that they won’t end up banged up, but I can assure you they’ll end up safe, in one piece, and without any damage that they can’t come back from.”
“You’re killing me.”
“No,” he says. “I’m protecting you, like Savage is protecting Eric.”
“You remember he’s a genius, right?”
“Quite clearly.”
“He can outsmart Savage,” I counter.
“First, surgeon and mercenary. Remember? And why would he want to outsmart him? Savage isn’t a man who needs things sugarcoated.”
“You’re not making this better.”
“They’ll be back soon.”
Frustrated and feeling helpless, I re-enter the kitchen, just in time to find my cellphone ringing. I rush forward, grab it and find my mother calling. Apparently not only are my calls forwarded to this phone, Blake even set-up my phonebook. I hit decline. I can’t take it. I’ll confront her over my attack, and I have no plan after that. I don’t know if we want to tell her about all of this or not. I need to talk to Eric first. I stand up and start to pace.
Another ten minutes pass, and my phone rings again, and this time it’s Gigi. I don’t like the timing, and how close it is to when my mother tried to reach me. I don’t want to take the call at all. I feel like this woman set me up to be murdered, but I also fear there might be something she says, that if ignored, could become even more dangerous.
I hit the answer button. “Hi, Gigi.”
“What is going on?”
“You tell me. Because it sure seems like you know more than I do about everything.”
“I know nothing.”
“Why is Eric’s father here in New York City?” I demand.
“He’s—what?”
“Don’t tell me you don’t know.”
“I didn’t know. Honey, I didn’t know.”
“He knows you used me to get Eric to Denver.”
“If he went fishing, you can’t give him the fish. Keep your mouth shut.”
And yet, Adam says she called him and I decide to roll the dice and see where I land. “Someone tried to kill me last night. Eric saved me.”
“What? No. Who? Why? Oh my God.” She sounds panicked. “Oh God.”
“Gigi?” I say urgently, afraid she’s having another heart attack.
“He did know. I’m sorry, I lied. I told him after I sent you to get Eric because—it doesn’t matter. He knew Eric was coming but—Oh God.”
“Gigi, talk to me. Are you okay?”
“I didn’t want to see either of you hurt. I don’t want that.”
She’s breathing heavily. Really heavily. “Gigi, I want you to call an ambulance or I will for you.”
“No. No. I’m fine. I need to call my son right now. Don’t call a damn ambulance. I’m not the one who’s about to need medical help.” On that feisty note, she hangs up.
I breathe out. What just happened? Who is on whose side?
I could make all kinds of assumptions from her statements, but right now, I need to do something more productive. I need to help. I consider calling Eric again, but my conversation with Gigi will just piss him off more, and he might really kill someone.
I dial Blake. “Hiya, Harper,” Blake says. “You got something for me?”
“Gigi called. I told her I was attacked, and she panicked and said that yes, she told Eric’s father that I helped get him to Denver. She was upset and said no one was supposed to get hurt. She hung up after saying she needed to call her son. I’m not sure if I just made things better or worse.”
“I think anything you do to create a reaction; we can observe is good. I’ll call Adam.”
“And Eric? Is he okay?”
“He just went into the hotel. He even stopped and got coffee for his father. I don’t think you have to worry. He’s not going to kill him with coffee.”