Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 65225 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65225 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
We’d spoken a little bit about me and working at the bar.
As much as I’d worked there, I hadn’t actually liked it. I didn’t like the long hours or the work that was required of me. I wanted to work on my anonymous letters, as well as make the sporadic run in my truck.
Not anywhere in there was my dad’s bar ever something I wanted to run the rest of my life.
In the last few weeks since I’d quit, it’d been some of the most enjoyable of my life.
Yes, Easton was a part of why I was so happy. But also, a large part was getting to do what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it.
“It’ll honestly be my pleasure,” I half-snickered, half-sobbed.
Easton squeezed me tight to him, then let me go as he helped me to stand. “There’s nothing else we can do here.”
No, I decided as I looked at the building I’d spent so much of my time in the last couple of years, there wasn’t anything else for me to do there.
I gathered up what was left of my control, then gestured toward the bike that we’d sped over on.
“Let’s go,” I urged.
Easton produced two helmets that we hadn’t had on the way over, then placed one on my head before doing the same with his own.
“Where’d these come from?”
“Had one of my brothers bring them over,” he answered. “Didn’t want you riding home without it again. Especially after realizing how stupid it was of me to do when I knew that Sareen was responsible. She’s very capable of just hitting us with a car and killing us.”
“Speaking of…” A person came out of the darkness, scaring the near shit out of me. Easton, however, didn’t look too surprised. “I got some news. Came here since I knew you’d be here.”
That’s when I recognized the voice, not the face.
Donnelly.
The man that’d broken into Sareen’s house, and witnessed the horror show live in person.
One of Easton’s most trusted employees.
He had creamy latte-colored skin, and the most beautiful chocolate eyes I’d ever seen.
In the bright, early morning sunshine, he reminded me a lot of the actor off of Criminal Minds, Shemar Moore.
“What kind of news?” Easton asked, curling his arm around my shoulder and pulling me in tight.
I leaned my head against the muscular ball of his shoulder and waited for the other shoe to drop.
It didn’t take long.
“As of right now, there are already officers looking for her.” Donnelly crossed his arms over his chest. “But this isn’t the first time she’s escalated to this level. The last time she killed someone with her obsessions, she fled… after killing the man she was in stalker love with.”
“So what you’re saying is that I’m next?” Easton sighed. “Of course I am.”
I looked at him sharply, and he felt the movement, catching me before I could pull out of his arms.
The flippantness in his voice was downright exasperating.
“You could act like this is more serious,” I grumbled.
“I’m not, I’m not,” he promised. “I just… I’m tired. I’m disgusted with her.”
I felt that in my soul.
“I know,” I groaned. “But you need to take this seriously.”
“I don’t want to.” He sighed. “Denying the fact that I have a stalker is working better for me than admitting it.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re nuts.”
“I’m not nuts,” he griped. “I’m irritated, and pissed off, and if she was standing in front of me right now, I’d shoot her straight in the face without feeling an ounce of remorse.”
“Tell us how you really feel.” Donnelly snickered.
I shot him a curious look that had him glancing at me.
And having the full force of those chocolate brown eyes on me made a tiny little shiver race down my spine.
“It’s good to finally meet you in person,” he replied.
“Instead of stalking me on the internet for your boss?” I guessed.
His eyes sparkled as he said, “Yes.”
The smile lightened my heart a little bit, but it was Easton’s words that had me feeling the most relief.
“I’ll figure this out for you, baby,” he promised, pressing a kiss to the side of my head. “Tomorrow, I’ll make sure that Sareen is found. She won’t get away with this.”
His words sat there for a long moment as the truth and promise rang loudly with the promise of his vow. I knew in that moment, he wouldn’t rest until he figured out where she was. He would work tirelessly, trying to right the wrong that he hadn’t committed.
“We found your phone,” Donnelly continued with his news as we stood there after Easton’s declaration. “It was stolen from the bike when y’all pulled up. Camera showed Sareen pulling up, after following y’all into the parking lot. You dropped the phone the moment you jumped off the bike and ran toward the paramedic. She picked it up.”