Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 76846 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76846 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
But there was no one.
I imagined her attacker doubled back to the gym, thinking she might have slipped out with the crowd. Then had gotten himself locked out as well.
I pointed to the library and Coal nodded, moving on to do another sweep while I collected Elizabeth.
When she rose up from the desk, she was white as a sheet, her eyes saucers, and her entire body was shaking as I pulled her against me.
“It’s okay,” I assured her, my lips against her hair. And if I went ahead and pressed them to her head, so the fuck what? “But I have to get you out of here, okay?” I said, getting a frantic nod from her as she slowly untangled herself from me.
I felt the separation like a pang in my chest. But there was no time to focus on that when there could be a fucking Bratva enforcer out to get her still.
“I got your purse,” I told her, getting a nod from her. “I need you to stay behind me, okay?” I asked, reaching again for my gun, watching her stiffen, but she did what I asked, moving behind me.
Reaching back, I wrapped an arm around her, keeping her close as we made our way down the hall, the stairs, and then out onto the lower level.
Coal was waiting right near the main entrance, then led us toward the side where we’d broken in.
“Back the car up onto the sidewalk,” I instructed as we both looked out the door, scanning the streets and rooftops.
With that, he ran off, getting in the car, and doing what I instructed.
“I’m going to pull open the back door, you fly in and go flat on your stomach. Stay low until I say otherwise.”
I waited for a nod from her before we were running to the end of the alley. From inside the car, Coal leaned between the seats, throwing open the back and passenger doors, and we both jumped in in unison.
“Go,” I said as soon as the doors slammed but Coal was already peeling off, driving up and down side streets, making sure that if there was any tail, that it was impossible for it to keep up with us in the traffic.
It wasn’t until we were only a few blocks from my place that I finally spoke.
“We’re almost home,” I told her, hoping my voice was calming because I was pretty sure I heard her sniffling back there by herself. “Two more minutes,” I assured her. Then, quieter, so only Coal could hear me, “We’re good, right?” I asked, looking in the rearview mirrors.
He gave me a nod as he pulled up to the curb, but he cut the engine and climbed out, scanning the streets and buildings as I shuffled a splotchy-faced Elizabeth out of the car and into the safety of my building.
“Come here,” I said in the elevator when she tried, and failed, to hold in a cry.
I pulled her against me and kept her there as we moved out into the hall, then into the apartment before I felt like I could truly breathe again.
And as soon as the door closed and locked behind us, Elizabeth finally stopped trying to hold herself together, and completely fell apart, sobbing in my arms, clinging to me, as I murmured quiet assurances that she was okay, that no one was going to get her at my place.
As I held her, I decided I needed to make sure that was a promise I could keep. I was going to need to pull two of my men off of their usual work and have them doing security outside of my building or the floor of my condos.
It would be a pain in the ass for my crew, but it would be worth it if I never got a text like that from her again.
“How about I draw you a bath?” I asked. “In my bathroom. It’s got the good tub,” I told her when she finally stopped crying.
“Okay,” she agreed, voice small as I led her into my room, then settled her on the end of the bed before going in to get the bath going.
“Want me to bring you anything?” I asked. “Wine? Coffee?”
“Coffee and my rescue meds?” she asked, looking up at me, and I saw how swollen her eyelids were. I figured it was from crying, but it seemed like the craziness of the day had brought on another migraine.
“Sure. Hold tight,” I said as I rushed around to make her coffee, brought her one of her pills that she took quickly, then carried the coffee with her into the bathroom, and closed the door.
And I stood on the outside of it, trying and failing, not to imagine her in there naked.
“Fuck,” I hissed, walking back out into the hallway to lean against the wall, taking deep breaths that I hoped would reason with my cock about the whole situation.