Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
I rush down the steps and launch into his arms.
“Caleb!” Suddenly, I’m crying. Bawling, actually. “I knew you’d come for me. I mean, I hoped you would. And you did. Thank you so much.”
“Fuck, baby, fuck. I’m so glad you’re alive. I’m so fucking glad.” He’s spinning me around slowly, my feet not touching the ground. “I never should have let you leave here. Wait—that’s not what I meant.” He glances up at the three women standing in the doorway. “Nevermind, I’ll tell you later.” He waves a beckoning arm to my fellow captives. “Get in the truck. I’ll take you to the sheriff’s.”
My heart’s still stuttering on the I’ll tell you later. He has something to tell me? About not letting me leave?
We all squeeze into the cab of Caleb’s truck—Bear included—and he drives a couple miles up the road into the town of Pecos and tears into the sheriff’s building.
It’s a small town, so people come out to see what all the fuss is about. Someone recognizes the women from the Missing Person posters and points and then everyone’s chattering, moving in for more information as we troop into the sheriff’s office.
Caleb takes my hand protectively as we go in and my heart does a full flip flop. We tell our story five or six times each to the sheriff, who calls an ambulance to take all four of us down to Santa Fe to get checked out. Caleb stays by my side the whole time, my strong silent bodyguard. The sheriff speaks to him with respect, like they go way back. Caleb tells him my dog came to get him and that’s how he found us. None of us contradict him—the bear story was too fantastical, anyway.
He doesn’t believe our story about the man turning into a monster, either, until Caleb and his deputies on site confirm it was true.
The rest of the night is a blur of repeating my story a dozen times and getting checked over by doctors at the hospital.
After we left the sheriff’s, Caleb took Bear up to his place, and I went in the ambulance to Santa Fe. We’d only been given bread and small rations of water for the duration of captivity and Rachel passed out by the time the ambulance arrived. She’d been there the longest—eight months. According to everyone who heard the story, we’re all lucky to be alive, considering the mental state of our captor. The other women’s families were contacted and the hospital is trying to keep the media out for their privacy. I’m glad I was never reported missing—maybe I can stay out of the stories.
Caleb waits with me in the hospital room. I’m sitting on the bed, he’s in the chair beside it.
“Is there someone I should call? Your parents or someone else?”
“Oh, um…” Disappointment hits me like a punch to the solar plexus. For some reason, I thought I’d be going back up to Caleb’s. But maybe that was the wrong assumption.
He must see my fluster, because he picks up my hand. “I’ll be taking care of you tonight, of course. I just didn’t want to intrude. You know, if someone else should know what’s going on.”
Happiness seeps back in. “Oh. No, I can worry my parents with the story later. They’re going to freak out completely, but it can wait.”
He nods. “Good. I’m bringing you back to my place tonight.”
Contentment flows through me like an easy river. Back to Caleb’s. Where I spent two of the best days of my life.
He cups my chin. “Listen, Miranda. I didn’t like the way we left things.”
I lick my lips. “Wh-what do you mean?” My heart is beating hella fast. I just survived being kidnapped and tortured. Talking about a relationship with Caleb shouldn’t make me break out into a cold sweat, but it does.
“I mean…” He runs a hand down his beard. “I want to see you again. I don’t want things to end. I know you have your career—”
“I don’t want things to end, either,” I blurt, then feel my face heat.
Caleb wraps a large palm around the back of my head and pulls me to stand, claiming my mouth with all the aggression of a wild animal.
I surrender happily, letting him plunder my mouth with his tongue, moaning when he drags my lower lip through his teeth.
“Then we’re agreed,” Caleb breathes when he breaks the kiss.
The nurse clears her throat from the doorway. “The doctor signed your release papers. You can check out at the desk.”
“Great.” I beam at her, taking Caleb’s hand and letting him lead me out to his truck.
* * *
Caleb
Miranda and I need to talk but I’ve been too busy fucking her brains out. I had her in my bed. On the living room floor. Over the couch. Against the kitchen counter. On the bed again. She’s there now, a limp rag doll, panting as she recovers.