Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 81930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
“They weren’t little accidents. You could have been seriously hurt.”
They’d have to agree to disagree.
“I swear I could run faster than this,” Marcus complained. “Pull over.”
“You’re not running to her apartment.” Cullen gave him a brief, exasperated look before turning back to the road. His hands were at ten and two. Didn’t he know it was okay to break the rules if it was an emergency?
Everyone knew that.
“Why not? I’m a fast runner! They called me Marathon Marcus in school.”
“That’s because you used to run your mouth,” Cullen replied dryly. “Not because you were a fast runner. And it doesn’t matter how fast you are. Isla’s apartment is still two miles away and we’re not in a good part of the city. Just wait.”
“You know that patience isn’t my strong point.”
“We know,” Ivy said. “But Cullen will get us there, Marcus.”
“And in one piece,” Cullen added.
“She needs me. She needs me and I’m not there for her,” he said in a strained voice.
Marcus didn’t like to feel anything other than happy. Fear, anxiety, anger… those sorts of emotions he tried to avoid.
But right now… he felt all of them. Fear that she was in real trouble. Anxious because he didn’t have her with him. And anger because she refused to live with them. Because he’d let her refuse to live with them.
He should have insisted on it. But he hadn’t wanted to push her.
That was a mistake.
If they had a Daddy, he would have taken her in hand. Insisted that she be safe.
Okay, so he was kind of getting ahead of himself. They weren’t exactly in a relationship. Although, he was working on that.
She’d also never admitted to being a Little. However, he had an excellent Little-radar. He knew there was a Little hiding underneath that quiet, reserved exterior.
Someone just had to bring her out.
“If she lived with us this wouldn’t have happened.”
“You can’t force her to do something she doesn’t want to do,” Cullen warned. “We’ve had this conversation.”
“Yeah, yeah, forcing someone to do something because I want them to do it isn’t acceptable.”
But it would be a lot easier if he could do that. If everyone would just listen to him, then the world would make a lot more sense.
“Here! This is it!” He had his seatbelt unbuckled before Cullen had even pulled over.
“Marcus! Don’t you dare!” Cullen snapped.
Marcus opened the door before the car came to a stop. He jumped out, running to the building and ignoring the cursing coming from behind him.
His safety didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting to her.
It was odd, really. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about other people and their feelings. He loved Cullen. He’d do anything for him and for Ivy.
But what he felt for Isla… it was different. Maybe it was because Cullen had always taken care of him. He didn’t need Marcus in the same way that Isla did.
And neither did Ivy. She had Cullen to look after her. Marcus was her playmate. Her friend.
Not her protector.
Although he wasn’t doing a good job of protecting Isla. She needed better security.
Maybe a bodyguard. That could work.
“Marcus!” Cullen called out as he raced up to the building and through the front door. Damn thing didn’t even have security. Anyone could get in.
He raced up the stairs, knowing he didn’t have the patience for the elevator.
Besides, this way Cullen wouldn’t be able to catch up to him. He didn’t need a scolding from his cousin right now.
All he needed was his girl.
Isla was still having trouble catching her breath. It felt like there was a fist around her chest.
The harder it was to breathe, the more terrified she became. And the more terrified she grew, the harder it became to breathe.
It was a never-ending vicious circle. She sat and stared at the mess, but her brain wasn’t really seeing it.
Marcus will be here soon.
It was the only thing keeping her sane. Even though she knew she shouldn’t have called him.
She was his housekeeper. Well, technically she guessed she was Cullen’s housekeeper since he’d hired her.
But she wasn’t Marcus’ responsibility.
Even though you’d like to be…
No. She wasn’t what Marcus needed. Even though his kisses made her feel like she was floating.
She had to stop kissing him, though.
Because they would never work together.
Trouble was, he was all she thought about. His wicked grin. The jokes and pranks.
A knock at the door had her screaming.
“Isla! Fuck, let me in! Is someone hurting you? I’m going to unleash fucking hell on their ass!”
“I… I…” The door was shoved against her back, making her moan in pain. As if she wasn’t bruised enough.
“Isla!”
Shoot. She needed to let him, but she was scared if she moved he was going to hit her again with the door.
“Marcus!” Cullen growled.
She flinched. Shoot. Cullen was here too?
Of course he was. How else would Marcus get here? He didn’t drive.