Total pages in book: 266
Estimated words: 250787 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1254(@200wpm)___ 1003(@250wpm)___ 836(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 250787 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1254(@200wpm)___ 1003(@250wpm)___ 836(@300wpm)
SIXTY-SEVEN
CHARLOTTE
Iwake to the sound of glass breaking. My eyes pop open, and I go to speak, but a hand slaps over my mouth. I blink rapidly, trying to see, and my hands come up to push whoever it is off me.
“Shh, you’re okay, doll face,” Haidyn whispers, his lips by my ear. I can hear his steady breath over my heavy breathing. “Do you understand?”
I nod the best I can, and he removes his hand from my face and jumps up off me. I’m trying to get my brain to catch up with what’s happening. A light flips on, and I see Haidyn standing naked beside the bed. He’s pulling on a pair of jeans and slipping a T-shirt over his head. Then he yanks his nightstand open and removes a gun. He pushes the slide back, cocking it.
My heart picks up, realizing I wasn’t dreaming. Someone is in the house. “Haidyn?”
“Stay here,” he whispers.
“What…?” I jump out of bed. “No—”
“Stay in here,” he whisper-shouts at me, then rushes out of the room, softly closing the door behind him.
I pick up a shirt of his from a chair and slide it on with a pair of my underwear I find on his floor. Then I rush into his closet and grab the baseball bat he has sitting against the wall. Running back into the bedroom, I flip off the light and press my back into the wall, trying to calm my breathing. Where is my gun when I need it? I know he has them all over his house, but it’s not like he’s shown them to me. Probably because I’ve tried to shoot him twice before.
My hands are sweaty, and I strain to hear what’s happening on the other side of this door. Seeing the doorknob slowly turning has me adjusting the bat in my hands, preparing me for whoever is about to enter.
What if Haidyn missed whoever it is? This is a big house. Whoever broke the glass could be in one room while Haidyn is in the other and they missed one another.
The door opens, and I step out from behind it, seeing a figure enter the room and I step farther into it, swinging at the intruder. The bat connects across their upper back.
“Fuck,” a familiar voice groans.
“Haidyn?” I flip on the light and see him turning to face me. The bat falls from my hands, landing on the bedroom floor. “Oh my God…”
“What the fuck, doll face?”
An arm wraps around my neck from behind, yanking me off my feet. My wide eyes go to Haidyn as he lifts the gun in his hands. “Let her go!” he demands.
“Go ahead.” A man laughs in my ear. “Shoot us both. It will make my job easier.” His laughter grows, and I take a second to lean forward as much as I can and then throw my head back, knocking it into his face.
His arm loosens just enough to give me space to place my arm between it and shove him away. I run toward Haidyn, but the guy reaches out and grabs my hair. Spinning me around, he yanks me to him before knocking his face into mine.
HAIDYN
It happens so quickly that by the time I realize I have a shot, she’s on the floor, and he’s running out of the room.
“Fuck.” I drop the gun to my side and kneel next to her. “Charlotte?” I look over her bloody face. He hit her hard. “Charlotte, look at me. Come on, doll face.”
She blinks, and her tear-filled eyes are unfocused.
“What the fuck is going on?” Adam barks, entering my room and looking around. He’s naked and half asleep.
“Someone was in the house,” I answer, not taking my eyes off hers. “He got away.”
He runs out of the room, and I cup her face. “Look at me, Charlotte.” She blinks, but her eyes find mine. “That’s it, beautiful. Talk to me.”
“Hai-dyn.” She blinks once more and lifts her hand to hold the side of her head. "Ow.” She winces.
I let out a deep breath and help her to her feet. Guiding her over to the couch, I set her down on it and leave her to go the bathroom. Once I grab her some painkillers out of the cabinet, I get her a water from the fridge. Returning to our room, she looks up at me and sniffs. “I’m sorry—”
“Don’t apologize.” I interrupt her.
“I didn’t realize it was you.” She goes on.
I take her shaking hands in mine. “Hey, don’t worry about it, doll face. I’m fine. Promise.” I give her a reassuring smile that she doesn’t return. “Here take these.” Handing her the painkillers and water, she takes them just as Adam appears back at our bedroom door. “I’ll be right back.” Stepping into the hallway, I shut the door behind me. “See anything?” I ask Adam.