Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 108141 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108141 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Jesus. I’m hiding a woman I don’t even know. What the hell do I even care what happens to her? She’s not my damn problem. She’s just a woman I kissed at a club… A woman I’ve been fantasizing about kissing again…
Nope, not going there. She is nothing but a distraction. I need to figure out what the hell Logan is up to, who he’s working with, make sure she’s safe, and then drop her ass off wherever she came from.
As I drive—taking the long way, in case Logan is following—I try like hell not to pay attention to her sniffling next to me. I know what it feels like to lose someone, so I imagine she’s mourning the loss of her brother, on top of dealing with being kidnapped and threatened to be sold.
Back in Logan’s house, when I had her in my lap, all I wanted to do was hold her in my arms and tell her how fucking sorry I was for my part in this mess, but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t let her get close to me. When she looked at me with those big, beautiful, chocolate-brown eyes, begging me to save her, my heart fissured in my chest. But I can’t go there.
Never again.
Nevaeh
The car lurches to a stop, and my body freezes, my eyes shooting open to take in my surroundings. We haven’t uttered a word to each other since we left, and I’m not sure what to expect. My heart skips a beat when Ethan gets out of the car and shuts the door. As he comes around to my side and opens my door, I quickly wipe the lingering tears from my eyes. He holds his hand out for me to take, and like a moth to a flame, I accept his proffered hand, allowing him to help me.
I take one last glance at his sexy car, wondering if maybe I should add drive hot, expensive car to my list.
“It’s a Nissan GT-R,” he explains, as if he can read my thoughts.
I shrug nonchalantly, trying to act like I don’t care, and he chuckles and shakes his head, pulling me along.
When I finally look up, away from the car, I gasp out loud, my eyes widening in amazement. I pictured him taking me to some rundown warehouse or a dungeon of some sort, but as I take in my surroundings, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
As we walk up the long, circular driveway that’s lined with lush green grass and evergreen shrubs, I inhale the salty scent of the ocean. To my left, in the center of the driveway, is a gorgeous fountain that looks to be made of glazed ceramic tiles with roses and magnolias surrounding it, giving it an enchanting feel. I glance back and see the main gate is huge and made of wrought iron. The entire scene in front of me is picturesque, the true definition of tranquility, which seems to be the opposite of everything Ethan stands for.
Still holding hands, we walk up to the house—if you can even call it that… It’s more like a mansion. Large white pillars surround what looks like a wraparound porch that leads to the front entrance. To the left is a porch swing, and to the right is a table and chairs. In the center of the porch, there’s a thick set of ebony-colored wooden doors that look more expensive than everything I own. I take a step forward with Ethan, mesmerized by the sight before me.
He lets go of my hand and reaches into his pocket for his keys, and with a quick twist of his wrist, he unlocks the door, opening it wide and motioning for me to enter first. I take a step toward the open door, my heart beating hard and fast against my ribcage. Am I going to enter this house and never come back out? The feeling of not knowing what is in store for me is now consuming my every thought. I am finally ready to live my life and I might not even get a chance.
The thought once again reminds me of Stephen.
And my heart squeezes in my chest.
He’s gone.
“I’m not going to hurt you. Please get inside,” Ethan says, his voice devoid of all emotion.
Having no choice but to believe what he says, I step into the foyer and see an elegant white spiral staircase leading up to the second floor. A patterned maroon rug ascends the stairs, giving it a homey feel.
To my left is a huge dining room with a table that could easily seat twelve people.
“Your home is beautiful,” I say. “You must have a big family.”
Ethan scoffs at my compliment as he closes the front door. “Do I look like a family man to you?”
“Um, I’m not sure,” I say, considering his question. “Maybe… I mean you were nice at the club when you were my pretend boyfriend in front of my ex, but then you were kind of scary at your friend’s house earlier. I’m not sure if a family man would nearly choke a woman who just lost her brother and was on the verge of being sold into…”